History M.A. student, Rachel Suffern, Awarded Funding to Visit Princeton’s F. Scott Fitzgerald Papers

History M.A. student Rachel Suffern received a travel funding award from the History Department to conduct research in the F. Scott Fitzgerald Papers at Princeton’s Firestone Library. Her research focuses on the historical context surrounding the writing of The Great Gatsby and its later popularization as both an academic subject and pop culture phenomenon. Suffern’s intent is to separate later interpretations of the novel from meanings which more accurately fit its historical context, arguing that the book’s rise in popularity after Fitzgerald’s death left it open to interpretations that were more influenced by the concerns of its interpreters rather than those prevalent during the period of its writing. Presenting Fitzgerald’s own reaction to the novel’s critical reception, his career path and creative goals, and his associations during his time on Long Island gathering information for the novel, Suffern’s thesis will argue that the book presents a richer and more specific and relevant portrait of the political and social landscape of the 1920s than is usually understood.

While the digitization of historical resources has provided much of the evidence for this thesis, particularly the archives of The New York Times and various library collections, visiting the archives at Princeton was key in finding relevant information previously overlooked by scholars with different interests. The collection of Fitzgerald’s personal notes, letters, and the original manuscript for the novel yielded additional support for Suffern’s thesis and helped paint a picture, not only of the cultural landscape in which Fitzgerald lived, but of his particular fixations.