Autobiographical Portrayal of Frances Scott Fitzgerald as Jay Gatsby

             Scott Fitzgerald as Jay Gatsby, in The .

            

            

            

             Frances Scott Key Fitzgerald, born September 24, 1896 in St.

             Minnesota, is seen today as one of the true great American novelists. .

             Although he lived a life filled with alcoholism, despair, and lost-love, he .

             managed to create the ultimate love story and seemed to pinpoint the .

             "American Dream" in his classic novel, The Great Gatsby. In the novel, Jay .

             Gatsby is the epitome of the "self-made man," in which he dedicates his .

             entire life to climbing the social ladder in order to gain wealth, to .

             ultimately win the love of a woman: something that proves to be .

             unattainable. As it turns out, Gatsby"s excessive extravagance and love of .

             money, mixed with his obsession for a woman"s love, is actually the .

             autobiographical portrayal of Fitzgerald.

             While attending Princeton University, Fitzgerald struggled immensely with .

             his grades and spent most of his time catering to his "social" needs. He .

             became quite involved with the Princeton Triangle Club, an undergraduate .

             club which wrote and produced a lively musical comedy each fall, and .

             performed it during the Christmas vacation in a dozen major cities across .

             the country. Fitzgerald was also elected to "Cottage," which was one of the .

             big four clubs at Princeton. "Its lavish weekend parties in impressive .

             surroundings, which attracted girls from New York, Philadelphia and beyond, .

             may well have provided the first grain of inspiration for Fitzgerald"s .

             portrayal of Jay Gatsby"s fabulous parties on Long Island" (Meyers, 27).

             Although Fitzgerald was a "social butterfly" while at Princeton, he never .

             had any girlfriends. However, at a Christmas dance in St. Paul, MN during .

             his sophomore year, he met Ginevra King, a sophisticated sixteen-year-old .

             who was visiting her roommate, and immediately fell in love with her. .

             Although Scott loved Ginevra to the point of infatuation, she was too .

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