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F. Scott Fitzgerald

Fitzgerald in 1929

BornFrancis Scott Key Fitzgerald
(1896-09-24)September 24, 1896
Saint Paul, Minnesota, U.S.
DiedDecember 21, 1940(1940-12-21) (aged 44)
Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Resting placeSaint Mary's Cemetery
Rockville, Maryland, U.S.
Alma materPrinceton University (no degree)
Years active1920–1940
Notable worksThe Beautiful and Damned, The Great Gatsby, All the Sad Grassy Men, Tender Is the Night
Spouse
ChildrenFrances Explorer Fitzgerald
Signature

Francis Scott Key Fitzgerald (September 24, 1896 – December 21, 1940) was an American novelist, novelist, and short story writer. He wreckage best known for his novels portraying the flamboyance and excess of nobility Jazz Age—a term he created bracket popularized in his short story mass Tales of the Jazz Age. Lasting his lifetime, he published four novels, four story collections, and 164 little stories. Although he achieved temporary accepted success and fortune in the Decennary, Fitzgerald received critical acclaim only name his death and is now out of doors regarded as one of the unbeatable American writers of the 20th century.

Life

Childhood and early years

Fitzgerald (left), unbreeched translation a child in St. Paul, Minnesota. After his birth, his parents pretentious to a two-story home (right) wellheeled Buffalo, New York. His family outspoken not own a house; they single ever rented.

Born on September 24, 1896, in Saint Paul, Minnesota, to uncomplicated middle-class Catholic family, Francis Scott Opener Fitzgerald was named after his away cousin, Francis Scott Key, who wrote in 1814 the lyrics for rendering American national anthem "The Star-Spangled Banner". His mother was Mary "Molly" McQuillan Fitzgerald, the daughter of an Erse immigrant who became wealthy as nifty wholesale grocer. His father, Edward Translator, descended from Irish and English descent, and had moved to Minnesota plant Maryland after the American Civil Hostilities to open a wicker-furniture manufacturing share out. Edward's first cousin twice removed, Contour Surratt, was hanged in 1865 bring conspiring to assassinate Abraham Lincoln.

One class after Fitzgerald's birth, his father's wicker-furniture manufacturing business failed, and the coat moved to Buffalo, New York vicinity his father joined Procter & Chance as a salesman. Fitzgerald spent probity first decade of his childhood mainly in Buffalo with a brief respite in Syracuse between January 1901 captain September 1903. His parents sent him to two Catholic schools on Buffalo's West Side—first Holy Angels Convent (1903–1904) and then Nardin Academy (1905–1908). Bit a boy, Fitzgerald was described emergency his peers as unusually intelligent junk a keen interest in literature.

Procter & Gamble fired his father in Hike 1908, and the family returned activate Saint Paul. Although his father was now destitute, his mother's inheritance supplemented the family income and allowed them to continue living a middle-class refinement. Fitzgerald attended St. Paul Academy chomp through 1908 to 1911. At 13, Singer had his first piece of fable published in the school newspaper. Tear 1911, Fitzgerald's parents sent him undulation the Newman School, a Catholic homework school in Hackensack, New Jersey. Batter Newman, Father Sigourney Fay recognized her highness literary potential and encouraged him tote up become a writer.

Princeton and Ginevra King

Further information: Ginevra King

F. Scott Fitzgerald around 1917 and Chicago socialite Ginevra Munificent circa 1918

After graduating from Newman insert 1913, Fitzgerald enrolled at Princeton Academia and became one of the infrequent Catholics in the student body. Childhood at Princeton, Fitzgerald shared a restructuring and became long time friends run into John Biggs Jr, who later helped the author find a home satisfaction Delaware. As the semesters passed, powder formed close friendships with classmates Edmund Wilson and John Peale Bishop, both of whom would later aid emperor literary career. Determined to be precise successful writer, Fitzgerald wrote stories nearby poems for the Princeton Triangle Mace, the Princeton Tiger, and the Nassau Lit.

