F Scott Fitzgerald Influences

America is forever shaped by the many generations who strive for a greater good. Sometimes the methods used to excel are in direct contrast to good. Many different influential people seek change for the country and are willing to do anything necessary in order to obtain his or her desired goal. The 1920’s, commonly referred to as the “Roaring Twenties”, were a period of time in which America thrived. Citizens were motivated by the search for both political and social change. This unique period of history was a rich source which inspired great authors to write many different forms of literature. American author F. Scott Fitzgerald is recognized for his ability to incorporate personal experiences and struggles into the influential
novels he wrote. The world renowned novel The Great Gatsby is praised for Fitzgerald’s accurate depiction of the time, helping readers farther understand the 1920’s era. Francis Scott Key Fitzgerald was born on September 24, 1896 in St.
Paul, Minnesota. He was the third of four children born to Edward Fitzgerald and Mary (McQuilan) Fitzgerald. In 1906, Fitzgerald’s father, a struggling business man, was no longer able to provide the proper means of support for his family. As a result, the Fitzgerald family was forced to leave St. Paul and relocate to upstate New York. Here, the family was able to regain their status as part of the American middle class (“Francis Scott Key Fitzgerald”). Fitzgerald was able to spend several years at a Catholic prep school in New Jersey. His love for this area lead to his enrollment at Princeton in 1913. Here, Fitzgerald sought literary success, which he believed would bring him fame and fortune. He dedicated a large portion of his time writing for the Triangle Club, the Nassau Literary Magazine, and The Princeton Tiger, therefore, he began to disregard his studies and was on the path for academic failure (“F. Scott Fitzgerald”). Like many people at this time, Fitzgerald was intrigued by the opportunity for success and lavish
lifestyles. The beginning of the 1920’s was forever changed by the Eighteenth Amendment and its effects on America. The Eighteenth Amendment prohibited the manufacture, transportation, and sale, and consumption of “intoxicating liquors” (“The Roaring Twenties”). However, Americans, both male and female, were not willing to be stopped by new prohibition laws. This lead to the noticeable rise in crime which was due to Americans, from coast to coast, becoming involved in the bootlegging and speakeasy industries. No longer wanting to conform to and uphold undesired values, “the younger generation rebelled against traditional taboos while their elders engaged in an orgy of speculation” (“Roaring Twenties”). By the end of the 1920’s, the era was also marked by women’s found independence, the pursuit of once unattainable goals, and wealth. As for women and their independence, a noticeable amount of changes took place in politics, the home, and the workplace (“Roaring Twenties”). After the Nineteenth Amendment gave women the right to vote, women became active members in political decisions. By the end of the 1920’s, women were represented on all levels of the government. During and after World War I, a large number of women began to recognize their value and the independence they had. As a result, more and more women left the home, and the amount of working women grew by approximately twenty-five percent. With women working, families’ incomes grew and the average American family could now afford a plethora of goods previously unaffordable (“The Roaring Twenties”). Like many Americans around him, Fitzgerald experienced an increase in affluence due to his literary success, which lead to his rise from the middle class into the thrill seeking, flamboyant upper class. These two varying ways of life most greatly influenced the writing of The Great Gatsby. After many years, Fitzgerald was able to categorize himself as a member of the upper class, therefore, many parallels are seen between Fitzgerald’s life and characters in The Great Gatsby.
In many ways, the character of Nick Carraway is a representation of Fitzgerald as a young man, prior to his desire for wealth and a luxurious life. Like Carraway, Fitzgerald saw himself as an honest man who was able to recognize the dishonest and immoral ways of the upper class. Due to this, both Carraway and Fitzgerald feel as if they are outsiders, when in the presence of wealthy, scrutinizing people (“The Great Gatsby”). However, Fitzgerald’s nobility underwent many changes after gaining the status of an upper classman. Fitzgerald recognized this and wrote about his change by also representing himself through the character of Jay Gatsby. Both Gatsby and Fitzgerald left for World War I having an honest work ethic, with the hopes of achieving the desired “American Dream”. However, shortly after returning from war, both Fitzgerald and Gatsby adjusted their goals, they longed for wealth and were willing to do anything to achieve it. Fitzgerald pursued money in order to be eligible to marry Zelda Sayre. Likewise, Gatsby’s motivation stemmed from his desire to impress his married love, Daisy Buchanan (“The Great Gatsby”). No matter what Fitzgerald’s motivation for writing The Great Gatsby, the novel is recognized as one of his greatest works due to its accuracy and insight into
this era, for people many generations later. After first being published, The Great Gatsby received a very minimal number of positive reviews. However, the novel is now recognized as a literary classic as a result of Fitzgerald’s creativity in depicting the 1920’s era. Published in 1925, critics were not quick to recommend the novel, believing that it was inferior to the novels Fitzgerald had previously published. Many members of the upper class felt that the novel over exaggerated and falsely represented their morals and actions during this time. They were not willing to believe that the “grim portrait of shallow characters” painted by Fitzgerald could be an accurate representation of who they were (“The Great Gatsby and the obscene world”). The Great Gatsby slowly became accepted and praised during the World War II era. This lead to critics regarding the novel as “one of the most elegant, efficient, and profound pieces of fiction ever written in the United States” (“The Great Gatsby and the obscene world”). Fitzgerald sought recognition for this novel, hoping it would forever contribute to the reader’s knowledge and impression on this tumultuous time. F. Scott Fitzgerald, an American author in the 1920’s, became enthralled with capturing the time through the writing of novels and short stories. Fitzgerald’s dedicated years of writing at Princeton paved the way for his future literary success. He has been recognized for his outstanding ability to incorporate evidently personal experiences into varying works of literature. This practice is most commonly seen through is novel The Great Gatsby. In the novel, the characters of Nick Carraway and Jay Gatsby are portrayed as Fitzgerald, during different periods of his life. Whether initially accepted or not, The Great Gatsby is a fundamentally influential novel for all readers. Fitzgerald initial wrote to fulfil his yearning desire for immediate wealth, therefore, many doubt that he believed his success would lead to the accomplishment of being one of the most recognized authors in American history.