Tales of the Jazz Age by F. Scott Fitzgerald
"Tales of the Jazz Age," published in 1922 by F. Scott Fitzgerald, is a collection of eleven short stories that reflects the complexities and contradictions of the 1920s, often referred to as the Jazz Age. This work established Fitzgerald as a leading literary figure of the era, following his earlier success with "This Side of Paradise." The stories, many of which appeared in prominent magazines like Vanity Fair, showcase a diverse range of characters and themes, exploring the American Dream while also delving into fantasy, naturalism, and allegory.
The collection is divided into three sections: "My Last Flappers," "Fantasies," and "Unclassified Masterpieces." The first section critiques the failures and illusions of the American Dream, while the "Fantasies" section offers a lighter tone that still probes deep human truths and societal constructs. Notable stories include "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button," which presents a unique narrative about aging and loss. Through these narratives, Fitzgerald captures not only the exuberance of the era but also its underlying disillusionment, revealing that the pursuit of wealth and success was fraught with challenges. Overall, "Tales of the Jazz Age" highlights Fitzgerald's literary versatility and provides a nuanced view of a transformative period in American history.
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Subject Terms
Tales of the Jazz Age by F. Scott Fitzgerald
Identification: Collection of short stories about the Jazz Age
Author: F. Scott Fitzgerald
Date: 1922
Published two years after the release of his best-selling novel This Side of Paradise (1920), Tales of the Jazz Age further established F. Scott Fitzgerald as one of the preeminent writers of the 1920s. Comprising various unconnected short stories, the collection sought to capture the spirit and contradictions of the Jazz Age.
Tales of the Jazz Age collects eleven short stories by F. Scott Fitzgerald, many of which originally appeared in publications such as Vanity Fair and The Smart Set. Unlike Fitzgerald’s novels, which feature relatively similar character types, Tales of the Jazz Age offers a wide range of characters representing various ideals of life in the 1920s. Often examining the nature of the American Dream, the stories also venture into modes of fantasy, naturalism, and allegory. Fitzgerald explores lyrical and subtly tragic topics as well as scenarios reminiscent of his later novel The Great Gatsby (1925). The book’s table of contents includes a brief introduction to each story, and the stories themselves are divided into three sections titled “My Last Flappers,” “Fantasies,” and “Unclassified Masterpieces.”
The four stories included in the “My Last Flappers” section reveal Fitzgerald’s social conscience and portray the fallacy and failures of the American Dream. “May Day” contrasts the tumultuous events of the 1919 May Day riots with the privilege of a group of Yale alumni, while “The Camel’s Back” depicts the struggle between the bourgeoisie and the proletariat and illustrates the reckless sort of wealth promoted by some during the 1920s.
The tone of Fitzgerald’s introduction to each of the four stories in the “Fantasies” section is lighthearted and almost dismissive, yet each story explores the human condition, the illusion of social constructs, and the corruptive power of wealth. In “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button,” Fitzgerald weaves a Kafkaesque tale of a man, born old, who grows younger as time passes. He ends the tale with a sense of loss and disillusionment that features prominently in many of his works.
“Unclassified Masterpieces,” the final section, contains the remaining three stories, “The Lees of Happiness,” “Mr. Icky,” and “Jemina.”
Impact
Tales of the Jazz Age revealed the multidimensionality of a period often remembered in later decades as an era of carefree growth and prosperity, calling attention to the fact that the wealth and success of the American Dream were not always attainable. The collection further demonstrated Fitzgerald’s versatility as an author, proving that he was not limited to the themes and styles presented in the novels for which he would become most famous.
Bibliography
Eble, Kenneth Eugene. F. Scott Fitzgerald. Boston: Twayne, 1984.
Fitzgerald, F. Scott. Before Gatsby: The First Twenty-Six Stories. Edited by Matthew J. Bruccoli. Columbia: University of South Carolina Press, 2001.