F. Scott Fitzgerald

F. Scott Fitzgerald

Welcome to the roaring 1920's! The Jazz Age. A period within time which

the passive behaviors, beliefs, and purity of the past generations, were tossed

aside to create room for the changes America was about to experience! The birth

of independent voting rights for women, lavishing parties, and where excitement

was to be found in every corner. This was the era in which the people were

considered the "Lost Generation," and from this environment emerged a eminent

writer of those times. Francis Scott Fitzgerald.

Born to the calm and submissive atmosphere of St. Paul Minnesota, he

came from a line of highly regarded men and women from his family's past. His

most famous relative by far was Francis Scott Key. The writer of our national

anthem. Though he was certainly the most famous Fitzgerald, his mother was the

most eccentric. Often dressed in miss-matched shoes and had a peculiar behavior,

she at one time stared at a woman whose husband was dying and said: "I'm trying

to decide how you'll look in the mourning."

"I helped him by encouraging his urge to write adventures. It was also

his best work. He did not shine in his other subjects. It was the pride in his

literary work that put him in his real bent." Recalls his St. Paul Academy

teacher. From that prestigious school he then traveled and began attendance in

Princeton University. Not a promising student he was often late to his classes.

His excuse was once "Sir-it's absurd to expect me to be on time. I'm a

genius!!!" Though the "Princeton years" we not his most memorable, it provided

an outlet for his writing, and talent.

During his junior year he left Princeton and entered the army in 1917.

Though he was never sent to battle for his country, there he began work on the

short story, The Romantic Egoist, which was published as This Side of Paradise.

Though rejected it later returns as a imitated nationwide sensation. When time

and America began evolving, then was his work beginning to receive its time

awaited praise. The Jazz Age had arrived! By this period Fitzgerald had already

found his love and married the enchanting Zelda Syre. She was an accomplished

writer, ballet dancer, and painter. Though every one of these qualities were

contributions to her vivid personality, her flaws were seen by many! "Her

rudeness, selfishness and lack of self restraint! She abuses men terribly then

cuts and breaks dates with them, yawns in their faces, and they come back for

more!" recalls Fitzgerald. As the jaded, rebellious "flaming youth" of the new