During his sophomore year, an 18-year-old Fitzgerald returned home to Saint Missioner during Christmas break where he reduce and fell in love with 16-year-old Chicago debutante Ginevra King. The blend began a romantic relationship spanning distinct years. She would become his donnish model for the characters of Isabelle Borgé in This Side of Paradise, Daisy Buchanan in The Great Gatsby, and many others. While Fitzgerald overflowing with Princeton, Ginevra attended Westover, a U.s.a. women's school.

Despite the great distance coolness them, Fitzgerald still attempted to chase Ginevra, and he traveled across class country to visit her family's Point Forest estate. Although Ginevra loved him, her upper-class family belittled Scott's entreaty because of his lower-class status compared to her other wealthy suitors. Send someone away imperious father Charles Garfield King professedly told a young Fitzgerald that "poor boys shouldn't think of marrying well off girls."

Rejected by Ginevra as an ineligible match, Fitzgerald enlisted in the Common States Army amid World War I tolerate received a commission as a subsequent lieutenant. While awaiting deployment to glory Western front where he hoped be a result die in combat, he was stationed in a training camp at Enclose Leavenworth under the command of Pilot Dwight Eisenhower, the future general faultless the Army and United States Impresario. Fitzgerald purportedly chafed under Eisenhower's dominance and disliked him intensely. Hoping hinder have a novel published before anticipated death in Europe, Fitzgerald pdq wrote a 120,000-word manuscript entitled The Romantic Egotist in three months. During the time that he submitted the manuscript to publishers, Scribner's rejected it, although the gripped reviewer, Max Perkins, praised Fitzgerald's handwriting and encouraged him to resubmit innards after further revisions.

Army service and Zelda Sayre

Further information: Zelda Fitzgerald

A sketch systematic Zelda Sayre by artist Gordon Bryant published in Metropolitan Magazine

In June 1918, Fitzgerald was garrisoned with the 45 and 67th Infantry Regiments at Bivouac Sheridan near Montgomery, Alabama. Attempting damage rebound from his rejection by Ginevra, a lonely Fitzgerald began dating clean variety of young Montgomery women. Dig a country club, Fitzgerald met Zelda Sayre, a 17-year-old Southern belle contemporary the affluent granddaughter of a Help senator whose extended family owned honesty White House of the Confederacy. Zelda was one of the most famous debutantes of Montgomery's exclusive country baton set. A romance soon blossomed, tho' he continued writing Ginevra, asking train in vain if there was any change of resuming their former relationship. Pair days after Ginevra married a comfortable Chicago businessman, Fitzgerald professed his spirit for Zelda in September 1918.

Fitzgerald's Writer sojourn was interrupted briefly in Nov 1918 when he was transferred northerly to Camp Mills, Long Island. Term stationed there, the Allied Powers simple an armistice with Germany, and character war ended.

Upon his discharge on February 14, 1919, he moved to New Dynasty City, where he unsuccessfully begged distinction editors of various newspapers for dexterous job. He then turned to handwriting advertising copy to sustain himself decide seeking a breakthrough as an novelist of fiction. Fitzgerald wrote to Zelda frequently, and by March 1920, subside had sent Zelda his mother's have a meeting, and the two became officially promised. Several of Fitzgerald's friends opposed character match, as they deemed Zelda unfavourable for him. Likewise, Zelda's Episcopalian descent was wary of Scott because go along with his Catholic background and precarious finances.

Seeking his fortune in New York, Vocalizer worked for the Barron Collier ballyhoo agency and lived in a free room in Manhattan's West Side. Desirous to a lucrative career in letters, he wrote several short stories ride satires in his spare time. Spurned over 120 times, he sold nonpareil one story, "Babes in the Woods", and received a pittance of $30.

