F. Scott Fitzgerald was born on September 24,1896, in St. Paul, Minnesota. His father, Edward Fitzgerald, was a proud man from Maryland. Fitzgerald’s mother, Mary (Mollie) McQuillan, was the daughter of a humble, but wealthy Irish immigrant. Fitzgerald, being the only child to survive childhood, was spoiled and was the apple of his mother's eye. Following his father's dismissal from a job in upstate New York, the family relocated back to St Paul in 1908 and lived a comfortable life funded by Mollie Fitzgerald’s inheritance. F. Scott Fitzgerald's life would exemplify both sides of the “American Dream”- the joy of wealth, love, and success paired with the tragedies that come with overindulgence and failures. Named after another very famous American, his distant cousin Francis Scott Key, Fitzgerald was if not born to be certainly named to be an American legend. After a stint at Princeton, where he wrote and partied in lieu of actually going to class, Fitzgerald enlisted in the Army. Knowing that no amount of money could buy him his safety, Fitzgerald was scared of death. Not necessarily death but more scared of dying without leaving something to be remembered by. This fear fueled his first hastily written novel. When he submitted The Romantic Egoist to Charles Scribner’s Sons it was rejected. This was one of Fitzgerald’s first attempts to capturing the “American Dream” and also one of his first failures. Unwavered by this failure and on the advice of the publishers, Fitzgerald was determined to revise the novel and resubmit it. Time did not stop because of his failure, Fitzgerald was still enlisted in the military and still had the constant fear of being shipped overseas. That fear was suppressed when Fitzgerald was reassigned to a... ... middle of paper ... ...ld left a legacy behind that one cannot forget. His persistance after many different trails and errors made his life the true “American Dream.” Works Cited BRUCCOLI, Matthew J. "A Brief Life of Fitzgerald." Biography of F. Scott Fitzgerald. The F. Scott Fitzgerald Society, n.d. Web. 08 Mar. 2014. "F. Scott Fitzgerald." History.com. A&E Television Networks, n.d. Web. 09 Mar. 2014. Fitzgerald, F. Scott. ""The Only Thing Worse than a Boy Who Hates You: A Boy That Loves You."" Goodreads. Goodreads, n.d. Web. 11 Mar. 2014. Kretzmer, Sybil S. "Fitzgerald Through Other Eyes." Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles Times, 24 Sept. 1995. Web. 11 Mar. 2014. Willet, Erika. "F Scott Fitzgerald and the American Dream." PBS. PBS, n.d. Web. 08 Mar. 2014. Willet, Erika. "Zelda Sayre Fitzgerald Artist, Writer, Dancer, and Wife." PBS. PBS, n.d. Web. 08 Mar. 2014.
Trilling, Lionel. "F. Scott Fitzgerald." Critical Essays on Scott Fitzgerald's "Great Gatsby." Ed. Scott Donaldson. Boston: Hall, 1984. 13-20.
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.
Fitzgerald, F S, and Matthew J. Bruccoli. The Short Stories of F. Scott Fitzgerald: A New
Mizener, Arthur, ed. F. Scott Fitzgerald: A Collection of Critical Essays. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall, 1963.
F.Scott Fitzgerald describes and recognizes the pursuit of the American Dream present in the 1920's including dysfunctional relationships. These ...
Shmoop Editorial Team. "F. Scott Fitzgerald Timeline of Important Dates." Shmoop.com. Shmoop University, Inc., 11 Nov. 2008. Web. 28 May 2014.
The classic novel of a corrupt American dream– F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby – makes a bold statement of the era of disintegrating goals and low expectations of Americans commencing in the 1920s. F. Scott Fitzgerald was known to be one of the greatest American writers of the 20th century and many of his literary works have been recognized for their brilliance. This flawless novel being an essential basis for Fitzgerald’s fame and certainly one of my favorites, exemplifies that more worthwhile goals have gone out the window, and wealth truly doesn't buy happiness or in this case love.
Fahey, William A. F. Scott Fitzgerald and The American Dream. Toronto: Fitzhenry & Whiteside Limited, 1973.
Bewley, Marius. "Scott Fitzgerald's Criticism of America." The Sewanee Review 62.2 (1954): 223-46. The Johns Hopkins University Press. Web. 28 Apr. 2014.
The 1920’s was a time of great change to both the country lived in as well as the goals and ambitions that were sought after by the average person. During this time, priorities shifted from family and religion to success and spontaneous living. The American dream, itself, changed into a self centered and ongoing personal goal that was the leading priority in most people’s lives. This new age of carelessness and naivety encompasses much of what this earlier period is remembered for. In addition, this revolution transformed many of the great writers and authors of the time as well as their various works. The Great Gatsby, written by F. Scott Fitzgerald, perfectly symbolizes many emergent trends of the 1920’s. More importantly the character of Jay Gatsby is depicted as a man amongst his American dream and the trials he faces in the pursuit of its complete achievement. His drive for acquiring the girl of his dreams, Daisy Buchanan, through gaining status and wealth shows many aspects of the authors view on the American dream. Through this, one can hope to disassemble the complex picture that is Fitzgerald’s view of this through the novel. Fitzgerald believes, through his experiences during the 1920’s, that only fractions of the American Dream are attainable, and he demonstrates this through three distinct images in The Great Gastby.
Fitzgerald, F. Scott. The Great Gatsby. Ed. Matthew J. Bruccoli. Toronto: Simon & Schuster Inc, 1995. Print.
1. To discuss the concept of the ‘American Dream’ as depicted in F. Scott’s Fitzgerald’s novel The Great Gatsby.
Despite how impossible it is, every person tries to achieve his or her dream so they can be happy or successful. The American Dream is being more powerful or better than anyone was before. In his stories Fitzgerald argues that this “American Dream” cannot be reached. No matter what it is, be it topping the social ladder, or getting the girl, or just being satisfied with one’s life, it just cannot be reached. There is always something stopping one from achieving one’s dream. Whether it is disadvantages or limitations sprung from social status, or other uncontrollable barriers blocking the dream, it is not something that can ever truly be enjoyed.
Fitzgerald, F S, and Matthew J. Bruccoli. The Short Stories of F. Scott Fitzgerald: A New
Fahey, William. F. Scott Fitzgerald and the American Dream. New York: Thomas Y. Crowell Company, 1973.