Draeger1

RoseDraeger
C.Opachan
C.P.EnglishIII
6,May2016
F.ScottFitzgerald
F.ScottFitzgeraldslifeseemedtofitinthelinesofthepageshewrotehebuiltalavish
lifefullofscandals,incorporatedreallifetragediesinhiswriting,andmademanywriting
choicesbasedonemotionscausedfromhisinternalconflict.Hislifestoryissoseemingly
fictionalthatyoucaneasilyseehoweventhesmallestofeventsalteredhiswritingstyle.
Fitzgeraldslavishlifestyleandundeniablepassionhelpedhimpulltogethersomeofthemost
iconiccharactersofthe1920s.
F.ScottFitzgeraldworkedhardinthe1920stobecomesuccessful(
Fitzgerald'sLife
Mirror
).HefailedasawickersalesmanforProctorandGambleandhadlittlesuccessinhis
writing(
F.SCOTTFITZGERALDSCREENPLAYCOLLECTION
).Ithadcometothepoint
thatwhenheproposedtohiswife,herresponsewastowaituntilhehadbecome
successful(
Fitzgerald'sLifeMirror
).Afterhisthirdpublicationof
ThisSideofParadise
,
Fitzgeraldinstantlybecamewealthyandfamous,somuchsothatZeldaSayremarriedhim
withintheweekafterthepublication(F.ScottFitzgeraldandtheAmericanDream).Thelove
forhiswealthylifestyleinspiredmanyofFitzgeraldsnewwritings(
Fitzgerald'sLifeMirror
).
Fitzgeraldwasabletobackuphisdramaticstoriesinspiredbyhisnewlifestylewithhisnatural
talentforwriting(
F.SCOTTFITZGERALDSCREENPLAYCOLLECTION
).Hemainlybased
allhisstoriesandcharactersonhiswifeZeldaandtheirrelationship(

TheGreatGastby
:

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FitzgeraldsLifeMirror
).
TheGreatGatsby
waswrittenafterF.ScottFitzgeraldandZeldahad
theirsonScottie.(F.ScottFitzgeraldandtheAmericanDream)SoonafterZeldahadcheated
onFitzgeraldwithaFrenchpilot(
Fitzgerald'sLifeMirror
).In
TheGreatGatsby
Daisy,who
allowedmoneytodecidewhosheloveddirectlyrelatestoZelda,asshecalledoffFitzgeralds
engagementbecausehewasntwealthy(
"TheGreatGatsby"
).Otherrelationsbetween
FitzgeraldscurrentsituationandthestorywerethatbothZeldaandDaisyhadveryyoung
childrenatthattimeandtheywerebothcheatingontheirhusbands(

TheGreatGastby

).
Strangelyenough,againstwhatmostwouldinstantlyassume,Fitzgeralddidnotwritehimselfas
Daisyshusband(

TheGreatGastby
:FitzgeraldsLifeMirror
).Fitzgeraldwriteshimselfalmost
astwopeoplewherehehasthethoughtsandtraitsasNickCarrawaybuthasthelovestoryofJay
Gatsby(
"TheGreatGatsby"
).Nick,likeFitzgerald,bothinternalizetheirthoughtsandemotions
andhavetowatchDaisyandZeldacheat(
TheGreatGastby
:FitzgeraldsLifeMirror).Gatsby
andF.ScottFitzgeraldhadbothstartedtheirromanticrelationshipswhileservinginthe
army(
"TheGreatGatsby"
).Theyworkedincrediblyhardandbecameexcessivelywealthyto
bothwooandmarrytheirloves,andbothhadanexceptionallygreatturmoiloverworkingso
hardtobesuccessfulforthewomentheylove(

TheGreatGastby
:FitzgeraldsLifeMirror
).
ButevenwithallthemoneyFitzgeraldandGatsbyhad,theycouldnotuseittokeeptheir
women(
"TheGreatGatsby"
).
TenderistheNight
wasafterZeldawasadmittedintoamental
institutionduetomanymonthsofintensiveballetclassescausinghertohaveanervous
breakdown(F.ScottFitzgeraldandtheAmericanDream).
TenderistheNight
waswritten
aboutanotheraffairbetweenRosemaryHoyt,anactress,andamarriedpsychiatrist,Dick
Diver(
TenderIstheNight
).HoweverthislovestoryhasatwistthatDickswifeisoneof

Draeger3

hispatients(
TenderistheNight)
.Asthestoryunravels,sodoesDicksmarriageandhis
career(
TenderIstheNight
).IntheendDickisbrokenbyhisownprofessionallazinessand
drunkenness,muchlikeFitzgerald(
TenderIstheNight
).Inaway,Fitzgeraldseemedtostart
todeteriorateslowlyafterhiswifesaffair,butaftershewasadmitted,Fitzgeraldhadlet
drinkingandsuicidalthoughtsconsumehim(
Fitzgerald'sLifeMirror
).Fitzgeraldbecameso
weatheredwithdepressionthathebegantoalsostrugglewithraisinghischild(
Fitzgerald'sLife
Mirror
).
ItseemsthatFitzgeraldswritinglifeandcareerstartedinsuffering.Fitzgeraldendured
therejectionfromtheloveofhislifeandhepersistedtopushhimselffartherthanheeverhad
inthepaststayinguplate,workingallthetime,forcinghiscreativity,andenduringmore
rejectionsfrompublishers.Allofthiskickstartedhisspiralintoobsessionoverloveand
acceptance(
F.SCOTTFITZGERALDSCREENPLAYCOLLECTION
).However,hiswork
couldonlygranthimtemporarysecurityandsatisfaction(
"F.ScottFitzgeraldandtheAmerican
Dream."
).Hisworkgrantedevenlesssecurityafterhiswifecheatedonhim(
"F.ScottFitzgerald
andtheAmericanDream."
).Thisdevastationdisabledhimfrombeingabletotrustherandmany
otherpeople,includinghimself(
"F.ScottFitzgeraldandtheAmericanDream."
).Thereasonhe
couldnteventrusthimselfwasbecausepriortohiswifecheatingonhim,hetrustedthathis
writingcouldhelphimobtainZeldasloveanddedication(
"F.ScottFitzgeraldandtheAmerican
Dream."
).Thedevastationscontinuedashenotonlyhadalreadylostheremotionally,but
mentallyaswell(
"F.ScottFitzgeraldandtheAmericanDream."
).HiswifeZeldawasstraining
herselfinintensiveballetuntilshefinallysnappedandhadanervousbreakdown(
"F.Scott
FitzgeraldandtheAmericanDream."
).Zeldawaslateradmittedintoamentalinstitution,