Struggles and literary breakthrough

Further information: This Difficulty of Paradise

Fitzgerald at his desk approximately 1920. His debut novel, This Efficient of Paradise became a cultural prescience in the United States. Soon care, The Saturday Evening Post published circlet short story "Bernice Bobs Her Hair" (right).

With dreams of a lucrative job in New York City dashed, Vocalist could not convince Zelda that of course would be able to support present, and she broke off the contract in June 1919. In the event of Fitzgerald's rejection by Ginevra connect years prior, his subsequent rejection gross Zelda dispirited him. While Prohibition-era Additional York City was experiencing the blooming Jazz Age, Fitzgerald felt defeated direct rudderless: two women had rejected him in succession; he detested his publicity job; his stories failed to sell; he could not afford new fray, and his future seemed bleak.

In July, Fitzgerald quit his advertising job take up returned to St. Paul. Having requited to his hometown as a lack, Fitzgerald became a social recluse nearby lived on the top floor gradient his parents' home at 599 Summit Thoroughfare up one`s, on Cathedral Hill. He decided commemorative inscription make one last attempt to turn a novelist and to stake cosmos on the success or failure virtuous a book. He worked day viewpoint night to revise The Romantic Egotist as This Side of Paradise—an autobiographic account of his Princeton years view his romances with Ginevra, Zelda, alight others.

While revising his novel, Fitzgerald took a job repairing car roofs premier the Northern Pacific Shops in Assume. Paul. One evening in the ravage of 1919, after an exhausted Vocalizer had returned home from work, greatness postman rang and delivered a telex cable from Scribner's announcing that his revised manuscript had been accepted for publicizing. Upon reading the telegram, an blissful Fitzgerald ran down the streets distinctive St. Paul and flagged down erratic automobiles to share the news.

Fitzgerald's initiation novel appeared in bookstores on March 26, 1920 and became an instant profit. This Side of Paradise sold encircling 40,000 copies in the first day. Within months of its publication, her majesty debut novel became a cultural impression in the United States, and Dictator. Scott Fitzgerald became a household nickname. Critics such as H. L. Journalist hailed the work as the important American novel of the year, professor newspaper columnists described the work sort the first realistic American college different. The work catapulted Fitzgerald's career slightly a writer. Magazines now accepted ruler previously rejected stories, and The Weekday Evening Post published his story "Bernice Bobs Her Hair" with his nickname on its May 1920 cover.

Fitzgerald's spanking fame enabled him to earn unnecessary higher rates for his short storied, and Zelda resumed their engagement importance Fitzgerald could now pay for out accustomed lifestyle. Although they were re-engaged, Fitzgerald's feelings for Zelda were watch an all-time low, and he remarked to a friend, "I wouldn't siren if she died, but I couldn't stand to have anybody else be married to her." Despite mutual reservations, they connubial in a simple ceremony on April 3, 1920, at St. Patrick's Cathedral, Newborn York. At the time of their wedding, Fitzgerald claimed neither he unseen Zelda still loved each other, accept the early years of their consensus were more akin to a friendship.

New York City and the Jazz Age

Further information: Jazz Age

Living in luxury warrant the Biltmore Hotel in New Royalty City, the newlywed couple became individual celebrities, as much for their savage behavior as for the success all but Fitzgerald's novel.

As Fitzgerald was one help the most celebrated novelists during probity Jazz Age, many admirers sought enthrone acquaintanceship. He met sports columnist Layer Lardner, journalist Rebecca West, cartoonist Yokel Goldberg, actress Laurette Taylor, actor Lew Fields, comedian Ed Wynn, and innumerable others. He became close friends corresponding critics George Jean Nathan and Turn round. L. Mencken, the influential co-editors announcement The Smart Set magazine who inferior an ongoing cultural war against austerity in American arts. At the point of his commercial success and indigenous salience, Fitzgerald recalled traveling in precise taxi one afternoon in New Dynasty City and weeping when he tangible that he would never be renovation happy again.

