The Failures and Succeses of F. Scott Fitzgerald

743 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Analysis of the great gatsby

What’s behind the brilliant mind that created The Great Gatsby and other F. Scott Fitzgerald works? Every author has their own set of inspirations and an eventual downfall of sorts. Francis Scott Key Fitzgerald was brought up to succeed in his writing, wholly inspired by the love of his life, Zelda Sayre, and eventually torn down by stress and alcoholism. Fitzgerald’s life came to be in September of 1896 in St. Paul, Minnesota. His father, Edward Fitzgerald, an alcoholic and failed wicker furniture maker, had a proud aristocracy, which his wife, Mary (Mollie) McQuillan, was appreciative of. Mollie had an abundance of inheritance, but no family name to live up too. The family of Catholics lived in upstate New York until Edward was dismissed as a salesman. They then moved back to St. Paul to live off of Mollie’s hefty inheritance. At the tender age of thirteen, Fitzgerald attended the St. Paul Academy. The boring aspects of academics, perhaps, could be the reason Fitzgerald got so into his writing hobby. The academy saw his potential and mistakenly encouraged his passion for writing over his schoolwork. His writing was also strongly encouraged by his mentor, Father Sigourney Fay, at the catholic prep school he began attending at the age of fifteen. Despite his lack of attention towards his schoolwork, Fitzgerald began to attend Princeton University in 1914 on a literacy apprenticeship. He wrote scripts and lyrics for the Princeton Tiger and the Nassau Literary Magazine to fill his time there. Fitzgerald began too neglect his studies, as he had always been known to do, and was placed on academic probation. Due to his academic probation, he was not likely to graduate with the Princeton Class of 1917, and he joined the army as... ... middle of paper ... ...wspapers and magazines and they were unwilling to pay great amounts for his mediocre stories. He was dependant on Tender is the Night to support him while he went into debt with his alcoholism, Zelda’s medical bills, and Scottie’s schooling; the book was a failure. Fitzgerald was on the verge of a mental breakdown. He moved to Hollywood, California, and continued to attempt writing and movie making. He still suffered from not taking his work as seriously as he should. Fitzgerald died of a heart attack in 1940; Zelda followed in death from a fire at Highland Hospital in North Carolina in 1948. The jazz age playboy’s total success didn’t come until many years after his death. Suring his lifetime, his success quickly turned into a downward spiral when he let his early years, his live and inspiration, Zelda Sayre, and his alcoholism effect his passion for writing.

Show More
Related

  • A Comparison Of The Novels Of The Great Gatsby And Judy Fitzgerald

    1119 Words  | 3 Pages

    Francis Scott Fitzgerald, also known under his writer’s name, F. Scott Fitzgerald, is revered as a famous American novelist for his writing masterpieces in the 1920’s and 1930’s. F. Scott Fitzgerald wrote about his extravagant lifestyle in America that his wife, Zelda, their friends, and him lived during that era. In fact, a lot of his novels and essays were based off of real-life situations with exaggerated plots and twists. F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novels were the readers looking glass into his tragic life that resulted in sad endings in his books, and ultimately his own life. F. Scott Fitzgerald lived in a nice neighborhood, but growing up, he wasn’t privileged.

    Read More

  • Zelda Fitzgerald Biography Essay

    1415 Words  | 3 Pages

    Zelda Fitzgerald, wife of famous author F. Scott Fitzgerald, lived an extravagant life. Her life may not have been well known in the same way that her husbands was, but many people still knew of her nonetheless. Fitzgerald was born on July 24, 1900 in Montgomery, Alabama. Her family was rather well known throughout the government. Fitzgerald’s father, Anthony Dickinson Sayre, served on the Supreme Court of Alabama. Zelda’s great-uncle and grandfather served in the United States Senate. Her mother was Minnie Buckner Machen Sayre. Fitzgerald was the youngest among her five siblings. During her adolescence, she was a dancer. She also challenged the normal things a teenage girl her age would do by drinking, smoking, and socializing with boys. She

    Read More

  • Jean Toomer- An African American Writer

    1177 Words  | 3 Pages

    When he was fifteen years old, his mother died from appendicitis. From fifteen years of age to his college years, he lived in an all-white neighborhood. From 1914-1917, he shifted from many colleges and academic courses of study as well as he changed his cultural identity growing up. He studied physical education, agriculture, and literature at a total of six colleges and universities from Wisconsin to New York. Although he never completed a degree, his educational pursuits laid the foundation for his writing career.

    Read More

  • Gatsby Rough Draft

    1013 Words  | 3 Pages

    Fitzgerald, of course, was an author, so the reason behind the book being written was that he hoped to gain popularity and earn money, which he successfully accomplished. To Fitzgerald, the novel was a "consciously artistic achievement" and allowed him to achieve his goals of status and revenue, even though the fame came slightly after he might have hoped.

