Preview

Fitzgeralds Life in the Great Gatsby

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
595 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Fitzgeralds Life in the Great Gatsby
The Great Gatsby is F. Scott Fitzgerald's most renowned book, and still one of the most read novels in American literature. A book with this much success was obviously was a product of great influence. The Great Gatsby draws many extensive parallels between F. Scott Fitzgerald's life and this novel. These similarities range from basing characters off important people from his personal life to interweaving intricate love relationships he went through into the novel to recreating the American Dream. The book comes as a direct result of many of the events in Fitzgerald's early life. First off, are the most noticeable parallels, the character he chooses. Fitzgerald parallels himself in two of the main characters in The Great Gatsby, Jay Gatsby, and Nick Carraway. Nick represents Fitzgerald's passive, or indecisive, and observant characteristics. On the other hand, Gatsby shows Fitzgerald's passionate and active attributes. Another huge character Fitzgerald picks from his life was Zelda, his wife of 27 years, who translated into Daisy. Both of these women were the object of desire for Fitzgerald and Gatsby. The main love plot of The Great Gatsby was hugely influenced by events that occurred in Fitzgerald's life. In the summer of 1918 was stationed in Alabama at Camp Sheridan. While he was there for military training he fell in love with Zelda Sayre, the love of his life. He was just ready to be sent overseas for war when it ended. During this time Fitzgerald kept hoping for the success of The Romantic Egotist, which he gave up on after submitting it to Charles Scribner's
Sons twice. With this failure he moved to New York to get rich, and Zelda, being impatient, ended their engagement which had only happened a few months earlier. A year later Fitzgerald quit his job to write his next book, This Side of Paradise, which was an instant success, and pretty much made him an overnight celebrity. With his new status, within a week he married his golden girl, Zelda. This

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    GReat Gatsby

    • 1131 Words
    • 5 Pages

    The Great Gatsby, written by F. Scott Fitzgerald is an ever exciting story about a trouble-some wealthy man, Jay Gatsby. He spends his life creating a rich status for myself to allure people in. Among the people his wants to in his life, is his one true love, Daisy Buchanan. Color Symbolism plays a huge roll in describing characters and lending extra meaning to inanimate objects and descriptions of society.…

    • 1131 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Nick which is the main guy in the story went to college then moved to a dirty shack in long island, where he tries to make money using finance. Nick used to drink a lot and took mental sessions. Nick’s cousin Daisy is married to a guy named Tom who as described has a small mustache.…

    • 458 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    The Great Gatsby, a classic written by F. Scott Fitzgerald, exposes the frailty of humanity. Fitzgerald’s narrator, Nick Carraway, tells a gritty story in which he learns about the corruption of money. Though Nicks strives for perfection, he is a failure because he fails to become the savior he aspires to be, cope with city life, and realize that people are humans and not perfect.…

    • 307 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The Great Gatsby was a phenomenal book that managed to captivate audiences from The Roaring 20s to today's classrooms. From its brilliantly elaborated characters, to its astonishing array of literary elements, The Great Gatsby was nothing short from stunning with its insane denouement. Fitzgerald managed to artfully construct multiple incredible characters utilizing the bases of their names to the etches of their figure. Characters such as Nick bit his tongue and contradicted many of his own supposed morals while Gatsby was entirely alluded upon the idea of Daisy. He manipulated all of his characters in such a chaotic harmony the ending mimicked the intensity and extravagance of an award show. In addition to Fitzgerald's clearly notable novel…

    • 219 Words
    • 1 Page
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The Great Gatsby was written by F. Scott Fitzgerald, who is perhaps one of the most recognized authors associated with the literary flowering of the 1920’s in America. The concern of most authors during this time was of the materialism that had suddenly swept the country. Credit was easy, interest rates were low, and corruption abounded. In The Great Gatsby, Fitzgerald portrays how the American dream of success was extinguished until it was nothing more than greedy desire. The sanguine American dream that had turned no one away and had given all an equal opportunity for happiness and success was no longer. Through use of his main character, Jay Gatsby,…

    • 884 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    F. Scott Fitzgerald was born on September 24, 1896. He was named after hos ancestor, Francis Scott Key. Although he was intelligent he did very poorly in school and was sent to boarding school. He then enrolled in Princeton, but never graduated. Fitzgerald portrays much of his early life in The Great Gatsby. When Fitzgerald was younger he enlisted in the army during World War One, just like Gatsby enlisted in the army during the war. While Fitzgerald was stationed in the south he met a beautiful girl and fell in love with her. He did whatever he could to get her to fall in love with him and marry him. Much like Fitzgerald, Gatsby met Daisy in the South and fell in love with her. He tried whatever he could to get her to fall in love with him and have a relationship with him. Fitzgerald loved to go to lavish and wild parties while trying to please the girl he loved, much like Gatsby. Fitzgerald and Gatsby both idolized the rich (Gallo 92). Like Gatsby, Fitzgerald was driven by his love for a woman who symbolized everything he wanted, even as she led him toward everything he despised. In the beginning of The Great Gatsby, Nick Carraway moves from Minnesota to New York to go into the bond business. He lives right beside Jay Gatsby, who throws lavish parties. Nick's cousin Daisy lives not far from him. After a while of living next to Gatsby Nick discovers that Gatsby is in love with his cousin, Daisy. Gatsby talks Nick into gettign Daisy to come over to his house so that she and Gatsby can reunite. In The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald shows the lack of morals present in the raoring 20s through Gatsby, Daisy, and Tom.…

    • 953 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    In F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel, The Great Gatsby, one of the themes that are represented…

