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F. Scott Fitzgerald's Birth
Fitzgerald had been born in St. Paul, Minessota. His father was Edward Fitzgerald from Maryland and his mother was Mary McQuillan a daughter of an Irish immigrant. -
Attendance to Newman School
Fitzgerald attended a Catholic prep school in New Jersey. During his attendance he had met Father Sigourney Fay, who encouraged his ambitions for personal distinction and achievement(A Brief Life of Fitzgerald, para.4).Father Fay had prompted Fitzgerald to incorporate the theme of the American dream into his novels which had been evident through Jay Gatsby's character who was trying to achieve economic and social prosperity in order to marry Daisy Buchannan.
Theme:Culture -
World War I
The Great War had been a political event that had taken place around the world but mainly in Europe. The war had ultimately influenced into Fitzgerald's mental instability. His mental illness had led into the abnormal plots found within his novels (A Brief Life Of Fitzgerald, para. 3).The abnormal plots had been mainly represented through the theme of perversion in "Tender Is The Night" through the sexual relationship of Devereux Warren and Nicole Warren.
Theme: Political -
Broken Engagement to Zelda Sayre
Zelda Sayre breaks engagement with Fitzgerald due to his inability to support her economically. Due to Zelda's rejection he was more determined than before to succed as an author and become wealthy in order to marry Zelda (A Brief Life Of Fitzgerald, para.4). The following occasion had encouraged into the plot line of the "The Great Gatsby" which was about Jay Gatsby who was trying to become wealthy in order to gain the love of Daisy Buchannan.
Theme: Economy -
The "New Woman" Era
The "New Woman" era had been a social event taking place in North America.During the period, woman had gained more freedom. They were able to smoke, drink, and be more "sexually free"(The Roaring Twenties, para.1).The era had influenced Fitzgerald to give the women more liberal roles in his multiple novels.Which had been quite evident in "Tender Is The Night", where Fitzgerald was able to show the reader how Rosemary had an affair with Gatsby and was able to drink alcohol freely.
Theme: Social -
The Jazz Age
The Jazz Age had been a cultural period taking form in North America. It was a cultural period where Jazz was being played everywhere. And people had more freedom to dance on the dance floor(The Roaring Twenties, para.4).The Jazz Age had been evident through "The Great Gatsby" mainly through the lavish parties Jay Gatsby hosted every week which was able to properly demonstrate the Jazz era.
Theme: Culture -
Flapper Era
The flapper era had been a cultural movement that was spreading nation wide in the United States. It was a period where women wore short and trimmed dresses that allowed them to faster movement in the dance floor. Fitzgerald had been one of the first few authors to use the term "flappers" (The Roaring Twenties, para 2).Through the choice of clothing women had been able to represent more freedom which had been evident in his novels by using the flappers as a symbol of freedom.
Theme:Culture -
The Birth of Mass Culture
The birth of the mass culture had been an evident cultural and economic movement taking place in US during the Jazz Age. The Jazz Age had been a period that introduced great economic wealth. American's had extra money to spend on consumer goods, which led into the development of radios, movies, and automobiles(The Roaring Twenties, para.2).The development of the mass culture had been reflected through Fitzgerald's works by emphasizing on the importance of autombiles and media.
Theme: Culture -
The "cultural civil war"
The "cultural civil wars" often referred to protestants and Catholics, blacks and whites, “New Women” and advocates of old-fashioned family values taking place in the United States(The Roaring twnties,para. 9).Many of the cultural war had been evident in Fitzgerald's writings through the mattter he incorporated the racism war between whites and black in "Tender Is The Night"which had been evident through the murder of Jules Peterson a black men.
Theme: Social -
Prohibiton of Alcohol
The prohibition of alcohol had been a political movement taking place in North America(The Roaring twenties, para. 5).The prohibition of alcohol and the illegal trafficing of the alcohol had been evident in The Great Gatsby's plot through Jay Gatsby's character who was a boot legger. However, the event had been able to demonstrate the corruption in America through the the higher classes being capable to drink alcohol freely.
Theme: Political -
The rise of the Ku Klux Klan
The Ku Klux Klan had risen to power after reaching two million followers in the southern United states(Rise and fall of the Ku Klux Klan, para 1).The up and rising social movement had impacted how Fitzgerald had incorporated racism and social darwism into his novels. An example had been given in "The Great Gatsby" where Tom Buchannan was mentioning how the white population was superior than any other ethic group in the world.
Theme: Social -
Granting suffrage to women
Women had gained the right to vote and they were granted equal rights to men in the US according to (The Roaring Twenties(thinkquest.com)para.2).The equality found within genders had been evident through Fitzgerald's novels as he provided plot lines that involved women having affairs, drinking, and smoking. Which was able to demonstrate how men and women had equal roles among society.
Theme: Social -
Fitzgerald moves to Great Neck, Long Island
The Fitzgeralds rented a house in Great Neck, Long Island where they lived until April 1924. During his stay in Long Island, Zelda and Scott interected with Long Island society which had been reflected through"...the setting and mood for the novel germinating in Fitzgerald's head"(F. Scott Fitzgerald's Timeline, par.17).The ways of society had been demonstrated through"The Great Gatsby"as it showed the social distinction between people,mainly though Jay Gatsby and Daisy Buchanan.
Theme: Social -
Zelda's Fitzgerald's affair
In the spring of 1924, Zelda had been involved with a French naval aviator(A Brief Life of Fitzgerald, para.11).The affair had been reflected in Fitzgerald's novels through the prominent theme of unfaithfulness in both his novels "The Great Gatsby" and "Tender Is The Night" as affair between characters had been evident throughout the novels. Some examples would include Daisy and Tom in "The Great Gatsby" and Dick and Rosemary in "Tender Is The Night".
Theme: Social -
The Great Crash
The great crash had triggered the Great Depression taking place around the world which effectively marked the the end to the Jazz Age(shmoop, para. 21).The end of the Jazz Age had impacted Fitzgerald's writing style because he no longer incorporated several aspects such as flappers and lavish parties that had been evident aspects of what the Jazz Age was all about,which caused him to create dryer works after the 1920s that were unable to spark much attention among readers.
Theme:Economic -
Zelda Fitzgerald's nervous breakdown
Zelda suffers her first nervous breakdown and spends much of the next year hospitalized in various clinics in Switzerland. His wives mental illness had drifted their marriage apart.Fitzgerald had been able to reflect his wives experience in several of his short stories as he writes about an American couple that falls apart in Europe(Shmoop, para.22). His wives experience had prompted into Fitzgerald incorporating the evident theme of infedelity due to his cheating ways.
Theme: Social -
FItzgerald's Death
Fitzgerald had died of a heart attack at Sheilah Graham's Hollywood apartment. His grave is located in Maryland alongside his fathers tomb.
