The Great Gatsby F. Scott Fitzgerald

The “Roaring Twenties” The “Jazz Age” History

The Flapper Challenged the traditional ways. Revolution of manners and morals. A Flapper was an emancipated young woman who embraced the new fashions and urban attitudes. The Flapper

Victorian Vs. Flapper 1900’s 1920’s

F. Scott Fitzgerald & his wife Zelda Author

F. Scott Fitzgerald Chronology Born Sept. 24, 1896 in St. Paul, Minnesota. Full name Francis Scott Key Fitzgerald His early life is shaped by the fact that his mother’s family is wealthy but his father is unsuccessful at business so money is always an issue. He is poor but he attends prep. schools which make him feel like an outsider.

Enters Princeton University in 1913 Enters Princeton University in 1913. Tries, unsuccessfully, to play for the football team. Writes for the Princeton Tiger and begins to write and act in plays. Impresses peers this way. Falls in love with Genevra King, a wealthy young socialite but is rejected. He is not wealthy enough. 1915--drops out of Princeton 1916--returns to Princeton

1917—is placed on academic probation. Joins the army as a second lieutenant. First novel attempt, The Romantic Egoist, is rejected 1918--meets and falls in love with wealthy socialite Zelda Sayre. They become engaged. Theirs is one of the great love story of their time! 1919--End of WWI--Fitzgerald is discharged from the army. Zelda breaks off engagement due to Fitzgerald’s lack of financial success. 1919--Working in advertising, Fitzgerald is living with his parents and writing 1919--Writes and submits novel This Side of Paradise. It is accepted by Scribners, and it is a huge success. 1920. Fitzgerald and Zelda marry!

During the next 5-10 years, Zelda and F During the next 5-10 years, Zelda and F. Scott Fitzgerald are at the center of Jazz Age culture, and regularly appear in gossip magazines. They were the talk of the town! What was their life like? She was wild! Some would say CRAZY! He was an alcoholic! They partied hard! He worked hard also. They both had affairs but loved each other deeply!

“He could glamorize wealth and yet stand away from the people who had it – and look at their values with utter detachment and sometimes with horror.”

1930--Suffering her first of many emotional breakdowns, Zelda is hospitalized in Paris. Later diagnosed with schizophrenia. 1932--As his popularity as a novelist declines, Fitzgerald begins to work on movie scripts for MGM to work himself out of debt. He despises Hollywood, and despises himself for having to write “commercially.” 1932-1940--As Zelda’s mental state worsens, the Fitzgeralds gradually separate. 1940--F. Scott Fitzgerald dies of a heart attack. 1940 - 1948—Zelda Fitzgerald spends next eight years in and out of institutions and dies in a fire at Highland Hospital in Ashland, NC in 1948.

The Great Gatsby

Themes The Decline of the American Dream in the 1920s Society and Class Isolation Mortality Dissatisfaction

Symbols The Green Light The Valley of Ashes The Eyes of Doctor T.J. Eckleburg

Vocabulary Confer Rapture Perpetual Pastoral Colossal Countenance Supercilious Ambiguous Pungent Incessant Banter Intimation Saunter Sumptuous Vitality

This quote describing Gatsby at the end of his novel could just as easily describe Fitzgerald himself. “Gatsby believed in the green light, the orgiastic future that year by year recedes before us. It eluded us then, but that’s no matter – tomorrow we will run faster, stretch out our arms farther . . . And one fine morning ------”