    • 444 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    The Great Gatsby, which was written by F. Scott Fitzgerald, is a story that reflects the life of the 1920's in New York. The 1920's was a decade of prosperity and opportunity, but also of prohibition and organized crime. The life in the 1920's was filled with moral decay (immoral decisions) and corruptness. Throughout The Great Gatsby, Fitzgerald shows how the American Dream is dead through immoral decisions and corruptness in Gatsby's and Myrtle's life.…

    • 455 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Starting with the title of his novel, The Great Gatsby. There is a reason for why Fitzgerald titled his book The Great Gatsby and that is because he obviously thinks highly of Gatsby and respects him for going after his American Dream and getting Daisy with all he had. Gatsby put everything he had into trying to get Daisy. Although he obtained his fortune illegally, Fitzgerald still commends him and says, “Gatsby turned out all right at the end”. Fitzgerald says this out of respect for the man because he went out to get a fortune so he has at least a shot with Daisy because Gatsby realized how materialistic Daisy is considering she gave up love with Gatsby to marry a guy with money when he was in the war. But besides that, Fitzgerald values Gatsby’s attempt and even though he ultimately failed, Fitzgerald still believes he’s great. On the last page of the novel, Fitzgerald’s viewpoint is portrayed perfectly, he says, “…his dream must have seemed so close that he could hardly fail to grasp it”. Fitzgerald is commending Gatsby for all of the hard work and effort he put into chasing his unattainable dream. He came so close as though his dream could barely slip away from his outstretched arms, but then he got beat down by the “current” and the dream slipped away from him entirely. However, even though Gatsby failed, Fitzgerald makes it clear that he should be…

    • 1173 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The Great Gatsby is a tragic American literature novel that represents the hopeful American dream. Fitzgerald throughout the entire book uses certain literary devices that add onto the sophistication of the novel. In the last passage of The Great Gatsby F. Scott Fitzgerald conveys Nick Caraway’s perspective and attitude towards Gatsby through imagery, symbolism and irony.…

    • 636 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    In “The Great Gatsby” by F. Scott Fitzgerald, he uses symbolism in such detailed way. Fitzgerald integrates symbolism into the book so well that it is necessary to read it several times to fully understand it. Maureen Corrigan quotes “Many of us first read it when we were too young to fully comprehend its power.” Even a critic on the book itself had to read the story many times to fully understand all that the book has to offer. Fitzgerald focuses on three main themes in “The Great Gatsby” they are time, loss of appearance, and perspective. Most of the book’s structure is in one of these categories. In order to fully understand the book, we must better understand these three themes.…

    • 1222 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Fitzgerald and Gatsby

    • 953 Words
    • 4 Pages

    In the novel by Fitzgerald "The Great Gatsby" he connects many of the characters to real people that he has delt with in his life. Fitzgerald’s character Gatsby is a mirror of himself. In many ways Fitzgerald betters himself through Gatsby and his characteristics but still follows a close backbone to Fitzgerald himself and events in his life. James Gats was born into a poor, disadvantaged farm family and came from nothing. Fitzgerald was born into a deprived family and had to create himself on his own. Neither came from "old money" or was born into the elite class but rather had to work for all of their money. Fitzgerald loved to party and drink but with that came many things he did wrong when he was drunk. Gatsby threw many parties but never drank so he wouldn't miss a beat. It says how Gatsby learned from Dan Cody, that when he was drunk women took advantage of him and he made ignorant mistakes. Fitzgerald was taken advantage by his wife and spent money very foolishly when he was drunk. Gatsby was created without Fitzgerald's alcoholism. Fitzgerald was also enrolled in the army and became a military officer but never went to war. Gatsby returned home as a war hero with medals of honor. Gatsby never had money problems it seemed as he never really worked but the money just kept coming in. Fitzgerald was always fighting to keep making money and worked for hours on end…

    • 953 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    the great gatsby

    • 678 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Gatsby’s obsessive attachment for his dream to come true is his downfall and ultimately leads to his death. The Great Gatsby is book that explores a man who wants to make his unrealistic dream a reality. F. Scott Fitzgerald uses drama and imagination to draw the readers in. Gatsby’s dream is very unrealistic because it depends on other peoples actions, daisy’s love for tom, and because his dream would only work in a perfect world.…

    • 678 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The Great Gatsby, written by F.Scott.Fitzgerald is merely a story of disillusionment. Fitzgerald through the relationship of Gatsby and Daisy showed that people were not only ignorant of the rest of the world, but of what went on in their personal lives. Out of all the characters in The Great Gatsby, Gatsby himself was the most out of touch with reality. He created Daisy in his mind as something out of this world, beautiful, and amazing. Through time away from Daisy Gatsby became more and more in love with the idea of Daisy than Daisy herself. Daisy on the other hand, saw Gatsby as an illusion of the perfect man that was shattered when she found he was broke and unable to keep her financially secure. Through Gatsby’s oblivion in The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald…

    • 787 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald is a great romance story between two characters. F. Scott Fitzgerald was born on September 24, 1896 in St. Paul Minnesota. In St. Paul Minnesota he lived with his mother Mary McQuillan and his father Edward Fitzgerald. (James) According to the St. James Encyclopedia when Fitzgerald was fifteen his parents sent him to the newman school in New Jersey. After he finished school he stayed in New Jersey so that he could continue his studies at the Princeton University. When he was at Princeton that is where he decided that he wanted to be a writer but later had to join the army. While he was in the war he wrote novel because he thought that he was going…

    • 728 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays

Related Topics