1. F. Scott Fitzgerald The Making of The Great Gatsby

2. The Great Gatsby Originally published in 1925 Closer to Henry James and Charles Dickens than we are to Scott Fitzgerald Period piece, encapsulating splendors and miseries of “the Jazz age” Seems also distinctly modern, almost contemporary

3. F. Scott Fitzgerald The dominant influences on F. Scott Fitzgerald were –Aspiration –Literature –Zelda Sayre Fitzgerald –Alcohol

4. Biography of F. Scott Fitzgerald Born in St. Paul, Minnesota on September 24, 1896 Namesake of his relative Francis Scott Key who wrote the National Anthem Names indicate parents’ pride in father’s ancestry Father, Edward, from Maryland, Old South Mother, Mary (Mollie) McQuillan daughter of an Irish immigrant who beacme wealthy as a wholesale grocer in St. Paul Both Catholics

5. Family Life Father failed as a manufacturer of wicker furniture in St. Paul, became salesman for P & G in New York Dismissed in 1908, lived on wife’s inheritance

6. Schooling Scott Fitzgerald attended the St. Paul Academy First writing in print was a detective story in the school newspaper when he was 13 During 1911-13 he attended the Newman School, a Catholic prep school in NJ Met Fr. Sigourney Fay, who encouraged his ambitions for distinction and achievement

7. Princeton years Member of the Princeton Class of 1917 Neglected his studies for his literary apprenticeship Wrote scripts and lyrics for the Princeton Triangle Club musicals Contributor to Princeton Tiger humor magazine

8. Army years On academic probation and unlikely to graduate, Fitzgerald joined the army in 1917 Commissioned a second lieutenant in the infantry Thought he would die in the war, wrote a novel “The Romantic Egotist” which was rejected, but asked him to revise and resubmit

9. Zelda Sayre Fitzgerald assigned to Camp Sheridan near Montgomery, AL Fell in love with 18-year- old belle, Zelda Sayre Youngest daughter of an Alabama Supreme Court Judge War ended, so he went to New York City to seek fortune in order to marry Zelda unwilling to wait, broke engagement

10. Writing Fitzgerald quit his job in July 1919, returned to St. Paul to rewrite his novel as This Side of Paradise Accepted by editor Maxwell Perkins of Scribners in September Set at Princeton, described as “quest novel” Traces the career aspirations and love disappointments of Amory Blaine

11. Success in Writing Winter of 1919, Fitzgerald began writing stories for the mass-circulation magazines Interrupted work on novels to write money- making popular fiction for the rest of his life. Saturday Evening Post became his best story market Early stories about young love introduced new character, the independent, determined young American woman.

12. Marriage to Zelda Publication of This Side of Paradise on March 26, 1920 made the 24-year-old Fitzgerald famous almost overnight One week later, he married Zelda in New York Embarked on an extravagant life as young celebrities Fitzgerald tried to remain serious writer, but playboy image impeded this goal

13. Married Life with Zelda Spent wild summer in Westport, Connecticut Took an apartment in new York city He wrote his second novel the beautiful and the damned Zelda became pregnant Took first trip to Europe Settled in St. Paul for birth of Frances Scott Fitzgerald

14. First drama: The Vegetable Fitzgerald thought he would become rich from his first play Moved to Great Neck, Long Island to be near Broadway Play failed at its tryout in November 1923 Fitzgerald wrote more short stories to keep income

16. Alcohol and the Fitzgeralds During the period after his play failed, Fitzgerald turned to alcohol He was alcoholic, but did not drink when writing Zelda liked to drink, but not alcoholic Frequent arguments brought on by drinking

17. Bad reputation Fitzgerald had trouble getting published because of his alcohol problem Others created myth that he was an irresponsible writer Actually, he was very careful, doing several drafts of all his works Chief theme: aspiration, the idealism he saw as defining American character Identified with the Jazz Age

18. Writing The Great Gatsby Moved to France in spring of 1924 Wrote The Great Gatsby in Valescure Marriage hurt by Zelda’s fling with a French aviator Became friends with expats Gerald and Sara Murphy

19. The Great Gatsby He revised The Great Gatsby in Rome in 1924- 25. This novel marked a striking advance in F’s technique, using complex structure and a controlled narrative point of view. Sales of the novel were disappointing but stage and movie rights brought in some money

20. Fitzgerald and Hemingway F met Ernest Hemingway in Paris He admired Hemingway’s genius and personality Fitzgerald remained in France until the end of 1926, between Paris and the Riviera

21. Fourth Novel Fitzgerald had trouble making progress on his fourth novel, a study of American expats in France Titled “The Boy Who Killed His Mother” –“Our Type” –“The World’s Fair” Zelda’s behavior became more and more eccentric

22. Ellerslie Mansion Returned to America Rented a mansion near Wilmington, Delaware named “Ellerslie” Stayed for two years Zelda began ballet training, intended to become a professional dancer

23. Zelda’s Breakdown They returned to France in 1929 Zelda’s intense ballet work damaged her health, caused estrangement April 1930, suffered first breakdown Treated at Prangins clinic in Switzerland until Sept. 1931 Work on novel suspended while he wrote short stories to pay psychiatric bills

24. Short Stories Peak story fee of $4,000 from the Saturday evening post equal to $40,000 today Not among the highest paid writers of his day, most income from magazines He made under $25,000/year, not a fortune They spent money faster than he earned it He wrote about the effects of money, but he couldn’t manage his own finances

25. Back to America They returned to America in fall of 1931, rented a house in Montgomery Fitzgerald took a second trip to Hollywood in 1931 Zelda suffered relapse in Feb. 1932, entered Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore Spent the rest of her life as a resident or outpatient of sanitariums

26. Zelda’s writing While a patient at Johns Hopkins, Zelda wrote Save Me the Waltz. Autobiographical novel, caused bitterness between the two of them because he thought she was stealing his material Fitzgerald completed his fourth novel “Tender is the Night”, published 1934

27. Tender is the Night Most ambitious novel, but a commercial failure Merits disputed Set in France during the 1920’s Looks at the deterioration of Dick Diver, an American psychiatrist during the course of a marriage to a wealthy mental patient

28. The Crack-Up 1936-37 Fitzgerald was ill, drunk, in debt, and unable to write commercial stories Lived in hotels in Asheville, NC Zelda in Highland Hospital No more home for Scottie, she was sent to boarding school, and Obers became her family Fitzgerald was a father by mail, helping with her education and social values

29. Hollywood Fitzgerald went to Hollywood alone in 1937 with a 6-month Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer screenwriting contract at $1,000/week Screen credit for adapting Three Comrades in 1938 Contract renewed for a year at $1250/week Good money during late Depression years Trips east to Zelda were disastrous

30. New love Fitzgerald fell in love with a movie columnist, Sheilah Graham. Relationship ok in spite of drinking MGM dropped his option in 1938

31. More Hollywood Worked as a freelance script writer Wrote short-short stories for Esquire Began Hollywood novel, The Love of the Last Tycoon in 1939 Wrote more than half of working draft Died of a heart attack in Graham’s apartment on Dec. 21,1940 Zelda died in a fire at Highland Hospital, 1948

32. The End F. Scott Fitzgerald died thinking he was a failure Condescending obits Fitzgerald revival 1945-50 By 1960 he had achieved a sure place among America’s most famous writers The Great Gatsby defines the classic American novel

33. Works Cited Matthew J. Bruccoli’s “A Brief Life of Fitzgerald” originally appeared in F. Scott Fitzgerald: A Life in Letters, ed. Bruccoli with the assistance of Judith S. Baughman (New York: Scribners, 1994)