F. Scott Fitzgerald was born in St. Paul, Minnesota in 1896. He was born into an upper middle class catholic family. He always felt as the outcast to the rich man’s club. He desperately wanted to go to Princeton because it was considered as a social pinnacle. After being put on probation, he felt like he was robbed of his diploma. He was a fantastic writer but not a very good student. He decided to drop out and join the army to fight in World War I. Filled with passion, he continued to write.

Fitzgerald desired to be successful. He admired the rich but at the same time distrusted them. He understood that once you achieve those dreams that they do not last forever. He understood that it is only lasts for a moment. He believed that the important thing was the actual dreaming and the actions one takes to achieve one’s goals. He wanted to achieve ultimate social status. His dreams is what led him to his success in the literary world.

The American Dream is the chance that everyone can achieve their goals. The idea that hard work, passion, love, initiative, and determination is what makes one successful. Fitzgeralds approach on the American Dream is doing better than his parents and even what if thought capable of himself. Fitzgerald battled rejections after rejections but never gave up and ultimately became a literary legend.

The 1920’s are also known as the Roaring 20’s and the Jazz Age. During this age, multiple social changes and cultural conflicts took place. It can be seen as a rebellious age. A time of prosperity, increase of mass consumption, jazz, bootleggers, and entertainment. This time also experienced change in fashion, especially for women. It seemed to be an era of redefining limitations and restrictions. Fitzgerald became famous for his depictions of the Jazz Age.

Prohibition was how the manufacture and sale of alcohol is prohibited in the U.S. between 1920-1933. The significant part about this change is that it became law, the 18th Amendment of the Constitution. By making the sale of alcohol illegal, it just made it more desirable. With demand of alcohol after the enactment of this law, bootleggers smuggled alcohol into underground clubs. Prohibition resulted in huge parties with the distribution of illegal alcohol. With an era of new laws, social changes, and conflicts, Fitzgerald was able to capture the remarkable moments of this time.

The Great Gatsby is Fitzgerald’s greatest novel. It was published in 1925. Surprisingly, it did not sell well and was not popular in the beginning. Selling only 20,000 copies, Fitzgerald died believing it was a failure. Ironically, it is now considered a literary classic. It covers multiple themes but the one that makes an impact is about the American strive. The idea that people who won’t quit in order to make their dreams become a reality. Fitzgerald was inspired by the lavish parities he attended. This novel wouldn’t have existed without the inspiration of the Roaring 20’s. The novel has become a piece of art. It has made such an impact on literature today.