F. Scott Fitzgerald was inspired to write The Great Gatsby by a mix of personal experiences, cultural shifts of the 1920s, and his observations of the American Dream. Here are the key influences:
1. His Own Life and Ambitions
- Love and Wealth: Fitzgerald’s relationship with Zelda Sayre deeply influenced the novel. Zelda initially refused to marry him because he didn’t have enough money, which echoed Gatsby’s desire to win Daisy by becoming wealthy.
- Social Climbing: Like Gatsby, Fitzgerald came from a modest background but was fascinated by the glamorous lives of the rich. He often felt like an outsider among the elite.
2. The Roaring Twenties
- Fitzgerald was captivated by the excess, jazz, bootlegging, and social upheaval of the 1920s. He saw the glamour but also the emptiness behind it, which he wove into the novel’s critique of materialism and moral decay.
3. The American Dream
- Gatsby’s rise from poor farm boy to wealthy party host symbolizes the American Dream, but Fitzgerald shows its corruption. Gatsby’s dream is beautiful but ultimately unattainable, mirroring Fitzgerald’s disillusionment with the idea of success through hard work and charm alone.
4. People He Knew
- Some scholars think Gatsby was partly inspired by bootleggers Fitzgerald met, including Max Gerlach, a mysterious, rich man who called people “old sport,” just like Gatsby does.
5. Long Island and New York
- Fitzgerald lived on Long Island in the early 1920s and saw the contrast between “old money” East Egg (like Tom and Daisy) and “new money” West Egg (like Gatsby). That setting became a symbol of class division and illusion.
Gatsby was born from Fitzgerald’s love, ambition, heartbreak, and sharp eye for the era’s beauty and tragedy.
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