Lecture Notes: F. Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald

Introduction

• Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald: Icons of the Roaring Twenties
• Lived a life of wild abandon; King and Queen of the Jazz Age
• Scott's decline into alcoholism and Zelda's institutionalization
• Story parallels the American Dream

Early Life of F. Scott Fitzgerald

• Born September 24, 1896, in St. Paul, Minnesota
• Named after Francis Scott Key
• Father Edward: not a successful businessman, leaving a deep impression on Scott
• Mother Molly: Came from an affluent family, enabling Scott's education
• Early writing talent discovered in prep school

Education and Early Relationships

• Attended Princeton University in 1913
• Dreams of being a "big man on campus"
• Failed to make the football team due to size
• Joined literary magazines and prestigious theatrical clubs
• Relationship with debutante Ginevra King
  • Told by her father poor boys don't marry rich girls

Military and Meeting Zelda

• Enlisted in WWI; never saw combat
• Met Zelda Sayre in Montgomery, Alabama
• Zelda: Beautiful, wild, and unconventional
• Engaged, but Zelda broke it off due to financial concerns

Rise to Fame

• Returned to St. Paul to finish his novel, "This Side of Paradise"
• Immediate success upon publication in 1920
• Married Zelda; hailed as the "it" couple of the Jazz Age
• Extravagant lifestyle fueled by short stories for magazines

The Great Gatsby

• Moved to Europe to concentrate on his masterpiece
• "The Great Gatsby" published in 1925
• Initial commercial failure
• Later revived in critical acclaim and cinematic adaptations

Personal Struggles and Zelda's Mental Health

• Zelda's affair and mental decline
• Diagnosed with schizophrenia; multiple hospitalizations
• Strain on marriage and Fitzgerald's emotional toll

Later Years and Hollywood

• Hollywood screenwriting in 1937; struggled to get screen credits
• Relationship with Sheila Graham
• Continued struggles with alcoholism and personal demons

Death and Legacy

• Fitzgerald's death at age 44 in 1940
• Zelda's tragic death in a hospital fire in 1948
• Rediscovery of Fitzgerald's work posthumously
• Now celebrated as an American literary legend

Influence and Recognition

• F. Scott Fitzgerald's influence on modern writers and culture
• Centennial celebrations and commemorative events

Conclusion

• Fitzgerald's enduring legacy as a dreamer and a writer
• His works now sell hundreds of thousands of copies annually
• The posthumous recognition of his talent and contribution to American literature