    Read More

  • The Life & Works of F. Scott Fitzgerald

    561 Words  | 2 Pages

    Francis Scott Key Fitzgerald was born on September 24, 1896 in St. Paul, Minnesota. There, he attended Saint Paul Academy where his passion for writing began. At thirteen, he completed his first story that was published in the Academy’s newspaper. Later, Fitzgerald moved to New Jersey and attended the Newman school for two years from 1911 to 1913. Fitzgerald went on to attend Princeton University; there he wrote scripts and lyrics for the musicals performed at the University. He also contributed greatly to the Princeton Tiger and Nassau Literary Magazines.

    Read More

  • American Flapper Analysis

    1437 Words  | 3 Pages

    Fitzgerald was gaining notoriety. It was said to be a representation of the free lifestyle and relaxed morals of what became known as the "Lost Generation.” This couple “personified the immense lure of the East, of young fame, of dissolution and early death.” (Milford, 2011, p. 6) She was said to be his muse, but there was also talk that he plagiarized much of his writing from her journals. In addition, to inspiring his major heroines, she supplied him with many other memorable lines. “Much has been written on Zelda Fitzgerald as F. Scott Fitzgerald's muse and as a victim of mental illness.” (Grogan, 2015, p.110) Zelda was considered an embodiment of the Jazz Age (1920-1929), and had a very tumultuous, substance abuse filled life with Mr.

    Read More

  • F. Scott Fitzgerald's American Dream

    1653 Words  | 4 Pages

    “Riding in a taxi one afternoon between very tall buildings under a mauve and rosy sky; I began to bawl because I had everything I wanted and knew I would never be so happy again.”(Fitzgerald). F. Scott Fitzgerald was born on September 24, 1896 in St. Paul, Minnesota, into a very prestigious, catholic family. Edward, his father, was from Maryland, and had a strong allegiance to the Old South and its values. Fitzgerald’s mother, Mary, was the daughter of an Irish immigrant who became wealthy as a wholesale grocer in St. Paul. His upbringing, affected much of his writing career. Half the time F. Scott Fitzgerald thought of himself as the “heir of his father's tradition, which included the author of The Star-Spangled Banner, Francis Scott Key, after whom he was named” (F. Scott Fitzgerald Biography). The other half the time he acted as “straight 1850 potato-famine Irish” (F. Scott Fitzgerald Biography). Consequently, he had typically indecisive feelings about American life, which seemed to him at once “vulgar and dazzlingly promising” (F. Scott Fitzgerald Biography). This idea is expressed in much of Fitzgerald’s writing. From an early age he had an “intensely romantic imagination” (F. Scott Fitzgerald Biography); he longed for a life of passion, fame and luxury.

    Read More

  • The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

    928 Words  | 2 Pages

    Scott Fitzgerald was born on September 24, 1896, in St. Paul, Minnesota. He attended Princeton University, but flunked out and joined the US army. While in the army, he met the love of his life Zelda. Zelda refused to commit to him without him having a steady job. After being discharged, he moved to New York City to pursue a career of advertising. After only a few months, he returned to St. Paul to continue his writing career. His first novel's success made him famous and let him marry the woman he loved. His recently found fame gave him a bad reputation that made some people see him as less than a serious literary genius. The Fitzgeralds enjoyed fame and fortune, and the characters in The Great Gatsby closely resemble these characteristics. In The Great Gatsby, Jay Gatsby is very wealthy and successful, which is what Fitzgerald strived for his entire life. The life Fitzgerald led and the life he wished to lead is reflected in the extravagant life of Jay Gatsby. Gatsby and Fitzgerald were also similar in their devotion to their lovers. Although Zelda spent her final years in an asylum, Fitzgerald continued to be loyal to her. Gatsby spent his entire trying to win back the love of his life, even when things seemed hopeless.

    Read More

  • F. Scott Fitzgerald

    923 Words  | 2 Pages

    In 1896, F. Scott Fitzgerald was born in St. Paul, Minnesota on September twenty-fourth. Fitzgerald was named after the author of the “Star Spangled Banner” (LitFinder). He was the only child of Edward and Mollie McQuillan Fitzgerald, and he is Irish by ancestry(McMahon 89). According to Matthew Bruccoli, while Edward was a provincial aristocrat, his mother Mollie, was a “straight 1850 potato –famine Irish” (Bruccoli). Fitzgerald ended up moving to New Jersey in 1911 to obtain an education at Newman College Preparatory School. Two years later he transferred to Princeton University. After schooling, Fitzgerald became a Lieutenant in the U.S. Army, but he never saw war. Instead of entering line of duty in WWI, he was assigned to stay at camp Sheridan. It was at this camp where he met his wife Zelda (LitFinder). While she and Fitzgerald were engaged, he tried to succeed in the advertisement business; however, Zelda, unwilling to wait for him to succeed, broke off the engagement (Bruccoli). Then in 1919 he published, This side of Paradise. This novel allowed Fitzgerald to become a well known literary figure. One year later he married Z...

