F. Scott Fitzgerald’s Racial Angles and the Business of Literary Greatness

This book charts Fitzgerald's use of racial stereotypes to encode the dual nature of his literary ambition: his desire to be on the one hand a popular American entertainer, and on the other to make his mark in an elite, international literary field. Front Matter....Pages i-xii Introduction F. Scott Fitzgerald, “the Cultural World,” and the Lure of the American Scene....Pages 1-18 The Racial Make-up of the Entertainer in Two Early Post Stories....Pages 19-34 Early Success, Holy Irony, and the Cultural Field of The Beautiful and Damned....Pages 35-58 “Trashy Imaginings” and The “Greatness” of The Great Gatsby....Pages 59-84 “The Model for the Age”: The Distinction of Tender is the Night....Pages 85-121 “A Gentile’s Tragedy”: Bearing the Word about Hollywood in The Love of the Last Tycoon....Pages 123-149 Conclusion “Dearly Beloved” and the Black Face of Fitzgerald’s Ambition....Pages 151-155 Back Matter....Pages 157-201 Cover 1 Half-Title 2 Series 3 Title 4 Copyright 5 Dedication 6 Contents 10 Acknowledgments 12 Introduction F. Scott Fitzgerald, "the Cultural World," and the Lure of the American Scene 14 1 The Racial Make-up of the Entertainer in Two Early Post Stories 32 2 Early Success, Holy Irony, and the Cultural Field of The Beautiful and Damned 48 3 "Trashy Imaginings" and The "Greatness" of The Great Gatsby 72 4 "The Model for the Age": The Distinction of Tender is the Night 98 5 "A Gentile's Tragedy": Bearing the Word about Hollywood in The Love of the Last Tycoon 135 Conclusion "Dearly Beloved" and the Black Face of Fitzgerald's Ambition 162 Notes 167 Index 205