When most people think of the 1920s, they think of Babe Ruth or Jim Thorpe. Almost no one has heard of Francis Scott Fitzgerald. He was a novel and play writer who had a very poor life and didn't get recognized for his talents until twenty years after his death. He helped the 20s be a successful decade, and he was a skillful man.
Francis was born on September 24, 1896, in St. Paul, Minnesota. His father was Edward Fitzgerald and was also a part time writer. He loved to write and helped pass on his talents to his son. His mother was named Molli McQuillan.
Francis felt very lonely when he was ten, so he began writing. People said that he told them that it gave him certain power that nothing else did. He also wrote many letters to himself for someone to talk to. Francis became very interested in girls at around age nine and ten.
F. Scott Fitzgerald, 1937, June 4
Zelda Fitzgerald
Zelda Sayre. Zelda Sayre married F. Scott Fitzgera...He had many girlfriends in his crazy, mixed up adolescence. Between writing and girls, he also took dance class.
Francis tried to go out for football while he was 12 but failed. He humiliated himself by running backwards away from opposing players to avoid tackles. He quit playing shortly after that.
Francis attended school in St. Paul, but because of poor grades, he was sent to Newman Academy in New Jersey. In his junior year he failed 2 out of 3 makeup tests. This made it impossible for him to work on the school play that year. He was devastated. He loved to work on the school play and decided that he must try harder and get his grades up if he wanted to do the things that he loved. He graduated from Newman Academy in 1913 and entered Princeton University.