    Read More

  • the great gatsby

    1878 Words  | 4 Pages

    Francis Scott Key Fitzgerald was born on September 24 in 1896. He was born in in St. Paul. Minnesota. His father, Edward, was full of charm, and dignity, and even though he worked he still had financial problems. Fitzgerald's mother was Mollie McQuillan and she had very little passion for society life except that it had everything her son needs for his future. Even though Fitzgeralds family was just a couple of streets down from the most wealthiest people in town, they were not seen as rich though and people viewed them as quite low people that lived live very shabbish. Fitzgerald was a very handsome boy and was very ambitious. When Scott was only thirteen, he a detective story that was his first glimpse at writing in the school paper. Scott went to the St. Paul Academy in 1908 for two years, and then went to Newman School in 1911 for another two years. Scott was so full of enthusiasm though that he was not very popular with ...

    Read More

  • How Multiple Incidents Develop the Plot Line in The Great Gatsby

    915 Words  | 2 Pages

    F. Scott Fitzgerald brilliantly wrote many novels as well as short stories. One of his best known works is The Great Gatsby. In the novel, the main character Jay Gatsby tries to obtain his lifetime dreams: wealth and Daisy Buchanan. Throughout the story, he works at achieving his goals while overcoming many obstacles. Fitzgerald’s plot line relies heavily on accidents, carelessness, and misconceptions, which ultimately reveal the basic themes in the story.

    Read More

  • Childhood Influences Impact the Writing of F. Scott Fitzgerald

    1035 Words  | 3 Pages

    On Wednesday February 12 of 1890 F. Scott Fitzgerald's parents were married in Washington D.C. Six years later on September 24, 1896 Francis Scott Key Fitzgerald was born at his home 481 Laurel Ave. in St. Paul, Minnesota. His two infant older sisters had died from a violent influenza so that by the time Fitzgerald came along Mollie Fitzgerald had become the proverbial nightmare that known as an overprotective mother. Fitzgerald's mother was no traditional mother though, for she was known for her eccentricities. These eccentricities disturbed young Scott's life, "Fitzgerald later described his mother as 'half insane with pathological nervous worry'" (Bruccoli 15), but nothing worried anyone in the family so much as his father's failure to hold down a job. It was because his father lost his job as a wicker furniture manufacturer and salesman the family was forced to move from St. Paul to Buffalo in April of 1898, where his father began work for Proctor and Gamble. In January of 1901 the family moved from Buffalo to Syracuse where Edward had been transferred by his employer and where, on Sunday July 21, 1901 Scott's younger sister Annabel was born. Just two years later the family was back in Buffalo and just five years after that the family had returned to St. Paul and Grandma McQuillan's money.

    Read More

  • The Flaws Of Human Nature In The Great Gatsby

    1442 Words  | 3 Pages

    Francis Scott Fitzgerald’s visionary writing style during the early twentieth century revolutionized a new style for other writers. “Theme is most dramatically expressed through character, and Fitzgerald used the people he created to convey his personal vision of the world” (Keshmiri 2). As Keshmiri states, Fitzgerald, unlike many other writers at the time, expresses his stories through the development of the characters. Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby and The Beautiful and the Damned illustrate the many flaws of human nature and how these flaws contribute to the downfall of the characters through their obsession with status, their inability to accept reality, and the use of alcohol.

    Read More

  • Weather In The Great Gatsby

    587 Words  | 2 Pages

    Fitzgerald was brought up in an upper class family and was highly educated throughout his life. He pursued writing at Princeton University, but was put into academic probation shortly after. Afterwards, he decided to drop out and continue his passion for writing novels and short stories. Fitzgerald then joined the army when his first story was unapproved. Upon his return, he met a southern Alabama belle named Zelda.

    Read More

  • Textual Analysis Of The Great Gatsby

    947 Words  | 2 Pages

    In 1897, consequently to the collapse of Edwards business, the family moved to New York, in order for Edward to take up a job as a salesman for Proctor and Gamble. Be that as it may, their moved was brief after Edward was let go from his employment in 1908, inciting a move back the St. Paul where the Fitzgerald’s lived off the McQuillan family fortune, (Fitzgerald, Bruccoli and Baughman, 1995). For the next 14 years, Scott invested the larger part of his time at boarding school, at Princeton University, in the army, and in New York City (Ibid, 1995). Fitzgerald’s writing career began to take off in 1920 after the publication of his first novel, This Side of Paradise (Bruccoli and Smith, 1981). The novel received glowing reviews (Ibid, 1981) and secured Fitzgerald’s place as one of the country’s most promising young

    Read More

More about The Failures and Succeses of F. Scott Fitzgerald

Open Document