"Head and Shoulders" is a short story

Short story

A short story is a work of fiction that is usually written in prose, often in narrative format. This format tends to be more pointed than longer works of fiction, such as novellas and novels. Short story definitions based on length differ somewhat, even among professional writers, in part because...

 by F. Scott Fitzgerald

F. Scott Fitzgerald

Francis Scott Key Fitzgerald was an American author of novels and short stories, whose works are the paradigm writings of the Jazz Age, a term he coined himself. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest American writers of the 20th century. Fitzgerald is considered a member of the "Lost...

 written and published in 1920

1920 in literature

The year 1920 in literature involved some significant events and new books.-Events:*Agatha Christie publishes her first novel, The Mysterious Affair at Styles, introducing the long-running character detective, Hercule Poirot....

. It was first published in The Saturday Evening Post

The Saturday Evening Post

The Saturday Evening Post is a bimonthly American magazine. It was published weekly under this title from 1897 until 1969, and quarterly and then bimonthly from 1971.-History:...

, with the help of Fitzgerald's agent, Harold Ober. It later appeared in his short story collection Flappers and Philosophers

Flappers and Philosophers

Flappers and Philosophers was the first collection of short stories written by F. Scott Fitzgerald, published in 1920. It includes eight stories:* "The Offshore Pirate"* "The Ice Palace"* "Head and Shoulders"* "The Cut-Glass Bowl"...

. It tells the story of a young prodigy at Yale who falls for a spirited dancer in spite of himself.

Plot

Horace Tarbox is a young and prospective intellectual, completely absorbed in his studies. Marcia shows up at his door one day (the "rap" alluded to in the stories ending) and takes to showing Horace another side of life. It quickly snowballs into an improbable pairing between an abstraction philosopher and a young actress. Marcia talks Horace into watching her in the theater to where he finds emotions and appreciation for beautiful women. And she returns the affection by being drawn to their connection as "infant prodigies." The story concludes as a role reversal of the two characters, for the better or for the worse, as Horace becomes active in gymnastics and Marcia becomes a respected writer.

The title comes from Marcia's idea that she represents the shoulders as a "chorus girl" known for shaking her shoulders during her dance routine in order to support the couple, and Horace as the head for all the ideas and thinking. Towards the end of the story, this dynamic changes: Horace begins doing gymnastic performances, his athletic shoulders financially "supporting" Marcia's writing, as she becomes the "head" as an acclaimed writer.

Themes

Fitzgerald weaves in several themes that he would later hone—and become infamous for—in his short stories and novels. One of his recurring themes is the odd matching of love interests, of people not supposed to find love with each other, as in the novel "The Great Gatsby". But in the short story the mismatch is hopeful. Horace is from the intellectual elite, born and bred to think instead of live. Marcia represents the adventures of life, the passion of art and a steaming sexuality. The second major theme is the adjustment of a career goal for love, especially in the beginning stages of romance, which would be taken up again in the novel Tender is the Night. Horace admits to having trouble thinking with the idea of Marcia in his head. That sense builds until he finds himself being consumed by passion. The third major theme is the bitter end. Marcia writes a book which steals ideas from Horace's life. At the end of the short story, Horace says that he should not have answered the door. He has given up something for romance: Marcia has gained fame from it. This anticipates Fitzgerald's dispute with his wife, Zelda, who he thought kept him from writing more and better.

External links

• Head and Shoulders, full text