F. Scott Fitzgerald
English Lit: AQA A Level The Great Gatsby - Specification A, topic 2.1.1
F. Scott Fitzgerald
The author of the Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald, was born in the state of Minnesota, in America’s Midwest in 1896. This means he shares his Midwestern roots with all of the main characters in the story.
Princeton University
- His family were comfortably wealthy, and Fitzgerald was able to study at the prestigious Princeton University in New Jersey.
- While at university, Fitzgerald stated that he was always aware of the fact that, unlike himself, many of his peers were from ‘old money’ families with far wealthier backgrounds than his own.
Ginevra King
- At Princeton University, Fitzgerald met the Chicago socialite Ginevra King, with whom he became infatuated.
- King would go on to become the inspiration for the character of Daisy Buchanan in The Great Gatsby.
Hollywood and script writing
- In 1926, Fitzgerald moved to Hollywood, on the west coast of the United States, to write film scripts.
- Fitzgerald is said to have found the script-writing working to be degrading, and was something he only did because of financial difficulties and the necessity to earn money.
F. Scott Fitzgerald's Reputation
F. Scott Fitzgerald died at the young age of 44 in 1940 and, at the time of his death, his reputation was at a low point.
Alcoholism
- Fitzgerald had struggled with alcoholism throughout his adult life and some critics commented that this addiction had affected his work.
Reputation before death
- The general consensus at the time of Fitzgerald’s death seemed to be that he had started as a very promising writer, but had not succeeded in fulfilling his promise.
- Fitzgerald (pictured) himself considered The Great Gatsby to be his finest work, but actually, it was largely overlooked. Initially, Fitzgerald was best remembered for his entertaining and light-hearted short stories.
Reputation after death
- Some years after his death, however, Fitzgerald’s reputation began to change and, for many years, he has been considered to be one of the most important figures in twentieth-century American literature.
- Renowned literary critic Edmund Wilson (pictured) championed the work of Fitzgerald after his death, and arranged for The Last Tycoon, Fitzgerald’s final and unfinished novel, to be published posthumously in 1941.
Test yourself on F. Scott Fitzgerald
Which character did Ginevra King inspire?
Why is it significant that Fitzgerald was born in Minnesota?
Who wrote The Great Gatsby?
Which university did Fitzgerald study at?
Which of these are true of Fitzgerald?