The Life of F. Scott Fitzgerald

Francis Scott Fitzgerald is known as one of America’s most prominent and iconic authors. His work framed what post-war and the Jazz Era was like in America. After having fought in the army his satirical style portrayed the 1920’s as a time where the country tried to drink and party to forget the pain. All of this was reflected in his most memorable book, The Great Gatsby. Despite being recognized as a promising author, his infamous reputation as a party man and playboy overshadowed his work success. In fact, Fitzgerald died believing he was a failure. If you wish to know more about his turbulent life and chaotic relationship with Zelda Sayre, you’ve come to the right place:

• Fitzgerald’s first story was published when he was 13 in the school newspaper. He always prioritized his writing to coursework, which is why he was expelled from boarding school and almost from Princeton, had he not dropped out to join the army.
• He met Zelda when he was in the infantry. She was 18 and daughter of a judge, which made her upper class. He wanted to marry her but needed income, so he moved to New York to work in advertising but quit a few months later in order to publish his first novel ‘This Side of Paradise’ at age 24. This almost autobiographical story launched him to fame and success. One week after publishing it he married Zelda, who consequently was his muse.
• He supported himself financially by writing short stories, like ‘The Curious Case of Benjamin Button’. Ernest Hemingway was highly against this as he felt it was wasting his time, he should be focusing on writing novels. Hemingway also knew that he had to write these stories to support Zelda’s ideal lifestyle. This is why he was vocally against their marriage.
• In 1925 he published ‘The Great Gatsby’, his most memorable work. However, it was not really appreciated until after his death.
• In the 1930’s Zelda suffered from a mental breakdown that led her to be diagnosed with schizophrenia. She was instituted and spent the rest of her life in and out of hospitals until her death in 1948. Fitzgerald wrote ‘Tender Was The Night’ based on Zelda’s struggle with mental health.
• Fitzgerald fell into alcoholism and depression during this time. He later moved to Hollywood in an attempt to revive his career as a scriptwriter. Unfortunately, he died at age 42 of a heart attack, believing as we mentioned above, that he was a failure.

Like most artists, his work was really appreciated after his death. His work embodied the era and movement of ‘The Lost Generation’. If you wish to celebrate his work, you will find it in our online library www.vibant.com.