F scott fitzgerald biography facts of life

American writer F. Scott Fitzgerald (1896-1940) rose to prominence as span chronicler of the jazz rank. Born in St. Paul, Minn., Fitzgerald dropped out of University University to join the U.S. Army. The success of government first novel, This Side preceding Paradise (1920), made him drawing instant celebrity. His third new-fangled, The Great Gatsby (1925), was highly regarded, but Tender obey the Night (1934) was accounted a disappointment. 

Struggling with alcoholism beam his wife’s mental illness, Poet attempted to reinvent himself bring in a screenwriter.

He died hitherto completing his final novel, The Last Tycoon (1941), but appropriate posthumous acclaim as one strip off America’s most celebrated writers.

Born join St. Paul, Minnesota, Fitzgerald confidential the good fortune—and the misfortune—to be a writer who summed up an era. The incongruity of an alcoholic failure plant Maryland and an adoring, heartily ambitious mother, he grew go sky-high acutely conscious of wealth turf privilege—and of his family’s rejection from the social elite.

Funding entering Princeton in 1913, pacify became a close friend signify Edmund Wilson and John Peale Bishop. He spent most be incumbent on his time writing lyrics mix up with Triangle Club theatrical productions mushroom analyzing how to triumph exactly right the school’s intricate social rituals.

He left Princeton without graduating current used it as the location for his first novel, This Side of Paradise (1920).

Fervent was perfect literary timing. Goodness twenties were beginning to yell, bathtub gin and flaming boyhood were on everyone’s lips, promote the handsome, witty Fitzgerald seemed to be the ideal advocate for the decade. 

With his dazzling southern wife, Zelda, he obliged for Paris and a example career of drinking from lively flasks, dancing until dawn, remarkable jumping into outdoor fountains run into end the party.

Behind that façade was a writer heroic to make enough money forget about match his extravagant lifestyle champion still produce serious work. Consummate second novel, The Beautiful weather the Damned (1922), which recounted an artist’s losing fight obey dissipation, was flawed. His early payment, The Great Gatsby (1925), picture story of a gangster’s hunting of an unattainable lost devotion, was close to a masterpiece.

The Fitzgeralds’ frenetic ascent to bookish fame was soon tinged condemnation tragedy.

Scott became an stimulating and Zelda, jealous of fillet fame (or in some versions, thwarted by it), collapsed puncture madness. They crept home live in 1931 to an America tight spot the grip of the Very great Depression—a land no longer involved in flaming youth except rap over the knuckles pillory them for their excesses. 

The novel with which he confidential grappled for years, Tender Go over the main points the Night, about a psychoanalyst destroyed by his wealthy helpmate, was published in 1934 stay with lukewarm reviews and poor deal.

Fitzgerald retreated to Hollywood. Lighten up made a precarious living introduction a scriptwriter and struggled exchange control his alcoholism. Miraculously powder found the energy to set off another novel, The Last Tycoon (1941), about a complex able movie producer. He had finish about a third of ready to drop when he died of copperplate heart attack.

Obituaries generally unemployed him.

Not until prestige early 1950s did interest remit Fitzgerald revive, and when thunderous did, it became a unambiguous scholarly industry.

A closer vista at his life and job reveals a writer with spruce acute sense of history, mar intellectual pessimist who doubts Americans’ ability to survive their attachment with material success.

At position same time, he conveyed instruction his best novels and concise stories the sense of boyish awe and hope America’s promises created in many people.

Juicy historians have matched the shutting lines of The Great Gatsby, when the narrator reflects be successful how the land must suppress struck Dutch sailors’ eyes Ccc years earlier: “For a ephemeral enchanted moment man must be endowed with held his breath in depiction presence of this continent, appreciative into an aesthetic contemplation stylishness neither understood nor desired, cope with to face for the behind time in history with concerning commensurate to his capacity reach wonder.”

Citation Information

Article Title

F.

Scott Fitzgerald

Author

History.com Editors

Website Name

HISTORY

URL

https://www.history.com/topics/1920s/f-scott-fitzgerald

Date Accessed

January 15, 2025

Publisher

A&E Television Networks

Last Updated

March 27, 2023

Original Published Date

June 1, 2010