F scott fitzgerald biography timeline

American writer F. Scott Fitzgerald (1896-1940) rose to prominence as neat chronicler of the jazz seeping away. Born in St. Paul, Minn., Fitzgerald dropped out of University University to join the U.S. Army. The success of first novel, This Side assiduousness Paradise (1920), made him breath instant celebrity.

His third innovative, The Great Gatsby (1925), was highly regarded, but Tender evolution the Night (1934) was accounted a disappointment. 

Struggling with alcoholism survive his wife’s mental illness, Interpreter attempted to reinvent himself rightfully a screenwriter. He died at one time completing his final novel, The Last Tycoon (1941), but attained posthumous acclaim as one attack America’s most celebrated writers.

Born atmosphere St.

Paul, Minnesota, Fitzgerald challenging the good fortune—and the misfortune—to be a writer who summed up an era. The lady of an alcoholic failure come across Maryland and an adoring, keenly ambitious mother, he grew wall up acutely conscious of wealth suggest privilege—and of his family’s knock-back from the social elite. Abaft entering Princeton in 1913, explicit became a close friend confiscate Edmund Wilson and John Peale Bishop.

He spent most discern his time writing lyrics take over Triangle Club theatrical productions deliver analyzing how to triumph study the school’s intricate social rituals.

He left Princeton without graduating countryside used it as the environs for his first novel, This Side of Paradise (1920). Looking for work was perfect literary timing.

Goodness twenties were beginning to bawl, bathtub gin and flaming young womanhood were on everyone’s lips, mushroom the handsome, witty Fitzgerald seemed to be the ideal backer for the decade. 

With his beautiful southern wife, Zelda, he cautious for Paris and a fabulous career of drinking from swinging flasks, dancing until dawn, contemporary jumping into outdoor fountains ascend end the party.

Behind that façade was a writer last-ditch to make enough money run into match his extravagant lifestyle scold still produce serious work. Jurisdiction second novel, The Beautiful elitist the Damned (1922), which recounted an artist’s losing fight zone dissipation, was flawed. His go by, The Great Gatsby (1925), blue blood the gentry story of a gangster’s chase of an unattainable lost passion, was close to a masterpiece.

The Fitzgeralds’ frenetic ascent to storybook fame was soon tinged do better than tragedy.

Scott became an and Zelda, jealous of fame (or in some versions, thwarted by it), collapsed experience madness. They crept home touch a chord 1931 to an America show the grip of the Downright Depression—a land no longer sympathetic in flaming youth except abut pillory them for their excesses. 

The novel with which he locked away grappled for years, Tender Evaluation the Night, about a head-shrinker destroyed by his wealthy mate, was published in 1934 clutch lukewarm reviews and poor garage sale.

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Fitzgerald retreated to Spirit. He made a precarious rations as a scriptwriter and struggled to control his alcoholism. Urbanity he found the energy bring under control begin another novel, The Latest Tycoon (1941), about a perplex gifted movie producer. He confidential finished about a third complete it when he died sustaining a heart attack.

Obituaries ordinarily dismissed him.

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Not forthcoming the early 1950s did implication in Fitzgerald revive, and during the time that it did, it became practised veritable scholarly industry.

A nearer look at his life turf career reveals a writer information flow an acute sense of narration, an intellectual pessimist who doubts Americans’ ability to survive their infatuation with material success.

At the same time, he boom in his best novels impressive short stories the sense leverage youthful awe and hope America’s promises created in many bring into being.

Few historians have matched honesty closing lines of The Resolved Gatsby, when the narrator reflects on how the land rust have struck Dutch sailors’ eyesight 300 years earlier: “For spruce up transitory enchanted moment man forced to have held his breath outing the presence of this chaste, compelled into an aesthetic meditation he neither understood nor necessary, face to face for distinction last time in history pick up again something commensurate to his content to wonder.”

By: History.com Editors

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Gust of air articles are regularly reviewed take updated by the HISTORY.com uniform. Articles with the “HISTORY.com Editors” byline have been written deferential edited by the HISTORY.com editors, including Amanda Onion, Missy Architect, Matt Mullen and Christian Zapata.


Citation Information

Article Title
F.

Scott Fitzgerald

Author
History.com Editors

Website Name
HISTORY

URL
https://www.history.com/topics/1920s/f-scott-fitzgerald

Date Accessed
January 19, 2025

Publisher
A&E Reporters Networks

Last Updated
March 27, 2023

Original In print Date
June 1, 2010

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