Abstract:
F. Scott Fitzgerald's spent the early part of his childhood growing up in Buffalo
and the region of Western New York. from 1896-1908. New York plays an important
role in the way he conceptualizes success and failure. This can he seen most notably
played out in Tender is rhe Night, where Bulralo serves as a location of, and catalyst
for. failure of morality and failure of the American Dream. Both of these tailures
operate under an umbrella of ambition and social class that can be seen through the lens
of Buffalo. New York. Through explorations ofthe social and cultural history of
Buffalo, fitzgerald's experiences as described in his Ledger. and a close reading
analysis of Tender is !he Nigh/. this thesis explores the way that Buffalo is employed to
play into a wider thematic function of ideas of success and failure.
Description:
53 pages. A thesis presented to the Department of English and the Clark Honors College of the University of Oregon in partial fulfillment of the requirements for degree of Bachelor of Arts, Spring 2014.
