F. Scott Fitzgerald

F. Scott Fitzgerald was a self-made man who epitomized both the glory of the Jazz Age and the desperation of the aftermath of the 1929 stock market crash. Born and raised in St. Paul, Minnesota, Fitzgerald met and fell in love with Zelda Zayre when his army unit was stationed in Montgomery, Alabama. Zelda refused his marriage proposal, so Fitzgerald left for New York to win a fortune and Zelda's love.

He succeeded with This Side of Paradise (1920), an instant critical and financial hit: Zelda married him a week after its release. The Fitzgeralds were extravagant beyond their means, partying and drinking into the night and using up all the proceeds from two short-story collections and a second novel, The Beautiful and the Damned (1922).

They moved to France in 1924 -- living among the group of American expatriates that included Hemingway, Stein, and Pound.In 1925 Fitzgerald wrote his masterpiece, The Great Gatsby. The party ended, though, when heavy debts drove Scott to alcoholism and Zelda to insanity: she had a breakdown in 1931 and spent the rest of her life in mental hospitals.

Fitzgerald continued to write to support himself and their daughter, finally landing in Hollywood in 1937 as a screenwriter. He died of a heart attack at the age of forty-four.

Historical ContextThe Jazz Age

In the aftermath of World War I, American society went through a period of dramatic change. Traditional beliefs in God, country, and humanity were shaken as Americans faced the devastation of a war of this magnitude. The feelings of confusion and dislocation that resulted led to a questioning and often a rejection of conventional morality and beliefs.

In the 1920s, Americans recognized that an old order had been replaced by a new, freer society, one that adopted innovative fashions in clothing, behavior, and the arts. Fitzgerald called this decade the "Jazz Age," which along with the "roaring twenties" came to express the cultural revolution that was then taking place.

The American Dreams

The dream of religious freedomThe dream of political freedomThe dream of upward mobilityThe dream of home ownershipThe dream of equalityThe dream of personal fulfillment of fame and fortune

from Jim Cullen’s The American Dream

Theme

Dexter's vision of success involves a pursuit of the American dream of wealth and status. As Fitzgerald traces Dexter's movement toward this goal, he becomes, in essence, a social historian of his generation, chronicling the dreams of the men and women of the 1920s who saw unlimited opportunities in the new century.

Even as a teenager, Dexter dreams of success. While working at a local golf course, he fantasizes about becoming a golf champion and winning matches against the wealthy men for whom he caddies, or dazzling them with his expert diving exhibitions.

Later, his dreams involve his movement up into the wealthy class where he would be rich enough to marry Judy Jones. She becomes the embodiment of his "winter dreams" of a glittering world with endless glamour and promise.

Dexter eventually gains wealth and status due to two qualities that are inherent in the American character: hard work and confidence. Even as a young man in his first job, Dexter strives to be the best. At the Sherry Island Golf Club, he is the favorite caddy, due to his devotion to learning and helping others excel at the game. But Dexter is too confident in his abilities to stay in a service position, especially when Judy treats him as her inferior.

Later, he turns his confidence and drive to his education, choosing a prestigious Eastern college over a state school that would have been easier to afford. After college, he dives into the business world, where he learns all he can about running a successful laundry. Soon Dexter achieves his goal: he becomes a wealthy businessman and as such, catches the eye of Judy Jones. Yet, eventually, he discovers the hollowness that exists at the core of his winter dreams