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F. Scott Fitzgerald. 1896-1940. The Name. Francis Scott Key Fitzgerald was born on Sept. 24, 1896. Was named after Francis Scott Key , his famous relative who wrote the National Anthem . Went by the name Scott. Education. Was born in Minnesota but went to Nardin Academy in Buffalo, NY
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F. Scott Fitzgerald 1896-1940
The Name • Francis Scott Key Fitzgerald was born on Sept. 24, 1896. • Was named after Francis Scott Key, his famous relative who wrote the National Anthem. • Went by the name Scott.
Education • Was born in Minnesota but went to Nardin Academy in Buffalo, NY • Father fired from job w/Procter & Gamble in NY so family returned to Minnesota. • Family was rich due to an inheritance so he then attended St. Paul Academy.
Education/Writing • Fitzgerald published his first writing (a detective story) in the school paper when he was just 13. • Then went on the Newman School in NJ and then later Princeton. • Wrote for 2 school magazines and was a member of a college club at Princeton.
Enlistment • He focused on his writing more than his studies and was placed on academic probation. • Unlikely to graduate and short of $$, he left Princeton. • He then enlisted in the army during the end of WWI.
A Quick Write • Fitzgerald was sure he was going to die in the war, so he quickly wrote The Romantic Egotist. • The novel was praised for its originality but was rejected by publishers because it needed major editing/revisions.
Fitzgerald met his future wife, Zelda Sayre, while he was in the army stationed at Camp Sheridan. • She was the daughter of an Alabama Supreme Court judge. • They were engaged in 1919.
Good Intentions • He attempted to prove he could support his fiancee by getting an advertising job in NY and writing short stories. • He submitted The Romantic Egotist to a publisher but it was rejected once again. • Zelda was unconvinced by all of this and broke off their engagement.
Return Home • After his broken engagement, Fitzgerald moved to his parents’ home in St. Paul, MN. • He attempted to re-write The Romantic Egotist, now retitled This Side of Paradise. • It was finally published in 1920.
Newfound Paradise • The novel was about the post-WWI flapper generation and was enormously popular. • With this success, his engagement with Zelda was back on. • They were quickly married and had their daughter the following year in 1921, the same year he published his 2nd novel, The Beautiful and the Damned.
Successful 1920s • Fitzgerald’s success blossomed during the 20s. He called this the Jazz Age. • Published The Great Gatsby in 1925 which brought him praise but disappointing sales. • He traveled through Europe and made friends with numerous writers, especially Hemingway. • This friendship was a respectful yet competitive one.
Posh Lifestyle • Fitzgerald preferred writing his novels the most. • Since he came from wealth and his wife was accustomed to it, though, he had to write short stories as an added source of income. • He wrote stories for The Saturday Evening Post and Esquire. • He also sold movie rights for some of his works.
Needs $$$ Flow • Due to Zelda’s high medical expenses and the posh lifestyle they chose, Fitzgerald was often short $$. • He often had to get loans from his agents and editors, but these were eventually discontinued.
Tough Times • Ongoing money troubles and the onset of Zelda’s schizophrenia forced Fitzgerald to write more short stories instead of novels. • He was able to complete his 4th novel in 1934 called Tender is the Night. • Some people say it is partially autobiographical. • Didn’t sell well but was a respected work.
Ongoing Financial Woes • Despite disliking this type of work, Fitzgerald went back to writing for Hollywood in the 1930s to get some income. • He was able to complete his final novel, The Last Tycoon, but it wasn’t published until after his death.
Distance • At this point, Scott and Zelda became alienated from one another. • She was living in different mental institutions. • He was living in Hollywood with his lover, Sheilah Graham.
Fitzgerald’s Health Woes • His health was tremendously affected by alcoholism, which started at Princeton. • His success in the 1920s and then his financial probs. only contributed to his alcoholism. • By the 1930s, he was in poor health.
Health Woes cont. • He claimed to have tuberculosis, but it was thought to be a cover-up for his drinking. • Fitzgerald actually did have TB as well as a hemorrhage (bleed). • He also had 2 heart attacks, the 2ndone on the day before he died.
An Inspiration • Fitzgerald had completed 5 novels and dozens of short stories during his lifetime. • Despite considering himself a failure at the end of his life, he inspired many writers, including T.S. Eliot. • He’s considered to be one of the greatest writers of the 20th century.
