The Mind and Life of Fitzgerald and the Great Gatsby
Karlyn Steadman
Mrs.Shaw
Jr/Sr Honors English
8 May 2009
The Mind and life of Fitzgerald and the Great Gatsby:
A Psychoanalytical Criticism Like many writers today F. Scott Fitzgerald either consciously or unconsciously wrote about himself in the book known as The Great Gatsby. Many of the books characters such as Daisy, Nick and even Gatsby himself show characteristics similar to people in Fitzgerald’s life and also Fitzgerald himself. Nick and Gatsby show lifestyles and desires of Fitzgerald’s, when Daisy and Daisy’s daughter show the actions and the thoughts of Fitzgerald’s own beloved wife and Daughter. In this text it is clearly seen how Fitzgerald’s life is shown and stated in his book, The Great Gatsby. In Fitzgerald’s life there were many different influences for his lifestyle and his literature. In a biography title A Brief Life of Fitzgerald they say “the dominant Influences on F. Scott Fitzgerald were aspiration literature, Princeton, Zelda Sayre, Fitzgerald and alcohol” (Bruccoli pg1). In Fitzgerald’s when attending Princeton he met Father Sigourney who helped push him into his ambitions for personal distinction and achievement. Fitzgerald used this and wrote many books and article. So in writing the Great Gatsby, He even stated in the beginning of the book how family and the representation of a father is so important. In the very first chapter of the book it states “In my younger more vulnerable years my father gave me some advice” (Fitzgerald pg 5). In the book we also see Nick, a party man and a light drinker show signs of being influenced by the same thing as Fitzgerald. Nick loved being on the richer side, so he went where he knew the money was, bond selling on the west egg (Fitzgerald pg 7). Fitzgerald was also easily influenced by money and partying and drinking also. Fitzgerald lived a life of high style parties drinking and writing for the money. Even Zelda his wife, wouldn’t marry him because he then didn’t have enough
Mrs.Shaw
Jr/Sr Honors English
8 May 2009
The Mind and life of Fitzgerald and the Great Gatsby:
A Psychoanalytical Criticism Like many writers today F. Scott Fitzgerald either consciously or unconsciously wrote about himself in the book known as The Great Gatsby. Many of the books characters such as Daisy, Nick and even Gatsby himself show characteristics similar to people in Fitzgerald’s life and also Fitzgerald himself. Nick and Gatsby show lifestyles and desires of Fitzgerald’s, when Daisy and Daisy’s daughter show the actions and the thoughts of Fitzgerald’s own beloved wife and Daughter. In this text it is clearly seen how Fitzgerald’s life is shown and stated in his book, The Great Gatsby. In Fitzgerald’s life there were many different influences for his lifestyle and his literature. In a biography title A Brief Life of Fitzgerald they say “the dominant Influences on F. Scott Fitzgerald were aspiration literature, Princeton, Zelda Sayre, Fitzgerald and alcohol” (Bruccoli pg1). In Fitzgerald’s when attending Princeton he met Father Sigourney who helped push him into his ambitions for personal distinction and achievement. Fitzgerald used this and wrote many books and article. So in writing the Great Gatsby, He even stated in the beginning of the book how family and the representation of a father is so important. In the very first chapter of the book it states “In my younger more vulnerable years my father gave me some advice” (Fitzgerald pg 5). In the book we also see Nick, a party man and a light drinker show signs of being influenced by the same thing as Fitzgerald. Nick loved being on the richer side, so he went where he knew the money was, bond selling on the west egg (Fitzgerald pg 7). Fitzgerald was also easily influenced by money and partying and drinking also. Fitzgerald lived a life of high style parties drinking and writing for the money. Even Zelda his wife, wouldn’t marry him because he then didn’t have enough
Cited: "A Brief Life of Fitzgerald." University of South Carolina. 08 May 2009 . Fitzgerald, F. Scott. Great Gatsby. New York: Scribner Paperback Fiction, 1995. F. Scott Fitzgerald. Dir. Bob Portway. dvd. BBC Worldwide Television, 2004. Film.