Aug 31, · Essay: The Crack-Up. The following is an excerpt from the essay “The Crack-Up,” reprinted from The Crack-Up, a compilation of articles written by F. Estimated Reading Time: 9 mins The Crack-Up is a collection of essays that Fitzgerald published as he reached his nadir: His latest novel Tender is the Night had been a critical and financial failure, his wife had been institutionalized and the magazine short story market had dried up: " until you realize with finality that in some regard you will never be as good a man again." blogger.com Fitzgerald. Words: (5 pages) “Now we have an American masterpiece in its final form; the original crystal has shaped itself into the true diamond.” (James Dickey)The Great Gatsby, written by F. Scott Fitzgerald is deemed to be a trueclassic in all blogger.comted Reading Time: 8 mins
Essay about F. Scott Fitzgerald - Words | Bartleby
Scott Fitzgerald and published in one book by New Directions Publishing. They first appeared in Esquire magazine in the s. The first sort of breakage seems to happen quick — the second kind happens almost without your knowing it but is realized suddenly indeed.
Before I go on with this short history, let me make a general observation — the test of a first-rate intelligence is the ability to hold two opposed ideas in the mind at the same time, and still retain the ability to function.
One should, for example, be able to see that things are hopeless and yet be determined to make them otherwise. Life was something you dominated if you were any good. Life yielded easily to intelligence and effort, f scott fitzgerald essay, or to what proportion could be mustered of both. It seemed a romantic business to f scott fitzgerald essay a successful literary man — you were not ever going to be as famous as a movie star but what note you had f scott fitzgerald essay probably longer-lived — you were never going f scott fitzgerald essay have the power of a f scott fitzgerald essay of strong political or religious convictions but you were certainly more independent.
Of course within the practice of your trade you were forever unsatisfied-but I, for one, would not have chosen any other. As the twenties passed, with my own twenties marching a little ahead of them, my two juvenile regrets — at not being big enough or good enough to play football in college, and at not getting overseas during the war — resolved themselves into childish waking dreams of imaginary heroism that were good enough to go to sleep on in restless nights.
The big problems of life seemed to solve themselves, and if the business of fixing them was difficult, f scott fitzgerald essay, it made one too tired to think of more general problems. Life, 10 years ago, was largely a personal matter. If I could do this through the common ills — domestic, professional and personal — then the ego would continue as an arrow shot from nothingness to nothingness with such force that only gravity would bring it to earth at last.
For seventeen years, with a year of deliberate loafing and resting out in the center — things went on like that, with a new chore only a nice prospect for the next day. F scott fitzgerald essay Now a man can crack in many ways — can crack in the head — in which case the power of decision is taken from you by others!
or in the body, when one can but submit to the white hospital world; or in the nerves. William Seabrook in an unsympathetic book tells, with f scott fitzgerald essay pride and a movie ending, of how he became public charge. What led to his alcoholism or was bound up with it, f scott fitzgerald essay, was a collapse of his nervous system.
Though the present writer was not so entangled — having at the time not tasted so much as a glass of beer for six months — it was his nervous reflexes that were giving way — too much anger and too many tears.
Moreover, to go back to my thesis that life has a varying offensive, the realization of having cracked was not simultaneous with a blow, but with a reprieve. Not long before, I had sat in the office of a great doctor and listened to a grave sentence. With what, in retrospect, seems some equanimity, I had gone on about my affairs in the city where I was living, not caring much, f scott fitzgerald essay, not thinking how much had been left undone, or what would become of this and that responsibility, f scott fitzgerald essay, like people do in books; I was well insured and anyhow I had been only a mediocre caretaker of most of the things left in my hands, even of my talent, f scott fitzgerald essay.
But I had a strong sudden instinct that I must be alone. I had seen so many people all my life — I was an average mixer, but more than average f scott fitzgerald essay a tendency to identify myself, my ideas, my destiny, with those of all classes that I came in contact with.
I was always saving or being saved — in a single morning I would go through the emotions ascribable to Wellington at Waterloo. I lived in a world of inscrutable hostiles and inalienable friends and supporters, f scott fitzgerald essay.
But now I wanted to be absolutely alone and so arranged as certain insulation from ordinary cares. It was not an unhappy time. I went away and there were fewer people. I found I was good-and-tired.
That is the real end of the story. What was the small gift of life given back in comparison to that? I realized that in those two years, in order to preserve something — an inner hush maybe, maybe not-I had weaned myself from all the things I used to love — that every act of life from the morning tooth-brush to the friend at dinner had become an effort. I saw that for a long time I had not liked people and things, but only followed the rickety old pretense of liking, I saw that even my love for those closest to me was become only an attempt to love, that my casual relations — with an editor, a tobacco seller, the child of a friend, were only what I remembered I should do, from other days.
I slept on the heart side now because I knew that the sooner I could tire that out, even a little, the sooner would come that blessed hour of nightmare which, like a catharsis, would enable me to better meet the new day.
F scott fitzgerald essay were certain spots, certain faces I could look at. Like most Middle Westerners, I have never had any but the vaguest race prejudices — I had always had a secret yen for the lovely Scandinavian blondes who sat on porches in St. This is urban, unpopular talk. Trying to cling to something, I liked doctors and girl children up to the age of about thirteen and well-brought-up boy children from about eight years old on. I could have peace and happiness with these few categories of people.
I forgot to add that I liked old men — men over 70, sometimes over 60 if their faces looked seasoned. Well, that, children, is the true sign of cracking up. It is not a pretty picture, f scott fitzgerald essay. Inevitably it was carted here and there within its frame and exposed to various critics.
In spite of the fact that this story is over let me append our conversation as a sort of postscript:. So she said: Listen. The world only exists in your eyes — your conception of it. You can make it as big or as small as you want to.
I felt a certain reaction to what she said, but I am a slow-thinking man, and it occurred to me simultaneously that of all natural forces, vitality is the incommunicable one.
I could walk from her door, holding myself carefully like cracked crockery, and go away into the world of bitterness, where I was making a home with such materials as are found there — and quote to myself after I left her door:. But if the salt hath lost its savour, wherewith shall it be salted?
Skip to main content Skip to footer site map. This excerpt is reprinted with the permission of New Directions Publishing.
The Crack-Up by F. Features Classroom Resources: Fitzgerald. You May Also Like.
The World According to F. Scott Fitzgerald
, time: 10:03F. Scott Fitzgerald Essays | Bartleby
The Crack-Up is a collection of essays that Fitzgerald published as he reached his nadir: His latest novel Tender is the Night had been a critical and financial failure, his wife had been institutionalized and the magazine short story market had dried up: " until you realize with finality that in some regard you will never be as good a man again." F Scott Fitzgerald's Accomplishments. Words7 Pages. Known as one of the greatest and most well-known novelists in American history, F. Scott Fitzgerald has given literature so much more than entertaining works of fiction. He has provided readers with a new style of literature and new ways to write stories that have inspired writers everywhere to continue writing and following their passions from a Aug 31, · Essay: The Crack-Up. The following is an excerpt from the essay “The Crack-Up,” reprinted from The Crack-Up, a compilation of articles written by F. Estimated Reading Time: 9 mins
No comments:
Post a Comment