The Last Tycoon

F. Scott Fitzgerald, a prominent figure of the Jazz Age, emerged as a leading voice in American literature during the early 20th century. Born in 1896, Fitzgerald witnessed the societal transformations of his era, and these experiences significantly shaped his literary contributions. His literary journey commenced with the publication of This Side of Paradise in 1920, which captured the essence of the post–World War I era. However, it was the 1925 publication of The Great Gatsby, a classic work exploring the excesses and disillusionment of the Roaring Twenties and the American Dream, that propelled him to literary fame. Navigating the cultural landscape of the 1920s and 1930s, Fitzgerald grappled with personal challenges, including a tumultuous relationship with his wife, Zelda Sayre, and his own struggles with alcoholism. These personal tribulations cast shadows over his life, mirroring the themes of love, excess, and tragedy prevalent in his works.

The Last Tycoon, an unfinished symphony in Fitzgerald’s repertoire, serves as a testament to his tumultuous final years. Confronting financial difficulties and declining health, Fitzgerald infused the narrative with reflections on power, ambition, and the elusive American Dream. His fascination with wealth, glamor, attraction, and societal expectations finds new expression in The Last Tycoon. The protagonist, Monroe Stahr, mirrors Fitzgerald’s captivation with success and the complexities of human relationships within the glitzy world of Hollywood. Despite its incomplete state, the book’s fragments offer a glimpse into the mind of a literary giant wrestling with personal demons, causing some critics to regard the novel as “Fitzgerald’s most mature piece of work” (10).

Fitzgerald’s experiences as a screenwriter and his prior involvement in crafting screenplays during the 1920s and 1930s laid the foundation for this final novel. Monroe Stahr, the central character, was partly inspired by renowned film producer Irving Thalberg, a foremost figure in Hollywood at the time who died young in 1936. Stahr embodies the heroic qualities associated with Thalberg, who represented a rare Hollywood mogul endowed with discernment and courage. Stahr’s character aligns with Fitzgerald’s commitment to traditional values, reflecting the author’s vision of America’s best aspects before the approach of World War II reshaped societal landscapes. Fitzgerald’s own nostalgia for a “lavish, romantic past” (192) is evident in his exploration of Stahr, a reflection on enduring values integral to America’s identity. Fitzgerald also inserts elements of his own life into the story; he was working as a Hollywood screenwriter at the time of writing, and Sheilah Graham, the journalist with whom he cohabitated, claimed to be the inspiration for Kathleen Moore, Stahr’s love interest.

The narrative of The Last Tycoon was cut short by Fitzgerald’s sudden demise on December 21, 1940. The incomplete draft illuminates his creative process and bears the untold potential of an unfinished masterpiece. Fitzgerald penned the first episode of Chapter 6 the day before his death, leaving behind a draft that showcases his meticulous work. The draft, presented with considerable rewriting and Fitzgerald’s comments in the margins, reveals his ambition to create a novel as concentrated and carefully constructed as The Great Gatsby. Despite being unfinished, the draft exceeds his originally planned length; he wrote 70,000 words before his death. This draft captures a moment in Fitzgerald’s artistic journey where the novel’s material had been organized, and the overarching themes were set in place.