Breaking Down Fitzgerald

A practical guide to F. Scott Fitzgerald's works for middle and secondary students

F. Scott Fitzgerald was an American novelist, essayist, and writer best known for his glamorous novels that detailed life in America's Jazz Age—a term which he popularised. Throughout his career, Fitzgerald published four novels, four collections of short stories, and 164 short stories in magazines. His work commonly focused on themes of ambition and loss, money and class, and the promise and disappointment of America and its vaunted dream. In his lifetime, Fitzgerald gained fame for his The Great Gatsby and This Side of Paradise. Today, his works are taught in middle and high school classrooms throughout the United States and worldwide.

Breaking Down Fitzgerald provides readers with an overview of Fitzgerald's life and investigates the composition, characters, themes, symbols, language, and motifs in his work and their relation to contemporary society. Author Helen Turner clarifies some essential facts about F. Scott Fitzgerald's life and addresses important themes found in his novels and short stories. As readers explore the literary and cultural context of Fitzgerald's works, they develop a firm appreciation of Fitzgerald's role in modern literature and why he is considered one of the greatest American writers of the 20th century.

Breaking Down Fitzgerald:

• Explains why Fitzgerald remains one of the great American voices heard around the world
• Showcases the multiple genres in Fitzgerald's world
• Offers a brief thematic tour through Fitzgerald's novels and short stories
• Provides an overview of Fitzgerald's critical reception
• Discusses Fitzgerald in contemporary popular culture

This book is a primer for younger or new Fitzgerald readers and a welcome addition to the toolbox used by educators, parents, and anyone interested in or studying F. Scott Fitzgerald's life and work.