Great Gatsby Biography

The Greatest inspiration for many authors is their life experiences and the people they have encountered. In-arguably, Harper Lee’s greatest work, “To Kill a Mockingbird,” contains many connections to her hometown, childhood self, and her father. F. Scott Fitzgerald wrote his novels and short stories in a similar fashion. The protagonist of his works and himself, typically, share similar economic status and taste for rich women. “The Great Gatsby,” looked not only at Fitzgerald’s life, but an historic case of his time. “The Great Gatsby.” could be considered both autobiographical and historical fiction. Francis Scott Key Fitzgerald was born on September 24, 1896 in Saint Paul, Minnesota. Namesake, also second cousin three times removed, happens to be “Star Spangled Banner,” author Francis Scott Key. His parents held very different financial states. His Mother, Mary McQuillan, inherited a small fortune and his father, Edward Fitzgerald, was a failed businessman. The family spent the greater part of Fitzgerald's childhood living off his mother’s fortune. (Biography.com Editors) As the only child, he was the object of his mother’s joy and money. At the age of thirteen, young Fitzgerald was sent to Saint Paul Academy, where his life as a writer began. A detective short story
He, like Fitzgerald, was a soldier with almost no fortune and sought the love of a rich woman. In Gatsby’s case it was the young and beautiful Daisy. His entire pursuit of money and extravagant parties he hosts are all done in order to win Daisy back. The only problem with their relationship is Daisy married Tom Buchanan while Gatsby was amassing his fortune. Meanwhile, Tom is also having an affair with a woman named Myrtle Wilson, who is also married. These twisted and interconnected relationships eventually lead to the deaths of Gatsby, Myrtle, and her husband, George.