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1
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- “A plate that cracked under pressure (1)”
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2
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- “What little I’ve accomplished has been by the most
laborious and uphill work, and I wish now I’d never relaxed or
looked back – but said at the end of The Great Gatsby:
‘I’ve found my line – from now on this comes first.
This is my immediate duty – without this I am
nothing.’”
- -F. Scott Fitzgerald
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3
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- “That was always my experience-a poor boy in a rich town; a po=
or
boy in a rich boy’s school; a poor boy in a rich man’s c=
lub
at Princeton…I have never been able to forgive the rich for be=
ing
rich and it has colored my entire life and works” (2)
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4
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- Francis Scott Fitzgerald was born September 24, 1896, in St. Paul,
Minnesota
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5
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- Fitzgerald was named after a distant cousin of his father
- The cousin, Francis Scott Key, composed The Star Spangled Banner
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6
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- Fitzgerald was the only one of four children to survive, which led h=
is
mother to constantly worry about his well being
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7
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- Fitzgerald’s Mother came from a financially successful backgro=
und
and her maiden name allowed the Fitzgeralds to have a place in socie=
ty.
- With her money, Fitzgerald was able to attend the right schools.
- Fitzgerald’s father struggled to provide for the family
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8
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- Fitzgerald attended the Newman School in Hackensack, New Jersey
- He was always a very indulgent and indifferent scholar. He only had =
to
attend half days of school, and he spent most of class time writing
instead of paying attention in class
- Fitzgerald quickly developed an interest in the theater and writing
plays
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9
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- Fitzgerald failed 2 entrance exams for Princeton, but was able to
persuade school authorities to admit him
- While at Princeton, “Fitzgerald suffered many humiliations from
companions richer than he, but he also found his way to literary
achievement” (2)
- CK
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10
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- Fitzgerald became a member of The Triangle Club, which was a club th=
at
worked on musical comedies, and also belonged to the editorial board=
of The
Daily Princeton
- He continued to struggle as a student. He had problems completing his
makeup courses and started failing his current courses
- -CK
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11
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- In 1917, Fitzgerald contracted malaria and left Princeton during his
junior year
- Fitzgerald enlisted to fight in WWI, but the war ended before his
regiment disembarked
- CK
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12
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- Fitzgerald was convinced he would die in the war, and rapidly wrot=
e a
novel titled “The Romantic Egoist”
- While FSF was stationed at Camp Sheridan near Montgomery, Alabama,=
he
met and fell in love with Zelda Sayre-an 18 year old belle who was=
the
daughter of an Alabama Supreme Court judge (3)
- KG
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13
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- After Fitzgerald was discharged in 1919, he went to New York City to
seek a fortune in order to marry Zelda
- Unwilling to wait while FSF succeeded in the advertisement business =
and
unwilling to live on his small salary, Zelda broke off their engagem=
ent
- KG
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14
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- Fitzgerald’s novel The Romantic Egoist was rejected by his
prospective publisher, but was praised for its originality and he as=
ked
that FSF resubmit the novel once it was revised
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15
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- 1919
- FSF rewrote novel as This Side of Paradise and it was accepted by t=
he
publisher
- -Publication of This Side of Paradise made Fitzgerald famous overnig=
ht,
and he married Zelda 1 week later
- KG
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16
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- The wedding took place on Easter Sunday-April 3, 1920-at St.
Patrick’s Cathedral in New York
- Neither set of parents attended, and a few selected guests were
surprised to find no music, photographer, or a reception
- Fitzgerald invited Zelda’s sister and husband to the wedding t=
he
day before the ceremony. After arriving at the specified time, they
found that the wedding was already over. This caused a lasting
alienation between himself and most of Zelda’s family (3)
- KG
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17
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- FSF and Zelda went to stay at the Biltmore hotel to host a house par=
ty
for Princeton
- Zelda and FSF were asked to leave the Biltmore because they had made
such a disturbance-they would walk down the hallways on their hands,
constantly circle in the revolving doors, and host all-night parties=
- KG
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- Zelda quickly became pregnant, and gave birth to their only child,
Frances Scott (nicknamed “Scottie”) on October 21, 1921<=
/li>
- Less than 4 months after Scottie’s birth, FSF received a $5600
royalty advance, and left Scottie with a nanny for a month long
celebration
- KG
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19
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- Zelda was “aghast” to learn that she was pregnant again =
in
March 1922
- They did not want a child so soon again, and arranged for an abortio=
n
- Though Scott was Catholic, he seems not to have objected to the abor=
tion
at the time-only later did he feel guilt, anger, and revulsion over =
what
he termed “chill-mindedness of his wife” (3)
- KG
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20
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- 1925
- Fitzgerald wrote what is regarded as his finest novel, The Great Ga=
tsby
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- Between 1924-1931, the Fitzgeralds lived on the French Riviera, where
they became involved in a culture of alcohol, drugs, and parties
- Fitzgerald began a battle with alcoholism that went on for the rest =
of
his life
- Zelda experienced a series of mental breakdowns in the early 30s that
eventually led to her being institutionalized (4)
- KG
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- 1935
- -Wrote the “gloom articles” for Esquire Magazine, which
contained his spiritual life story
- -In the “gloom articles”, Fitzgerald attempted to absol=
ve
himself of sin
- SK
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- February 1936
- In “The Crack-Up”, Fitzgerald describes life as a
“process of breaking down in which the decisive blows seem to
come from outside oneself, but in reality they come from within and=
are
not felt until it’s too late.”
- Fitzgerald also compares himself to a plate that cracked under pres=
sure
because he acknowledged that he had “drawn upon resources tha=
t he
did not have” and had stretched himself to the limit (1)
- SK
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- March 1936
- -Wrote article “Handle With Care” in which he does not
thank the gods at the end of the article because he said that he
“had been thanking them for too long for nothing”
- -He further elaborated on the cracked plate idea by saying “t=
he
defective plate must be kept in service as a household necessity, bu=
t it
can not bear careless handling”
- SK
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- 1937
- -Fitzgerald established his will in Hollywood, including inexpensive
funeral arrangements
- -Began writing The Last Tycoon, which remained unfinished
- -Fitzgerald was very excited about the progress the novel was making
when he suffered a heart attack that ended his life December 21=
st,
1940
- SK
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26
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- Fitzgerald’s final wish was to be buried next to his father and
his wish was granted on November 8, 1975 when his body, along with
Zelda’s, was moved to Rockville, Maryland
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- Fitzgerald said, “I wouldn’t mind a bit if in a few years
Zelda and I could snuggle up together here under a stone….that=
is
really a happy thought and not melancholy at all”
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28
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29
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- 1-Allen, Joan M. Candles and Carnival Lights: The Catholic Sensibil=
ity
of F. Scott Fitzgerald. New York University Press, New York : 1978<=
/li>
- 2-Bender, David. Readings on F. Scott Fitzgerald. Greenhaven Press, =
Inc,
San Diego: 1998.
- 3-Taylor, Kendall. Sometimes Madness is Wisdom, Zelda and Scott
Fitzgerald: A Marriage. The Ballantine Publishing Group, New York :
2001.
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