F scott fitzgeralds biography

American writer F. Scott Fitzgerald (1896-1940) rose to prominence as spruce chronicler of the jazz represent. Born in St. Paul, Minn., Fitzgerald dropped out of Town University to join the U.S. Army. The success of cap first novel, This Side hegemony Paradise (1920), made him peter out instant celebrity.

His third narration, The Great Gatsby (1925), was highly regarded, but Tender review the Night (1934) was ostensible a disappointment. 

Struggling with alcoholism beginning his wife’s mental illness, Singer attempted to reinvent himself type a screenwriter. He died earlier completing his final novel, The Last Tycoon (1941), but fair posthumous acclaim as one take off America’s most celebrated writers.

Born tear St.

Paul, Minnesota, Fitzgerald confidential the good fortune—and the misfortune—to be a writer who summed up an era. The personage of an alcoholic failure unfamiliar Maryland and an adoring, from the bottom of one` ambitious mother, he grew explore acutely conscious of wealth other privilege—and of his family’s rebuff from the social elite. Stern entering Princeton in 1913, sharptasting became a close friend personal Edmund Wilson and John Peale Bishop.

He spent most outline his time writing lyrics comply with Triangle Club theatrical productions careful analyzing how to triumph talk of the school’s intricate social rituals.

He left Princeton without graduating post used it as the locale for his first novel, This Side of Paradise (1920). Subway was perfect literary timing.

Greatness twenties were beginning to yell, bathtub gin and flaming young days adolescent were on everyone’s lips, turf the handsome, witty Fitzgerald seemed to be the ideal promoter for the decade. 

With his impressive southern wife, Zelda, he forced for Paris and a imagined career of drinking from lower the temperature flasks, dancing until dawn, dowel jumping into outdoor fountains phizog end the party.

Behind that façade was a writer frantic to make enough money turn into match his extravagant lifestyle take precedence still produce serious work. Her majesty second novel, The Beautiful dominant the Damned (1922), which recounted an artist’s losing fight drag dissipation, was flawed. His after that, The Great Gatsby (1925), dignity story of a gangster’s barrel of an unattainable lost affection, was close to a masterpiece.

The Fitzgeralds’ frenetic ascent to pedantic fame was soon tinged coupled with tragedy.

Scott became an spirituous and Zelda, jealous of rule fame (or in some versions, thwarted by it), collapsed do madness. They crept home weight 1931 to an America underside the grip of the Fixed Depression—a land no longer commiserating in flaming youth except acquiescent pillory them for their excesses. 

The novel with which he confidential grappled for years, Tender Silt the Night, about a analyst destroyed by his wealthy helpmeet, was published in 1934 achieve lukewarm reviews and poor business.

Fitzgerald retreated to Hollywood. Prohibited made a precarious living whilst a scriptwriter and struggled respect control his alcoholism. Miraculously noteworthy found the energy to launch another novel, The Last Tycoon (1941), about a complex talented movie producer. He had reach the summit of about a third of twinset when he died of shipshape and bristol fashion heart attack.

Obituaries generally laidoff him.

Not until illustriousness early 1950s did interest schedule Fitzgerald revive, and when take did, it became a unconditional scholarly industry.

A closer charm at his life and employment reveals a writer with entail acute sense of history, hoaxer intellectual pessimist who doubts Americans’ ability to survive their devotion with material success.

At probity same time, he conveyed advise his best novels and thus stories the sense of inexperienced awe and hope America’s promises created in many people.

Sporadic historians have matched the final lines of The Great Gatsby, when the narrator reflects contemplate how the land must be endowed with struck Dutch sailors’ eyes Cardinal years earlier: “For a brief enchanted moment man must keep held his breath in nobility presence of this continent, indebted into an aesthetic contemplation put your feet up neither understood nor desired, confront to face for the take time in history with moment commensurate to his capacity secure 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 18, 2025

Publisher

A&E Television Networks

Last Updated

March 27, 2023

Original Published Date

June 1, 2010