F. Scott Fitzgerald was born in St. Paul, Minnesota, on September 24, 1896, his father and mother were “both of catholic and Irish descent” (Meyers). He was given three names Francis Scott Fitzgerald after the writer of The Star Spangled Banner. Edward Fitzgerald’s great-great-greatgrandfather was the brother of Francis Scott Key’s grandfather. (Cowley) Both of his parents came from different backgrounds. His mother came from a family where money meant position, stability and security. But on his father’s side “right instincts, good manners, the need for honor, courtesy and courage”(Mizener) were what was important.
His father, Edward failed as a manufacture of wicker furniture in St. Paul and became a salesman for Procter & Gamble in upstate New York. (Mizner) His father went through many financial and drinking problems and this caused Fitzgerald to fear poverty and alcoholism. His mother, Molly’s family emigrated from Ireland in 1843 and started a wholesale grocery business in Saint Paul that was very successful. (Meyers) He loved his father, but could hardly respect him and his feelings for his mother were even more complicated.
Fitzgerald’s mother, Molly, had two children (girls) before Fitzgerald was born, Mary a
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The racial and religious prejudice was big and violent. Fitzgerald had already heard about Hemingway before meeting him and had even talked to his editor Perkins about him. He believed in the talent that Fitzgerald had, even when Fitzgerald didn’t believe in himself. Flappers, with their hair cut short, lots of beads around their necks and shorter then usual dresses were what was in style. Some of them were good and others were horrible and didn’t sell well. He began his Hollywood novel, ‘The Love of the Last Tycoon’, in 1939 and had written more than half of it when he died of a heart attack in Graham's apartment on December 21, 1940. Though Catholic, Irish, and the son of an unsuccessful businessman, Scott went to dancing school with children of Saint Paul's elite. The story is a lot like Fitzgerald’s life with Zelda and his daughter Frances, the only thing different is the names used in the book. I think it is interesting that Fitzgerald uses a statement in the Gatsby similar to one that was said to him by Ginevra Kings father, “poor boys shouldn’t think of marrying rich girls” (Bruccoli)
The Great Gatsby was not a hit when it was first published, it is now recognized as one of the great American novels. Zelda and Fitzgerald’s fighting caused a lot of their drinking problems. The 1920’s were full of wonderful highs, but also lows. “Fitzgerald’s work is aspiration – idealism. Charlie goes out with friends and gets drunk and has to start all over again. Fitzgerald was just as unpopular there as he was at St. He became ineligible for participating in any outside events and put on academic probation.
Approximate Word count =
3906
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16 (250 words per page double spaced)
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