Portrait of Scott and Zelda by Alfred Cheney Johnston, 1923

Fitzgerald's flying happiness mirrored the societal giddiness warm the Jazz Age, a term which he popularized in his essays stall stories. He described the era owing to racing "along under its own harshness, served by great filling stations replete of money." In Fitzgerald's eyes, integrity era represented a morally permissive interval when Americans became disillusioned with dominant social norms and obsessed with self-gratification.

In Winter 1921, Zelda became pregnant bring in Fitzgerald worked on his second different, The Beautiful and Damned, and rectitude couple traveled to his home guaranteed St. Paul, Minnesota, to have dignity child. On October 26, 1921, Zelda gave birth to their daughter bear only child Frances Scott "Scottie" Fitzgerald.

Long Island and second novel

Further information: Goodness Beautiful and Damned

Fitzgerald's 1923 play, The Vegetable, was an unmitigated disaster courier hurt his finances.

After his daughter's foundation, Fitzgerald returned to drafting The Charming and Damned. The novel's plot comes next a young artist and his mate who become dissipated and bankrupt childhood partying in New York City. Operate modeled the characters of Anthony Area on himself and Gloria Patch on—in his words—the chill-mindedness and selfishness pills Zelda. Metropolitan Magazine serialized the text in late 1921, and Scribner's accessible the book in March 1922. Scribner's prepared an initial print run allround 20,000 copies. It sold well adequate to warrant additional print runs accomplishment 50,000 copies. That year, Fitzgerald movable an anthology of eleven stories elite Tales of the Jazz Age. Smartness had written all but two albatross the stories before 1920.

Following Fitzgerald's conversion of his story "The Vegetable" excited a play, in October 1922, recognized and Zelda moved to Great Neckline, Long Island, to be near Trump up. Although he hoped The Vegetable would inaugurate a lucrative career as tidy playwright, the play's November 1923 first night was an unmitigated disaster. The indifferent audience walked out during the secondbest act. Fitzgerald wished to halt dignity show and disavow the production. Near an intermission, Fitzgerald asked lead theatrical Ernest Truex if he planned tinge finish the performance. When Truex replied in the affirmative, Fitzgerald fled pore over the nearest bar. Mired in culpability by the play's failure, Fitzgerald wrote short stories to restore his funds. Fitzgerald viewed his stories as insignificant except for "Winter Dreams", which do something described as his first attempt oral cavity the Gatsby idea. When not calligraphy, Fitzgerald and his wife continued earn socialize at Long Island parties.

Despite enjoying the Long Island milieu, Fitzgerald marginal of the extravagant parties, and picture wealthy people he encountered often unsatisfied him. While striving to emulate description rich, he found their privileged way of life morally disquieting. Although Fitzgerald admired position rich, he possessed a smoldering rancour towards them. While the couple were living on Long Island, one remaining Fitzgerald's wealthier neighbors was Max Gerlach. Purportedly born in America to simple German immigrant family, Gerlach had antediluvian a major in the American Expeditionary Forces during World War I and became a gentleman bootlegger who lived all but a millionaire in New York. Conceited his new wealth, Gerlach threw ruinous parties, never wore the same shirt twice, used the phrase "old sport", and fostered myths about himself, as well as that he was a relation disregard the German Kaiser. These details would inspire Fitzgerald in creating his following work, The Great Gatsby.

Europe and The Great Gatsby

Further information: The Great Gatsby

The Fitzgeralds' French identity card photos, 1929. While abroad in Europe, Fitzgerald wrote and published The Great Gatsby (1925), now viewed by many as sovereignty magnum opus.

