Much of our literature is based on the time of which it was written. Society as a whole, its people ad events as well as the author's living environment, play a big role in how a piece of work turns out. One great example of this is in American author Francis Scott Fitzgerald's literary works. Fitzgerald uses this form of writing in his novel, The Great Gatsby. The writings and characters of The Great Gatsby, arguable an American literature masterpiece, were greatly influenced and mirrored Fitzgerald's private and social life. This includes his surroundings, experiences and the people that had the most impact on him. .
Right from the beginning one can see the similarities between Nick and Fitzgerald's early life. Both Nick and Fitzgerald come from the same time and place. They"re both from St. Paul, Minnesota and grew up in the Roaring Twenties. Nick is stated as being from " well-to-do people- (7) much like Fitzgerald's middle-class family. His father also gave Fitzgerald an important piece of advice about not criticizing other. This was the same advice that Nick's father gave to him. .
In the book the reader notices Nick's respect for his father and Gatsby's need to become something greater than his, which is much of the same feelings Fitzgerald had for his father. Fitzgerald did have respect for his father's hard-work ethic. Some may argue this, loyalty and admiration, was to protect his father's failure as a businessman who was constantly being fired by Proctor & Gamble. When his dad got fired once Fitzgerald felt shame and disappointment towards his dad and disgust for failure "he lost his essential drive, his immaculateness of purpose. He was a failure the rest of his days" (Baughman 14). .
As Fitzgerald matured he had success in prep school and insisted on attending an Ivy-League school. Fitzgerald had a strict mind set and hard work ethic that helped get him admitted into Princeton.
