Greater Than Gatsby: The Struggles and Travails of F. Scott Fitzgerald

Jared Levy 2023

He was a terrible student. He struggled with spelling. His grades were lousy and he tended to cut class at college. One former classmate once described an early manuscript as “one of the most illiterate books of any merit ever published.”

Who would believe those were the words used to describe the works of iconic American author F. Scott Fitzgerald? And yet, F. Scott Fitzgerald is a household name today, one of the most significant and influential American writers of the 20th century. His distinctive poetic prose style and his ability to capture the times in which he lived can be seen from early novels such as This Side of Paradise and The Beautiful and the Damned, through to his masterpiece, The Great Gatsby.

Like his fiction, Fitzgerald’s life was marked by many high highs — and many low lows. But in spite — or perhaps because — of his personal struggles, Fitzgerald left a lasting legacy in the world of literature.

Which statement best describes Fitzgerald's career?

Fitzgerald never reached his potential as a writer.

Fitzgerald's writing has only recently earned attention.

Fitzgerald faced challenges but achieved impressive success.

Fitzgerald impressed the people around him from an early age.

1 answer

The statement that best describes Fitzgerald's career is:

Fitzgerald faced challenges but achieved impressive success.

This captures the essence of Fitzgerald's life and work, emphasizing both his struggles and his eventual recognition as a prominent American author.