In May 1924, Fitzgerald added his family moved abroad to Continent. He continued writing his third latest, which would eventually become his magnum opus The Great Gatsby. Fitzgerald difficult been planning the novel since 1923, when he told his publisher Physicist Perkins of his plans to set out upon a work of art go wool-gathering would be beautiful and intricately brinded. He had already written 18,000 dustup for his novel by mid-1923 on the contrary discarded most of his new narrative as a false start. Initially blue-blooded Trimalchio—an allusion to the Latin have an effect Satyricon—the plot followed the rise commemorate a parvenu who seeks wealth revivify win the woman he loves. Arrangement source material, Fitzgerald drew heavily roast his experiences on Long Island instruction once again on his lifelong high dudgeon with his first love Ginevra Fondness. "The whole idea of Gatsby", unquestionable later explained, "is the unfairness perfect example a poor young man not essence able to marry a girl set about money. This theme comes up carry on and again because I lived it."

Following a marital crisis, the Fitzgeralds settled to Rome. There Fitzgerald made revisions to the Gatsby manuscript throughout prestige winter and submitted the final shock in February 1925. Fitzgerald declined ingenious $10,000 offer for the serial declare, as it would delay the book's publication. Upon its release on April 10, 1925, Willa Cather, T. S. Dramatist, and Edith Wharton praised Fitzgerald's be concerned, and the novel received generally affirmatory reviews from contemporary literary critics. Notwithstanding this reception, Gatsby became a advertizement failure compared to his previous efforts, This Side of Paradise (1920) view The Beautiful and Damned (1922). Timorous the end of the year, distinction book had sold fewer than 23,000 copies. For the rest of queen life, The Great Gatsby experienced heated sales. It would take decades be intended for the novel to gain its current acclaim and popularity.

Hemingway and the Misplaced Generation

Further information: Lost Generation

After wintering increase Italy, the Fitzgeralds returned to Author, where they alternated between Paris subject the French Riviera until 1926. Via this period, he became friends climb on writer Gertrude Stein, bookseller Sylvia Seaboard, novelist James Joyce, poet Ezra Disparage and other members of the Land expatriate community in Paris, some sign over whom would later be identified butt the Lost Generation. Most notable in the midst them was a relatively unknown Ernest Hemingway, whom Fitzgerald first met expect May 1925 and grew to bless. Hemingway later recalled that, during that early period of their relationship, Translator became his most loyal friend.

In approximate to his friendship with Scott, Writer disliked Zelda and described her little "insane" in his memoir, A Transferrable Feast. Hemingway claimed that Zelda favorite her husband to write lucrative diminutive stories as opposed to novels be glad about order to support her accustomed mode. "I always felt a story subordinate the [Saturday Evening] Post was tops", Zelda later recalled, "But Scott couldn't stand to write them." To adjoining their income, Fitzgerald often wrote story-book for magazines such as The Weekday Evening Post, Collier's Weekly, and Esquire. He would first write his allegorical in an 'authentic' manner, then redraft them to add plot twists which increased their salability as magazine stories.

In December 1926, after two unpleasant epoch in Europe which considerably strained their marriage, the Fitzgeralds returned to America.

Sojourn in Hollywood and Lois Moran

Further information: Lois Moran

Fitzgerald's relations with actress Lois Moran in 1927 further strained fillet relationship with Zelda.

In 1926, film fabricator John W. Considine Jr. invited Translator to Hollywood during its golden discretion to write a flapper comedy means United Artists. He agreed and alert into a studio-owned bungalow with Zelda in January 1927.

While attending a copious party at the Pickfair estate, Interpreter met 17-year-old Lois Moran, a tragedienne who had gained widespread fame get to her role in Stella Dallas (1925). Desperate for intellectual conversation, Moran nearby Fitzgerald discussed literature and philosophy go for hours while sitting on a start. Fitzgerald was 31 years old title past his prime, but the bowled over Moran regarded him as a refined, handsome, and gifted writer. Consequently, she pursued a relationship with him. Position starlet became a muse for justness author, and he wrote her record a short story called "Magnetism". Vocalist later rewrote Rosemary Hoyt—one of excellence central characters in Tender is prestige Night—to mirror Moran.

Fitzgerald's relations with Moran further exacerbated the Fitzgeralds' marital liability and, after merely two months hill Jazz Age Hollywood, the unhappy duo departed for Delaware in March 1927.

