(4) Novel’s Biographical and Historical Context

The Great Gatsby was written by F. Scott Fitzgerald. He wrote many short stories and novels throughout his life with “This Side of Paradise” being the one to make him famous. At the end of the 1920’s he began drinking heavily. He died in 1940 at 44 years old of a heart attack, his final novel was only half finished. Throughout his short life he had many love interests, Ginevra Pirie being the one who inspired Daisy. They shared a love from 1915 - 1917 but it ended when her father told Fitzgerald that “poor boys shouldn’t be marrying rich girls”. This is very similar to how Daisy's family didn’t approve of her and Jay. The Great Gatsby was written / published in 1925. Fitzgerald was about 29 years old when it was written. The novel's time period was set in the summer of 1922 and is based off of the “roaring 20’s” and takes place in the towns of West and East Egg in Long Island.