May Day (short story)
Encyclopedia
"May Day" is a short story by F. Scott Fitzgerald
published in Smart Set in 1920.
as historical backdrop. During these events, as the lower-class is fighting for certain causes, a group of privileged Yale
alumni meet for a dance.
). It is noted that Fitzgerald based some of the events on those he experienced in New York City
. The city is detailed as both a source of unfathomable creative inspiration and horrid realities.
The story is noteworthy for its length, the familiar themes of lost youth and wealth as well as two distinct yet interrelated plots. All were aspects Fitzgerald would revisit throughout his literary career. Fitzgerald described the story as illustrating a "general hysteria...that inaugurated the Jazz Age
..."
During the story a Jewish man is beat up by a crowd as he expounds socialist rhetoric. Fitzgerald, however, was not an anti-semite, and his characterizing of the Jewish man can be seen as a commentary of the brutality of the crowd contrasted with the man's wit and fervor.
When asked if some of the story was autobiographical, Fitzgerald was evasive. He is attributed with saying "there are no good biographies of novelists because they are so many people."
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...
published in Smart Set in 1920.
Plot
The story uses the May Day Riots of 1919May Day Riots of 1919
The May Day Riots of 1919 were a series of violent demonstrations that occurred throughout Cleveland, Ohio on May 1 , 1919. The riots began when Socialist leader, Charles Ruthenberg organized a May Day parade of local trade unionists, socialists, communists, and anarchists to protest the jailing...
as historical backdrop. During these events, as the lower-class is fighting for certain causes, a group of privileged Yale
YALE
RapidMiner, formerly YALE , is an environment for machine learning, data mining, text mining, predictive analytics, and business analytics. It is used for research, education, training, rapid prototyping, application development, and industrial applications...
alumni meet for a dance.
History
May Day was sold directly to Smart Set before Fitzgerald had a literary agent (later Harold OberHarold Ober
Harold Ober was an American literary agent.In 1907 — two years after graduating from Harvard with a degree in literature — Harold Ober became a literary agent at the Paul R. Reynolds Literary Agency. By 1908 he was representing such authors as Jack London and H. G. Wells. In 1929, he opened his...
). It is noted that Fitzgerald based some of the events on those he experienced in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. The city is detailed as both a source of unfathomable creative inspiration and horrid realities.
The story is noteworthy for its length, the familiar themes of lost youth and wealth as well as two distinct yet interrelated plots. All were aspects Fitzgerald would revisit throughout his literary career. Fitzgerald described the story as illustrating a "general hysteria...that inaugurated the Jazz Age
Jazz Age
The Jazz Age was a movement that took place during the 1920s or the Roaring Twenties from which jazz music and dance emerged. The movement came about with the introduction of mainstream radio and the end of the war. This era ended in the 1930s with the beginning of The Great Depression but has...
..."
During the story a Jewish man is beat up by a crowd as he expounds socialist rhetoric. Fitzgerald, however, was not an anti-semite, and his characterizing of the Jewish man can be seen as a commentary of the brutality of the crowd contrasted with the man's wit and fervor.
When asked if some of the story was autobiographical, Fitzgerald was evasive. He is attributed with saying "there are no good biographies of novelists because they are so many people."