Tragic vision in the novels of F. Scott Fitzgerald

Abstract

The tragic vision of Fitzgerald’s novel is the result of first world war. In all works of Fitzgerald, we find ambition and struggle and the failure of the modern American society. The essays which were written by Fitzgerald having the experiences of the crisis of life. These essays are collected by Edmund Wilson in the book named “The Crack-up”. The theme of Fitzgerald’s novel is illness, sadness and mental tortures. Fitzgerald was the first novelist of the post war period who has written about contemporary experiences. The source of Fitzgerald’s tragic vision was his sense of past. The past which was full with dissatisfied dreams. The basics of his heroism lies in his power of love. The war brought a disorder and confusion in the society. This confusion brought chaos and disturbed the life of common people as well as the writers including Fitzgerald. Pessimism prevailed in the society and there was a scenario of faith and unfaith. This pessimism brought hopelessness in American society. The people were filled with the feeling that the war has snatched from them the age-old values of life. Fitzgerald’s novels are based on his own experiences. “Sometimes” he once said, “I do not know whether I am real or whether I am character in one of my novels. The main message, that we find in Fitzgerald’s novels, is that American dream is a major theme and American dream is correct. 

Keywords: - Tragic vision,  World War, Social Unrest, Wealth, Ambition.