1: „die wilden Zwanziger“ (1920er Jahre) Francis Sco+ Key Fitzgerald • Born on September 24, 1896 in St. Paul, Minnesota St. Paul, Capital of Minnesota Francis Sco+ Key Fitzgerald • Born on September 24, 1896 in St. Paul, Minnesota • Parents: Edward Fitzgerald, clerk1 & Molly Fitzgerald • He was named a:er his ancestor Francis Sco> Key, writer of The Star-­‐Sprangled Banner, the USA naConal anthem • His early childhood was spent in Buffalo, New York, as his father got a job at Procter & Gamble2 1: Angestellter; 2: huge company producing consumer goods; Francis Sco+ Key Fitzgerald • Born on September 24, 1896 in St. Paul, Minnesota • Parents: Edward Fitzgerald, clerk1 & Molly Fitzgerald • He was named a:er his ancestor Francis Sco> Key, writer of The Star-­‐Sprangled Banner, the USA naConal anthem • His early childhood was spent in Buffalo, New York, as his father got a job at Procter & Gamble2 • In 1908 Edward lost his job and the family returned to St. Paul, where Francis a>ended St. Paul Academy • He showed his literary interests early on, as his first piece of literature – a detecCve story – was published in the student paper3 in 1909, when he was only 12 years old 1: Angestellter; 2: huge company producing consumer goods; 3: Schülerzeitung Francis Sco+ Key Fitzgerald • For a short Cme from 1911-­‐1912 he went to Newman School in Hackensack, New Jersey, a:er geYng expelled1 from St. Paul Academy for neglect2 of studies • In 1913 he entered Princeton University in New Jersey, where he started wriCng theatre plays for the „Triangle Club“3; in addiCon, he kept publishing stories in student papers and young literary magazins as well • Fitzgerald le: his studies at Princeton unfinished to join the U.S. Army in 1917 and serve in World War I 1: ausgewiesen; 2: Vernachlässigung; 3: a theatre group; Princeton University Hackensack, Newman School Francis Sco+ Key Fitzgerald • For a short Cme from 1911-­‐1912 he went to Newman School in Hackensack, New Jersey, a:er geYng expelled1 from St. Paul Academy for neglect2 of studies • In 1913 he entered Princeton University in New Jersey, where he started wriCng theatre plays for the „Triangle Club“3; in addiCon, he kept publishing stories in student papers and young literary magazins as well • Fitzgerald le: his studies at Princeton unfinished to join the U.S. Army in 1917 and serve in World War I • Being staConed in Montgomery, Alabama (a state in the South East of the U.S.A) in 1918, he met Zelda Sayre (1900-­‐1940), a wild and material4 young girl, whose father was a judge • A:er being discharged from the army in 1919 he decided to move to New York in order to set the foundaCon for his and Zelda‘s future life, working at an adverCsement company 1: ausgewiesen; 2: Vernachlässigung; 3: a theatre group; 4: materialistisch Francis Sco+ Key Fitzgerald • Because of his low salary1, Zelda broke off the engagement and delayed2 the marriage unCl he would be more successful and a be>er provider3 • A:er his failure4 Francis went back to his home in St. Paul and conCnued working on a novel he started in college called „The RomanCc Egoist“ • In late 1919 a publisher (Charles Scribner) finally accepted his novel, but by now it had been revised5 three Cmes and was given an alternate Ctle – „This Side Of Paradise“ • The novel was published in March 1920 and became one of the most popular novels of the year as it succeeded in portraying the morality6 and struggles of the century‘s early youth • Finally famous and wealthy, Francis now was able to resume7 the engagement and get married to Zelda on the 3rd of April, 1920 at the St. Patrick‘s Cathedral in New York 1: Gehalt; 2: verschob 3: Versorger; 4: Versagen; 5: überarbeitet; 6: Moral; 7: wiederaufnehmen Francis Sco> Fitzgerald and his wife Zelda Sayre in 1921 Francis Sco+ Key Fitzgerald • On October 26, 1921 Frances „Sco>y“ Sco> Fitzgerald is born, their first and only daughter • From then on Zelda and Francis became prime examples1 of the extravagant, luxurious2, wild and entertaining lifestyle of the 1920‘s – a Cme referred to as „the Jazz Age“ or the „roaring TwenCes“ (the expression „the Jazz Age“ was especially coined by Fitzgerald!) • They threw expensive and exaggeraIng3 parCes, became addicted4 to alcohol (mainly Francis) in spite of the ProhibiIon5, and took lots of trips to Europe, especially to Paris and the French Riviera where they even lived for a certain Cme – together with fellow wealthy, American celebriCes, who had le: the U.S.A – here he made friends with Ernest Hemingway • Their huge bills were paid with the publificaCon of several short stories and short story collecCons, which Fitzgerald wrote for magazines and adverCsements 1: Paradebeispiel; 2: hier: verschwenderisch; 3: ausufernd; 4: abhängig; 5: 1919-­‐1933, a time when alcohol was completely forbidden and abolished in the U.S.A Francis Sco+ Key Fitzgerald • Nevertheless Fitzgerald sCll worked on other novels like „The BeauCful