Frank Norris and F. Scott Fitzgerald as romantic rebels

R e is a de Es udios No eame icanos, 11 9 2 ( 199 3). pp. 75 -85 FRANK NORRIS AND F. sco FITZGERALD AS ROMANTIC REBELS SATYAM S. MOOR TY Sou he n U ah U ni e si y C i ics ha e o en conside ed F ank No is as «na u alis » and Sco Fi zge ald as « oman icis . » Bo h w i e s ha e. on he o he hand, « oman ic awa eness,» an awa eness ha in o ms hei wo ks. In his essay, «A Plea o Roman ic Fic ion,» No is empha sizes ha « he ue Romance is a mo e se ious business han» «moonligh and gol den hai .» I is « he ed, li ing hea o hings.» 1 Mo eo e , he iews Romance and Realism exis «no so much in h ings as in poin o iew o he people who see hings.»2 F ank No is is a oman icis be ca use o he «poin o iew» wi h which he obse es li e and sees hings. The di icul hing is o ge a h e li e inmedia ely a ound you - he e y li e in which you mo e. No omance in i ? No oma nce in you. poo ool. As much omance on Michigan A enue as he e is ealism in King A hu 's cou . l is as you choose o see i . Th e impo an hing o decide is, which o mula is he bes o help you g ip he Real Li e o his o any o he age ... ·1 Th e eason why one claims so much o Romance, and qua els so p oi n edly wi h Realism, is ha Realism s ul i ies i sel . I no es only he su ace l. No is, The Responsibili ies o he No 'e/ís . a co ll ec ion o c i ica! essays and a icl es by F ank No is. published al ong wi h William Dean Howe ll s' C í ícísm a nd Fic íon (New Yo k: Hill and Wang, 1967). p. 279. 2. No is, « Th e T ue Rewa d o he No elis ,» The R es ponsíhíli íes o he No elís1. p. 200. 3. l híd . 76 Sa yam S. Moo y o hings. Fo i , Beau y is no e en skin deep, bu only a geome ical plan e, wi hou dimensions and dep h, a me e ou side. Realism is e y excellen so a as i goes, bu i goes no u he han he Realisl himsel can ac ually see, o ac ually hea . Realism is minu e; ... 4 The p o ince o Romance is he « a ia ions om lhe ype o no mal li e.» The «Na u alism is a o m o oman icism, no an inne ci cle o ealism.»5 This, howe e , does nol minimise he na u alis ai s ha bu den No is 's majo wo ks and he o man ic elemen s ha a e p eponde an in Fi zge ald 's ic ion. No is' s belie seems o be in con adis inc ion o Fi zge ald's ho oughgoing co mmi m en owa d aes he ic accomplishmen ; Fi zge ald's ly ical p ose and his keen ea o he wo d make him seem mo e a oman ic han a ealis . Nei he o he wo no eli s s wished o be long o any pa icula school o w i e s. Pe haps i would be much sa e o conside hem as « ealis s» who aimed a an au hen ic po ayal o he socie y o hei imes. Al e na i ely, hey may be ea ed as oman ic ebels who g ounded hei wo k in expe ience bu illumina ed ha wo k by exe cise o a oman ic imagina ion. The oman ics in hei pu sui a c Elysium and ideal li e ga e impo ance o celing, imagina ion, and dispa aged eason. The ealis s, on he o he hand, ejec ed he oman ic concep ion and ision o li e as una ainable and un eal and, acco dingly, demos a ed hei ai h in eason, eali y, and expe ience. No is a ed «li e» abo e imagina ion and i mly belie ed ha ic ion mu s come om li e; «you can' imagine any hing ha you ha e nol al eady seen and obse ed.»h His deligh in li e and willingness o leam om ali possible sou ces made him c y ha li e is be e han li e a u e, expe ience be e han oaming in « he mis y si de s ee s o li e a u e.» As a c ea o o li e a u e he a is ough o ha e «li e» as a ounda ion o ali his wo ks. H is mos exube an and clea s a emen pe aining o he al u e o expe ience o he w i e is ound in his le e o Isaac Ma cosson, who had a o ably e iewed McTeague: Wha pleased me mos in you e iew o 'McTeagu e' was he 'disdaining ali p e ensions o s yle.' I is p ecisely wha I y o a oid. I de es ' ine w i ing,' 4. No is, «A Pl ea o Roman ic Fic ion ,» The Responsihili ies o he No elis , p. 280 S. No is. «Zola As a Roman ic W i e ,» an un signed edi o ial in he Wa e on June 21, 1896. This pa ssage is quo ed in F anklin Walke 's F ank No is: A Bio¡¡ aphy ( 1932; p . New Yo k: Ru sse ll & Russe ll , 1963), p. 84. 