F. Scott Fitzgerald: Tender Is The Night

F. Scott Fitzgerald, (1896-1940), was the leading writer of America's Jazz Age, the Roaring Twenties, and of the wealthy who arose at that time. The chief quality of Fitzgerald's talent was his ability to be both a leading participant in the high life he described, and a detached observer of it. Tender Is the Night, which is cited by many as their favorite of his books, focuses on the themes of wealth and the corruption it brings to peopleÂÂ's lives. Set in Europe during the interwar years, the book also addresses themes particular to European history and politics, such as the effect wealthy Americans had on Europe and the ascent of capitalism on the continent. With a cast of female characters who are largely portrayed as controlling, manipulative, and ultimately stifling to the protagonist, Fitzgerald may be remarking unfavorably on the role that women had in his own life and career.