and the Damned“, „The Great Gatsby“ and „Tender Is The Night“ – all of which resemble1 lots of autobiographical elements concerning Fitzgerald‘s youth, military service, love life and lifestyle • In 1925 „The Great Gatsby“ was published, Fitzgerald‘s most popular and appreciated2 novel up to today • During the end of this phase of their lives (towards the end of the 1920‘s) both of them suffered from health problems: Zelda‘s mental health3 got worse and worse a:er a nervous breakdown4 and Francis‘s alcoholism interferred5 with his wriCng • In 1930 Zelda became schizophrenic and was treated in several hospitals throughout Switzerland unCl finally returning to her mother in Montgomery in 1940 1: gleichen; 2: wertgeschätzt; 3: psychischer Zustand; 4: Nervenzusammenbruch; 5: stören Francis Sco+ Key Fitzgerald • During his wife‘s illness Fitzgerald also moved back to the U.S.A in 1931, where he worked for the film company Metro Goldwyn Meyer as a script writer1 • In 1938 he moved in with his new lover Sheilah Graham, a writer and movie criCc • On December 21st, 1940 he died from a (second) heart a>ack in Sheilah Graham‘s appartment 1: Drehbuchautor Picture taken in 1937 Francis Sco> Key Fitzgerald * 1896 -­‐ † 1940 Novels List of Works • This Side of Paradise (New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1920) • The BeauCful and Damned (New York: Scribner, 1922) Short Stories (extract) • The Great Gatsby (New York: Scribner, 1925) • Bernice Bobs Her Hair (Short Story, • Tender Is the Night (New York: Scribner, 1934) 1920) • The Last Tycoon (New York: Scribners, published posthumously, • Head and Shoulders (Short Story, 1942) 1920) • The Offshore Pirate (Short Story, 1920) • The Curious Case of Benjamin Bu+on Short Story Collec/ons (extract) (Short Story, 1921) • Flappers and Philosophers (Short Story CollecWon, 1920) • The Diamond as Big as the Ritz • Tales of the Jazz Age (Short Story CollecCon, 1922) (Novella, 1922) • All the Sad Young Men (Short Story CollecCon, 1926) • Winter Dreams (Short Story, 1922) • The Pat Hobby Stories (Short Story CollecWon, 1962) • Babylon Revisited (Short story, 1931) The Great Gatsby • The Great Gatsby is easily Fitzgeralds work with the biggest resonance and impact on not only his generaCon but also modern generaCons. It portrays the 1920‘s as an age of consume, immorality1 and the empty pursuit2 of pleasure. • His work depicts how lots of people from the young, post-­‐World War I generaCon were able to amass3 huge fortunes due to the booming economy, stock market4 and the massive underground business of bootlegging5 alcohol. • This of course causes a conflict between the new rich and the old rich, who e.g. herited6 their money. The new rich spend their money on luxury and excessive parCes, thus corrupCng the American Dream from discovery7 and the pursuit of happiness to social status and the pursuit of pleasure. • A lot of the characters in the Great Gatsby resemble these assumpIons8, e.g. Gatsby being the classic dreamer, though an upstart9, just wanCng to be reunited with his first love or Daisy, the once happy girl who is tempted by this new lifestyle and trades happiness for money, but recognises her mistake far too late 1: Sittenlosigkeit; 2: Jagd; 3: anhäufen; 4: Börse; 5: schmuggeln; 6: erben; 7: Entdeckung; 8: Annahmen; 9: Neureicher Summary Chapter I •  In the first chapter the narrator of the story, Nick Carraway, arrives at his new home in West Egg, a ficIIous1 part of Long Island, New York, where he wants to start a career in the bond business2 •  Nick visits his relaCve Daisy and her rich husband Tom Buchanan (a former football player he knows from Yale) in their luxurious home in East Egg •  Here he meets Jordan Baker, a successful golfer whom he later establishes3 a romanCc, but not very profound4 relaConship with •  When Tom receives a call during dinner, Jordan tells Nick that the woman calling is Tom‘s mistress5, which Daisy obviously knows about •  A:er returning home, Nick sees Gatsby, his very rich neighbour, for the first Cme. He is standing just outside of his huge estate6 and staring into the night. 1: erfunden; 2: Wertpapiergeschäft; 3: hier: au\auen; 4: =deep; 5: Affäre; 6: Anwesen Summary Chapter II •  When Tom and Nick take the commuIng1 train to New York together, Tom takes Nick off the train halfway through the valley of ashes – a vast industrial ground •  Here Tom introduces Nick to Myrtle Wilson, his mistress and also wife of George Wilson, who owns a garage and gas staCon in the valley •  Tom takes Myrtle and Nick to a party in a New York City appartment he keeps for his affair •  When Myrtle starts teasing Tom about Daisy he breaks her nose and the party abruptly2 ends 1: Pendler-­‐; 2: =suddenly; Summary Chapter III • 
Nick is invited to one of Gatsby‘s famous parCes, which are all incredibly luxury and wasteful1, with lots of celebriCes a>ending, dancing and drinking • 