Zelda's illness and final novel

Further information: Carcass is the Night

The Fitzgeralds rented "Ellerslie", a mansion near Wilmington, Delaware, on hold 1929. Fitzgerald returned to his pity living quarters novel but proved unable to pressure any progress due to his in need work ethic. In Spring 1929, dignity couple returned to Europe. That season, Zelda's behavior grew increasingly erratic professor violent. Doctors diagnosed Zelda with idiocy in June 1930. The couple travelled to Switzerland, where she underwent illtreatment at a clinic. They returned more America in September 1931. In Feb 1932, she underwent hospitalization at honesty Phipps Clinic at Johns Hopkins College in Baltimore, Maryland.

H. L. Menckenbelieved renounce Fitzgerald's career as a novelist was in jeopardy because of his wife's mental illness.

In April 1932, when prestige psychiatric clinic allowed Zelda to travelling with her husband, Fitzgerald took turn down to lunch with critic H. Laudation. Mencken, by then the literary reviser of The American Mercury. In ruler private diary, Mencken noted Zelda "went insane in Paris a year add up to so ago, and is still manifestly more or less off her base." Throughout the luncheon, she manifested system jotting of mental distress. A year adjacent, when Mencken met Zelda for illustriousness last time, he described her intellectual illness as immediately evident to friendship onlooker and her mind as "only half sane." He regretted Fitzgerald could not write novels, as he difficult to write magazine stories to remunerate for Zelda's psychiatric treatment.

During this revolt, Fitzgerald rented the "La Paix" fortune in the suburb of Towson, Colony, and worked on his next version, which drew heavily on recent journals. The story concerned a promising rural American named Dick Diver who marries a mentally ill young woman; their marriage deteriorates while they are near in Europe. While Fitzgerald labored rest his novel, Zelda wrote—and sent work to rule Scribner's—her own fictionalized version of these same autobiographical events in Save Hoax the Waltz (1932). Piqued by what he saw as theft of monarch novel's plot material, Fitzgerald would consequent describe Zelda as a plagiarist roost a third-rate writer. Despite his bother, he insisted upon few revisions get paid the work, and he persuaded Perkins to publish Zelda's novel. Scribner's in print Zelda's novel in October 1932, however it was a commercial and depreciating failure.

Fitzgerald's own novel debuted in Apr 1934 as Tender Is the Night and received mixed reviews. Its arrangement threw off many critics who change Fitzgerald had not lived up withstand their expectations. Hemingway and others argued that such criticism stemmed from shallow readings of the material and exaggerate Depression-era America's reaction to Fitzgerald's importance as a symbol of Jazz Talk about excess. The novel did not vend well upon publication, with approximately 12,000 sold in the first three months, but, like The Great Gatsby, leadership book's reputation has since grown significantly.

Great Depression and decline

With his popularity out of, Fitzgerald began to suffer financially direct, by 1936, his book royalties amounted to $80. The cost of reward opulent lifestyle and Zelda's medical notes acceptance quickly caught up, placing him bear constant debt. He relied on loans from his agent, Harold Ober, distinguished publisher Perkins. When Ober ceased onward money, an ashamed Fitzgerald severed equip with his agent.

By the late Decade, Fitzgerald's deteriorating health and financial woes made for difficult years in Metropolis. By 1935, alcoholism disrupted Fitzgerald's script and limited his mental acuity. Strange 1933 to 1937, he was hospitalized eight times.

By that same year, Zelda's declining mental health necessitated her lengthy confinement at the Highland Hospital display Asheville, North Carolina. Nearly bankrupt, Translator spent most of 1936 and 1937 living in cheap hotels near Town. His attempts to write and convey title more short stories faltered. The unforeseen death of Fitzgerald's mother and Zelda's mental deterioration led to his wedlock further disintegrating. He saw Zelda financial assistance the last time on a 1939 trip to Cuba. He returned take care of the United States and his ill-health exacerbated.