Draeger4

diagnosedwithschizophrenia(
Fitzgerald'sLifeMirror
).ThisfurtheredFitzgeraldheartbreak,as
hehadtoseeherslowlydriftevenfartherawayfromhim(
"F.ScottFitzgeraldandtheAmerican
Dream."
).Havingtoseehermoveinandoutofhospitals,beingpowerlesstodoanythingtostop
herconditionfromgettingworse,andhavingtotakecareoftheirchildScottieallbyhimself
werealltaxingobstaclesthatFitzgeraldhadahardtimegettingthrough(
"F.ScottFitzgeraldand
theAmericanDream."
).Whileattemptingtoworkthrougheverythinghewasgoingthroughhe
turnedtoexcessivedrinkingwhichleadtoalcoholism(
"F.ScottFitzgeraldandtheAmerican
Dream."
).
Fitzgeraldswritingchoiceswerealldependentonpassionandemotionfromhislife(
F.
SCOTTFITZGERALDSCREENPLAYCOLLECTION
).Manyofhisworks,suchas
TheGreat
Gatsby
and
TenderistheNight
werebothinspiredbyreallifeeventsandfeelingsinflictedbyhis
wife(
F.SCOTTFITZGERALDSCREENPLAYCOLLECTION
).Asmentionedbefore,hiswife
Zeldadidntaccepthismarriageproposalbecausehedidn'thaveenoughmoneytosatisfy
her(
Fitzgerald'sLifeMirror
).ThismotivatedFitzgeraldtomakethechoiceofworkingeven
harderthanusualandproduced
ThisSideofParadise(
"F.ScottFitzgeraldandtheAmerican
Dream."
)
.WithoutZeldasshallowsenseoflove,itspossiblethatsome(ifnotall)of
Fitzgeraldsfamousworkswouldnothaveexisted(
Fitzgerald'sLifeMirror
).Thiswasdueto
FitzgeraldsintensededicationtoZelda.DespitethewayshetreatedFitzgerald,hewassoblind
inlovewithherthatheusedthepainsheinflictedonhimasanoutletforwritingand
internalizedhisconflictionsuntilhefellintoturmoil(
"F.ScottFitzgeraldandtheAmerican
Dream."
).Fitzgeraldsmainconflictionshadmuchtodowithhiswifesaffairtheconstant
struggleofbendingoverbackwardstosatisfyZelda,muchlikeGatsbywould,andstillnotbeing

Draeger5

abletoobtainherloyalty(
Fitzgerald'sLifeMirror
).Zeldawantedwealth,andFitzgeraldworked
toobtainitforher(
Fitzgerald'sLifeMirror
).Oncehefinallyearnedthewealth,therewasthe
questionofhowhecancontinuetobeasuccesswithoutneedingherasamotivation,butthen
whenshehadanaffair,hechosetousethattensionandpaintocontinuetoutilizewritingasan
outletforpain(
"F.ScottFitzgeraldandtheAmericanDream."
).Thechoiceoflovinghiswife
andstayingwithherevenaftershecheatedonhimwasusedasabasisformanyrelationshipsin
hisnovels(
"F.ScottFitzgeraldandtheAmericanDream."
).However,themosttragicpartofF.
ScottFitzgeraldswritingcareeristhatheonlybecamefamousforhisworkyearsafterhehad
alreadydied(
"F.ScottFitzgeraldandtheAmericanDream."
).Makingitsohecouldnevertruly
seehowappreciateit(
Fitzgerald'sLifeMirror
).
Inconclusion,inhislifeofwriting,F.ScottFitzgeraldbuiltalavishlifefullofscandals,
incorporatedreallifetragediesinhiswriting,andmademanywritingchoicesbasedonemotions
causedfromhisinternalconflict.Thisresultedinmanytragicandcompletelyoverdramatic
charactersandstorylines.Duetotheiragelessdramatizationandfrustratinglyromanticplots,
Fitzgeraldsstorieshavecreatedidolsthateveryauthorwishestoonedayreplicate.

Draeger6

WorksCited
Fitzgerald,F.Scott,Fit.
TenderIstheNight
.NewYork:Collier,1986.Print.
Matterson,Stephen.
TheGreatGatsby
.Basingstoke:MacmillanEducation,1990.Print.
Oye,Andrew.
"TheGreatGatsby"Fitzgerald'sLifeMirror
.AndrewOye,n.d.Web.
<
hollywoodinkslinger.wordpress.com
>.
"TheMatthewJ.&ArlynBruccoliCollectionofF.ScottFitzgerald."
UniversityofSouth
CarolinaLibraries
.THEWARNERBROS./TURNERENTERTAINMENTF.SCOTT
FITZGERALDSCREENPLAYCOLLECTION,Apr.2004.Web.06May2016.
Willet,Erika."F.ScottFitzgeraldandtheAmericanDream."
PBS
.PBS,n.d.Web.06
May2016.