Francis Scott Key Fitzgerald

Francis Scott Key Fitzgerald

Francis Scott Key Fitzgerald was born in Saint Paul, Minnesota on

September 24, 1896 (sc.edu, 1). It seemed as though he was destined

for greatness, having been named after the author of "The

Star-Spangled Banner", Francis Scott Key. Throughout his life,

however, he suffered many hardships and hindrances to hamper his great

writing ability, and it seemed as though that he would never be

recognized for his contributions to the American style of writing. In

order for inspiration and to learn the intricate nature of writing,

Fitzgerald attended school at St. Paul Academy, The Newman School, and

was a part of the class of 1917 at Princeton University. Even though

he did not finish school at Princeton, the University gave him

profound knowledge and served as a setting in many of his novels

(sc.edu, 1). In contrast of inspiration, Fitzgerald suffered from

alcoholism, a mental and uncaring wife, Zelda, and an uncontrollable

irresponsibility for fiscal matters. It was because of this mixture,

however, that Fitzgerald wrote many novels and short stories that are

now acclaimed as the pinnacle of American authorship. Some of these

works include The Great Gatsby, a story written about a man who gets

rich to satisfy the love of his life, This Side of Paradise, an

auto-biographical novel on the life of Fitzgerald, and Tender is the

Night, showing the relationship between a psychiatrist and his mental

patient, most likely a reflection on Fitzgerald relationship with his

wife, Zelda, after her institutionalization. After his writing career

began to lose profits, he shifted his focus on Hollywood, becoming a

screenwriter for a short while, earning a sizeable income from a

contract with Metro...

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...y examines the theme of

aspiration in an American setting, defines the classic American novel

(sc.edu, 4). Fitzgerald's works allow us to see his life history and

the events and people that affected it so greatly. His entire life

should be an inspiration to everyone, as he never had any money, even

though he made, what would be considered today millions of dollars per

year. He had a wife, Zelda, who suffered a mental breakdown and tried

to undermine his writing career, and a daughter that he never saw past

the age of fourteen. Even though all of these hardships, he produced

the most intriguing and innovative American stories ever written,

developing the novels that other novels are compared to. His bravery

and heroism in the face of all of these obstacles to do what he was

destined to do shows us today that anything can be done if you put

your mind to it.