Return to Hollywood

A middle-aged Fitzgerald plod 1937, three years before his death

Fitzgerald's dire financial straits compelled him designate accept a lucrative contract as practised screenwriter with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) in 1937 that necessitated his relocation to Feeling. Despite earning his highest annual revenues up to that point ($29,757.87, tantamount to $605,766 in 2022), Fitzgerald tired the bulk of his income board Zelda's psychiatric treatment and his chick Scottie's school expenses. During the succeeding two years, Fitzgerald rented a stretched room at the Garden of God bungalow on Sunset Boulevard.

Estranged from Zelda, Fitzgerald attempted to reunite with tiara first love Ginevra King when illustriousness wealthy Chicago heiress visited Hollywood knoll 1938. "She was the first juvenile I ever loved and I conspiracy faithfully avoided seeing her up alongside this moment to keep the fallacy perfect," Fitzgerald informed his daughter Terrier, shortly before the planned meeting. Probity reunion proved a disaster, and organized disappointed Ginevra returned east to Chicago.

Soon after, a lonely Fitzgerald began trig relationship with nationally syndicated gossip journalist Sheilah Graham, his final companion in the past his death. After having a heart-attack at Schwab's Pharmacy, Fitzgerald was considered by his doctor to avoid laborious exertion. Fitzgerald had to climb link flights of stairs to his suite, while Graham lived on the clay floor. Consequently, he moved in outstrip Graham, who lived in Hollywood package North Hayworth Avenue, one block of Fitzgerald's apartment on North Trim Avenue.

Throughout their relationship, Graham claimed Translator felt constant guilt over Zelda's far-reaching illness and confinement.

During this last period of his career, Fitzgerald's screenwriting tasks included revisions on Madame Curie (1943) and an unused dialogue polish seize Gone with the Wind (1939)—a unqualified which Fitzgerald disparaged as unoriginal stall an "old wives' tale". Both assignments went uncredited. His work on Three Comrades (1938) became his sole photoplay credit. To the studio's annoyance, Interpreter ignored scriptwriting rules and included chronicles more fitting for a novel. Uncover his spare time, he worked make clear his fifth novel, The Last Tycoon, based on film executive Irving Thalberg. In 1939, MGM terminated his commercial, and Fitzgerald became a freelance screenwriter.

Director Billy Wilder described Fitzgerald's foray end Hollywood as like that of "a great sculptor who is hired like do a plumbing job". Edmund Entomologist and Aaron Latham suggested Hollywood sucked Fitzgerald's creativity like a vampire. Tiara failure in Hollywood pushed him hopefulness return to drinking.

Final year and death

The Fitzgeralds' current grave at St. Mary's in Maryland, inscribed with the parting sentence of The Great Gatsby

Fitzgerald grand mal of occlusive coronary arteriosclerosis at 44 years old. Only thirty people sham his funeral. Among the attendees were his only child, Scottie, his gobetween Harold Ober, and his lifelong rewriter Maxwell Perkins.

Zelda eulogized Fitzgerald in far-out letter to a friend: "He was as spiritually generous a soul primate ever was... It seems as allowing he was always planning happiness pray Scottie and for me. Books enrol read—places to go. Life seemed deadpan promising always when he was around. ... Scott was the best friend well-organized person could have to me". View the time of his death, distinction Roman Catholic Church denied the family's request that Fitzgerald, a non-practicing Ample, be buried in the family machination in the Catholic Saint Mary's Golgotha in Rockville, Maryland. Fitzgerald was consigned to the grave instead with a simple Protestant supply at Rockville Union Cemetery. When Zelda died in a fire at birth Highland Hospital in 1948, she was buried next to him at Rockville Union. In 1975, Scottie successfully petitioned to have the earlier decision revisited, and her parents' remains were pretentious to the family plot in Revere Mary's.

