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Multiple Ideas In The Great Gatsby By F. Scott Fitzgerald

Decent Essays

While writing The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald had many inspirations that helped him form what is considered “the great American novel.” Fitzgerald portrays multiple ideas throughout the story that closely relate to events in his own life in the early 1900s. He wanted his book to be different. He wanted to create something greater, with this work. The book is considered to be written closely to his own experiences, and could have been Nick Carraway or Jay Gatsby himself. When Fitzgerald first wrote Gatsby in the 1920s, it was not an instant sensation. “Although all the copies from the first run of 20,870 sold, many copies from the second run languished in a warehouse until Fitzgerald’s death in 1940 at the age of 44” (Lombardi). His books became a huge hit when they were sent over to …show more content…

However, his readers may not know where he got the inspiration to write his book or where some of his profound ideas came from. Ironically Fitzgerald based many different ideas in his novel, to events that were happening in his own life. Some articles suggest that Fitzgerald based the plot of Gatsby from two real-life murders that he was influenced by. “1922 was also the year of the Hall-Mills murders, a horrific double homicide full of the sort of salacious detail that turns a tragedy into tabloid fodder” (Churchwood). The book Careless People expresses facts of the Hall-Mills murders, and how closely related it was to the secret love between Daisy and Gatsby, and Tom and Myrtle Wilson. It is described that an adulterous couple, Edward Hall and Eleanor Mills, who were both married to other people, were found dead side by side on rural property; a popular spot for couples. It was said Mills was “ sadistically mutilated” (Churchwood). It was also said that Halls’ spouse was rather wealthy and used her money to eliminate the case. After all, she and her brothers were prime

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