Francis Scott Key Fitzgerald

Works and Connection to The Great Gatsby

Brian LakshJames CornishLaura BeckmanAvni Patel

Chapter One: Zelda SayreFell in love with Zelda in Alabama

Daughter of A Supreme Court JudgeObviously a basis for Daisy, the The Great

Gatsby characterEngaged, but did not immediately marry due

to lack of faith of potential support of the couple

Married after success of This Side of Paradise, which provided monetary support and hope for the future

Chapter Two: Ginevra King Dated while attending Princeton

Father did not feel that Fitzgerald was not appropriate for dating Ginevra because of the difference in wealth (the King family was very rich)

Serves as a basis for the plot of The Great GatsbyThe rich are very isolated and self-containedGatsby must be rich to impress Daisy to have

any chance of pursuing her This thematic element also appears in This Side of

Paradise, Fitzgerald’s first novel

Chapter Three: Lifestyle Known for somewhat of a “celebrity” status

Became almost a symbol of the Jazz Age Much like Gatsby and the times

Known for excessive partying Basis for Gatsby and the wild weekend parties

Chapter Four: Earlier WorksThis Side of Paradise (1920) sets the stage of

the differences in wealthRich do not marry into the poor class, the same

predicament James Gatz facesThe Beautiful and Damned (1922) begins the

motif of obsession and warns of its consequencesMuch like Gatsby over Daisy, the Patch couple

obsess over their inheritance, and although eventually receive it, they have lost their health and happiness

Chapter Four: Earlier WorksMay Day (1920) portrays a rich man who commits

suicide instead of subjecting himself to a relationship with a poor woman who has peaked his romantic interest Once again shows the lack of connectivity between the

rich and the poor; the rich seem to even despise the poor

Shows an extreme example of a concept in The Great Gatsby

Winter Dreams (1922) describes Dexter Green’s life work to become successful to attract a childhood crush, only to find out Judy Jones has already married

Chapter Five: ParallelsFitzgerald admitted to having “a heightened

sensitivity to the promises of life”This is like Gatsby, who is also aware of the potential

of life and strives for the American DreamFitzgerald always included characters and settings

similar to his own lifeThe posthumously published The Last Tycoon (1941)

was about Hollywood, where he had worked just prior to the novel

Tender is the Night (1934) is about a psychiatrist marrying a patient. It was written when wife Zelda was in a sanitarium suffering mental breakdowns

Francis Scott Key Fitzgerald

1896-1940