At the party Nick meets Jordan Baker again and also meets Gatsby for the first Cme, whom he is fascinated with, as he is quite mysterious • 
Jordan is called to Gatsby, but she doesn‘t reveal to Nick what their talk was about • 
Back at home, Nick introduces the reader to his daily life and reveals that he started daCng Jordan Baker 1: verschwenderisch; Summary Chapter IV • 
At lunch with Gatsby, Nick hears about Gatsby‘s past, but doesn‘t really believe his contradictory1 stories • 
Gatsby then introduces Nick to Meyer Wolfshiem, a gambler2 with criminal underground connecCons, which leads Nick to believe Gatsby‘s fortune3 might not have been earned honestly • 
A:er lunch Nick meets Jordan again and she tells him how Gatsby and Daisy used to be a couple during Gatsby‘s military service. She also reveals that Daisy had been terribly sad and disturbed the night before her wedding with Tom – because she had received a le>er from Gatsby. In addiCon to that, Nick experiences that Tom has been cheaCng on Daisy ever since their marriage, while Daisy was faithful at all Cmes • 
Furthermore Jordan tells Nick about Gatsby‘s request4 at the party: Nick is supposed to arrange a meet with Daisy at his house where Gatsby wants to „randomly5“ show up and see Daisy again 1: widersprüchlich; 2: Spieler; 3: Reichtum; 4: Bitte; 5: zufällig Summary Chapter V • 
• 
Back at home, Nick is surprised by the highly nervous Gatsby, but by agreeing to his plan, Nick makes him happy Nick watches Gatsby‘s and Daisy‘s reunion1, which is at first quite awkward2. But a:er leaving them alone for a while, they seem to be very happy • 
Gatsby takes Nick and Daisy to his house and shows them all of his expensive belongings3. But when Daisy sees his shirt collecCon she breaks down crying, because she realises that she would have been a lot happier with the now rich Gatsby • 
Nick wonders about whether Gatsby‘s long dream is now fulfilled and whether Daisy lives up to the huge, illusional dream he created over all the years, with all of his wealth just meant to impress her. He then leaves the two of them alone, as they seem to have forgo>en about him. 1: Wiedervereinigung; 2: peinlich; 3: Habseligkeiten Summary Chapter VI • 
• 
Nick now explains James Gatz‘s (Gatsby‘s real name) real past – how he was a poor fisherman and, by doing a rich man a favor, got an insight1 into the life of the rich and famous and thus2 determined to get rich When Tom and Daisy a>end one of Gatsby‘s parCes, they both seem to have a bad Cme • 
A:er the party Gatsby tells Nick he is convinced that he is able to recreate his past with Daisy, just as perfect as it was • 
Nick tells the reader he believes Gatsby‘s dominant dream of Daisy to be over, now that he has her back in his life 1: Einblick; 2: folglich Summary Chapter VII • 
On an awkward a:ernoon at Tom and Daisy‘s house Tom becomes certain of Gatsby‘s and Daisy‘s feeling for each other, due to their behaviour • 
When all of them (including Nick and Jordan) go into the city together, they stop for gas at Mr. Wilson‘s garage, where Nick, Tom and Jordan learn that Mr. Wilson has discovered his wife is cheaCng on him – but not with whom • 
Tom confronts Gatsby about Daisy in the Plaza Hotel in New York, so Gatsby tells Tom that Daisy only loves him and not Tom, but Daisy takes Tom‘s side in the fight. This makes Tom sure Gatsby can‘t harm1 him, so he makes Gatsby and Daisy drive home together • 
On their way home, Tom, Nick and Jordan discover that Myrtle was hit and killed by a car which sped2 away a:erwards – Tom of course believes Gatsby to be the driver • 
Gatsby waits for Nick, hiding near Tom‘s house. He then explains that Daisy was driving when the car hit Myrtle, but he is going to take the blame. Meanwhile Daisy and Tom have put aside their differences 1: schaden; 2: rasen Summary Chapter IX • 
Gatsby talks to Nick about Daisy and himself, but when Nick tells him he deserves be>er, Gatsby sCll can‘t let go of Daisy • 
Nick then tells the reader about what happened at the garage a:er the accident (which he knows from a policeman): Mr. Wilson came to the conclusion1 that whoever drove the car had been Myrtle‘s lover and that God claimed2 revenge. So he decided to track down3 the murderer, eventually quesConing Tom, leading him to kill Gatsby in his swimming pool, and a:erwards shooCng himself. • 
Two years later Nick describes how he tried to put up a big funeral, but in the end only two people except himself showed up, one of them being Gatsby‘s proud father • 
Nick decides to leave the East and go back home West, but not before he concludes that Tom and Daisy are terrible, careless people, shielded4 by their money from any bad consequences • 
On his last night he visits the empty mansion5 and contemplates6 Gatsby‘s fate, so close to the American Dream, but at last failing to recognize it is already over 1: Schlussfolgerung; 2: fordern; 3: aufstöbern; 4: geschützt; 5: Villa; 6: hier: nachsinnen über