The Great Gatsby Cast List
Ø Francis Scott Key Fitzgerald as young Jay Gatsby
(top left)
Ø Ginevra King as young Daisy Fay
(top middle)
Ø Ernest Hemingway as Jay Gatsby
(top right)
Ø Zelda Sayre as Daisy Fay Buchanan
(bottom left)
Ø Francis Scott Key Fitzgerald as Tom Buchanan
(top left)
Ø Sheilah Graham as Myrtle Wilson
(bottom middle)
I thought a cast list would perfectly show the influences from Francis Scott Key Fitzgerald’s life on his acclaimed novel, The Great Gatsby. After the novel was published, however, some pieces of his life began to resemble events in the novel, as if the novel were influencing his life instead. Similar to how Fitzgerald was unable to marry Ginevra King because of his lack of money and the difference in social standing, young Jay Gatsby could not marry Daisy Fay. Ginevra, Daisy Fay, later marries William H. Mitchell, who critics say to be the model of Tom Buchanan. Nevertheless, Fitzgerald eventually marries as well, so I changed his role to that of Tom Buchanan, in place of Mitchell. I felt that Fitzgerald actually fits the role of Tom quite well. His wife, Zelda Sayre, replaces King in the novel as Daisy Fay Buchanan. Later, Fitzgerald, clearly unsatisfied with his wife, starts an affair with Sheilah Graham, just as Tom has an affair with Myrtle Wilson. Ernest Hemingway represents Jay Gatsby in a way in that he and Fitzgerald were rivals, as Gatsby and Tom are, although for different reasons.
Works Cited
Donaldson, Scott. "F. Scott Fitzgerald." F. Scott Fitzgerald Biography.
Brandeis University. 26 Jan. 2009 <http://people.brandeis.edu/~teuber/fitzgeraldbio.html>.
“Ernest Hemingway.” Online image. English 204 – Introduction to
American Literature II. Cornell University. 26 Jan. 2009. <http://www.people.cornell.edu/pages/jlc225/syllabi/am-lit-spr06.htm>
“F. Scott Fitzgerald.” Online image. 26 Jan. 2009.
<http://www.malaspina.org/fitzgeraldf.htm>
“Ginevra King.” Online image. Princeton University. Princeton
University. 26 Jan. 2009. <http://www.princeton.edu/pr/home/0
3/0905_fitzgerald/hmcap.html>
Merriman, C. D. "F. Scott Fitzgerald." F. Scott Fitzgerald - Biography and
Works. 2007. The Literature Network. 26 Jan. 2009
<http://www.online-literature.com/fitzgerald/>.
“Sheilah Graham.” Online image. Sheilah Graham. NNDB. 26 Jan.
2009. <http://www.nndb.com/people/944/000115599/>
Stevens, Ruth. "Documents tell more about Fitzgerald's first
love." Documents tell more about Fitzgerald's first love. 5 Sept.
2003. Princeton University. 26 Jan. 2009.
<http://www.princeton.edu/pr/news/03/q3/0905-fitzgerald.htm>.
“Zelda Sayre.” Online image. F. Scott Fitzgerald. MySpace. 26 Jan.
2009. <http://profile.my space.com/index.cfm? fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendID=205537432>