The Rich Boy And The Great Fitzgerald

The Great Fitzgerald Francis Scott Key Fitzgerald was formative figure in the emerging generation of the 1920’s. He was the voice no one else could capture. He wrote from personal experiences which made him more credible then others, and exaggerated the stories in order to meet the desires of the generation for the more lavish life styles in the growing counterculture. In his short stories: “A Winter’s Dream”, “The Rich Boy,” and “A Diamond as Big as The Ritz.” These stories exemplify a new form of the American voice for the people who were changing the societal norm. With Fitzgerald’s personal life experience in his writings, he gave an understanding voice to the growing class of the 20’s. He was notorious for writing bitter- sweet love …show more content…
In “A Diamond as Big as the Ritz” as John is leaving for St. Midas’ his parents tell him to never forget who he is or where he came from but as time goes by John T. Unger starts to represent Americas Wealth- obsessed culture with the lack of basic human sympathy. In the 1920’s organized crime grew because of the eclipsing desire for illustrious fame and fortune. John says “the richer the fella is, the better I like him” (“A Diamond as Big as The Ritz” 2) this continues to further Fitzgerald’s point to show how inhibiting money can be to one’s natural instincts. In “A Winters Dream” Dexter is “unconsciously dictated by his winter dream” (“A Winters Dream” 2). This shows that Fitzgerald was trying to warn the new generation of the wary path that is thoughtless decisions and the repercussions of living unconstrained. Francis gave a personal insight into this situation by giving his raw emotion in his writing based off his unhealthy love life and fluctuating life style. In “The Rich Boy” Hunter strives for wealth and as the story goes on, he becomes egotistical and self-absorbed as he achieves more. After he is engaged to Paula, she starts to see “two alternating personalities” he could whisk her off her feet with “his strong, attractive presence” but his other side is “gross, humorous, and reckless of everything but pleasure” (“A Rich Boy” 2) this whole short story parallels to F. Scott …show more content…
His popularity fluctuated, his most popular works were not well received in the 20’s but went through a renaissance after his death at the age of forty-four and rose to the level of an American Icon fifty years past his time. The best example is his most famous novel, The Great Gatsby. This book is one of the most assigned and read books in American high schools, but in the 20’s it was not well received “Fitzgerald knew that Gatsby was good, but reviews were lukewarm and sales were extremely disappointing” (“F. Scott Fitzgerald” 3) many of his works had similar fates. While he was a live a novel, Tender Is the Night, in 1934 was a “critical and financial failure” but in today’s times it is regarded as an “American