6 December 2004
Obsession: Research
Francis S. Fitzgerald was named after his ancestor, Francis Scott Key. Francis wrote the novel during what was known as the “Jazz Age” (Järvinen) or the “Roaring Twenties” (Geveart). Economy was prosperous, so people lived lavishly through partying. Hence, the “roaring” part of the decade: “Roaring Twenties.” The government soon banned liquor, so organized criminals provided alcohol illegally to the public, making profitable money. The decade is remembered for its glitz and glamour despite the active criminal activity.
The Great Gatsby takes place during this time period, and the audience may notice this through the characters’ carefree spirits and their ardent passion for wealth and success in order to live a life like Gatsby. Gatsby’s parties and his numerous and quite random guests demonstrate the celebrity lifestyle the wealthy had lived.
Fitzgerald contributes to both Nick Carraway’s and Jay Gatsby’s character in The Great Gatsby. He, like Nick, was born in Minnesota, educated at an Ivy League school (Francis at Princeton and Nick at Yale), and moved to New York after going to war. Like Gatsby, however, Fitzgerald meets his love at a military camp and seeks to live a luxurious life in order to impress the woman he loves. Gatsby does this for Daisy, and Fitzgerald wrote to success in order to convince Zelda Sayre to marry him.
Further Research:
1. How did The Great Gatsby contribute to the Jazz Age era, and what exactly was the Jazz Age all about?
2. West Egg and East Egg community’s existence in Long Island? Or if they were fictitious locations, why were they named East and West Egg?
3. Fitzgerald’s rise to stardom and his fall.