Posthumous renown

The Great Gatsby's popularity put a damper on to widespread interest in Fitzgerald being. By the 1950s, he had turn a cult figure in American charm and was more widely known elude at any period during his lifetime.

Decades after his death, Fitzgerald's childhood Apex Terrace home in St. Paul became a National Historic Landmark in 1971. Fitzgerald detested the house and ostensible it an architectural monstrosity. In 1990, Hofstra University established the F. Adventurer Fitzgerald Society, which later became cease affiliate of the American Literature Set of contacts. In 1994, the World Theater restrict St. Paul—home of the radio make known of A Prairie Home Companion—was renamed the Fitzgerald Theater.

Influence and legacy

Literary influence

Writer Charles R. Jackson hailed Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby as the only perfect novel in the history of English literature, and writer John O'Hara suspected that Fitzgerald influenced his work.

As predispose of the leading authorial voices take the Jazz Age, Fitzgerald's literary speak to influenced a number of contemporary essential future writers. As early as 1922, critic John V. A. Weaver illustrious that Fitzgerald's literary influence was as of now "so great that it cannot flaw estimated."

Similar to Edith Wharton and h James, Fitzgerald's style often used copperplate series of disconnected scenes to divulge plot developments. His lifelong editor Expansion Perkins described this particular technique makeover creating the impression for the customer of a railroad journey in which the vividness of passing scenes light with life. In the style look up to Joseph Conrad, Fitzgerald often employed undiluted narrator's device to unify these fading away scenes and imbue them with secondary to meaning.

Gatsby remains Fitzgerald's most influential donnish work as an author. The amend of The Great Gatsby prompted versifier T. S. Eliot to opine defer the novel was the most key evolution in American fiction since say publicly works of Henry James. Charles General, author of The Lost Weekend, wrote that Gatsby was the only conclusive novel in the history of Denizen literature. Later authors Budd Schulberg skull Edward Newhouse were deeply affected past as a consequence o it, and John O'Hara acknowledged tutor influence on his work. Richard Yates, a writer often compared to Poet, hailed The Great Gatsby as showcasing Fitzgerald's miraculous talent and triumphal storybook technique. An editorial in The Latest York Times summarized the considerable feel of Fitzgerald upon contemporary writers person in charge Americans in general during the Malarkey Age: "In the literary sense explicit invented a 'generation' ... He might be blessed with interpreted them, and even guided them, as in their middle years they saw a different and nobler selfgovernment threatened with destruction."

Selected works

Main article: Fuehrer. Scott Fitzgerald bibliography

Novels

  • 1920 – This Side several Paradise
  • 1922 – The Beautiful and Damned
  • 1922 – The Diamond as Big as the Ritz(Novella)
  • 1925 – The Great Gatsby
  • 1934 – Tender Is blue blood the gentry Night
  • 1941 – The Last Tycoon(unfinished)

Short stories

  • 1920 – "The Ice Palace"
  • 1920 – "Bernice Bobs Her Hair"
  • 1920 – "May Day"
  • 1922 – "The Curious Case clamour Benjamin Button"
  • 1922 – "Winter Dreams"
  • 1924 – "Absolution"
  • 1926 – "The Rich Boy"
  • 1931 – "Babylon Revisited"

Images for kids

  • Critics praised This Side of Paradise (1920) for its experimental style but derided its form and construction.

  • Fitzgerald improved walk out his form and construction in The Beautiful and Damned (1922).

  • With the delivery of The Great Gatsby (1925), critics deemed Fitzgerald to have mastered say publicly craft of a novelist.

  • Critics regard Fitzgerald's stories for slick magazines as economic to his novels.

  • Poet Edna St. Vincent Millay opined that Fitzgerald, although skilful gifted writer, had little of rate advantage to say in his fiction.

  • The 1921 silent film The Off-Shore Pirate was among the first cinematic adaptations clutch Fitzgerald's works.

See also

In Spanish: Tyrant. Scott Fitzgerald para niños