6. F ank No is, «Fic ion is Selec i on ,» Wa e. 16 (Sep embe 11 , 18 97), 3. Rep oduced in The Li e a y C i icism o F ank No is, ed. Donald Pize (Aus in: Uni e si y o Texas P ess, 1964), p. 52. F ank No is and F. Scou Fi zge ald as Romall ic Re bel s 77 ' he o ic ,' 'e legan Engli sh,' - ommy o . Who c a e s o ine s yle! Tell you yam and !e yo u s yle go o he de il. We don' wan li e a u e, we wan Ii e.7 E en be o e he publica ion o any o his no els No is in an sho s o y published in 1896 p omp s one o his cha ac e s o ell ano he : You ' e be en w i ing he se 'D amas o he Cu bs one' wi hou ha dly s i ing om he house. Yo u ' e ju s been ying o imagine hings ha you hink a e likely o happen on he s ee s o a big ci y a e da k, and you' e been wo king ha way so long ha you ' e so o used up you ma e ial -exhaus ed you imagina ion. Why don ' you go igh ou - now - onigh , and keep you eyes open and wa ch wha e ali y happen s, and see i you can ' ind some hing o make a s o y ou o , o a leas! some hing ha would sugges one.8 As a as h eme and c on en a e conce ned No is se ems o ha e o mula ed a c i ica! sys em ha es s on «li e, no li e a u e.» «Li e,» hen, o No is included he emo ions and he ins inc s, he li e o passion and iolence, he wo ld o na u e, s eng h, a nd na u alness.9 And his c i ica! c edo p o ided eedom o No is o w i e candidly abou his own pe cep ions wi h enla ged sensibili y and he eby ee he no el om he limi a ions and es ain s o Reali sm ha only en e ains « Wi h i s me iculous p esen a ion o eacups, ag ca pe s, wall-pape and hai clo h so as, s opping wi h hese. going no deep e han i sees, choosing he o dina y, he un oubled, he commonplace.»1º The ai h in he li e o ac ion, ins inc , and emo ion ha No is empha si zed con inues as a o ce o eckon wi h in he mod e n Ame i can no el. The desi e o expe ience is a key heme in Am e ican li e a u e, as Philip Rah ei e a es: ... since Whi man and James he Ame ican c ea i e mind, seizing a las upon wha had long been denied o i , has ound he e ms and objec s o i s ac i i y in he u ge owa d and imme sion in expe ience. I is his sea ch o expe ience, conduc ed on di e se and o en con lic ing le els o consciousness, 7. F anklin Walke . ed., The Le /e s o F ank No is (San F ancisco: The Book Club o Cali o nia, 1956), pp. 30-3 1. 8. F ank No is, «His Sis e ,» F ank No is o «The Wa e" (San F ancisco: Wes ga e P ess. 19 31 ), p. 34. The passage is quo ed om an unpublished disse a ion, «Social Though in he W i ings o F ank No is,» by Sa a Jane H. Ga dne , Washing on S a e Uni e si y, 1966. l am indeb ed o Sa a Ga dn e o his. 9. l am g a e ul o Donald Pize 's «ln oduc ion» o The Li e a y C i icism o F ank No is. (ed.). 10. No is, «A Plea o Roman ic Fic ion,» in The Responsibili ies, p. 282. 78 Sa yam S. Moo y which has been he dominan , quin essen ial hemeo he cha ac e is ic Ame ican li e a y p oduc ions- om Le a es o G ass o Winesbu g, Ohio, and beyond ... 11 Beyond is This Si de o Pa adise -a po ayal in pe sonal e ms o Fi zge ald' s P ince on expe iences simila o No is's agonizing expe iences inB/ix and Vando e and he B u e. Bo h B lix and This Side o Pa adise a e eco ds o he no elis s' ansmu ed expe iences in which hei «sha p and concise a i ude abou li e»12 begins o eme ge. As John Kuehl obse es, Sco Fi zge ald's wo k is «Subjec i e, e lec ing his own expe iences and emo ions, bu he ea ly no els p esen hese in qui e a di ec way ... » 13 The en ies in «Though book,» kep be ween 191 O and 1911, ep esen wha Fi zge ald a an ea ly age could do well. The «Though book» and he No ebook and he Ledge signi y ha Fi zge ald could obse e people and hei in e - ela ionships, p ojec himsel in o hei mids , and he eby cap u e he essence o his expe iences in objec i e e ns - he kind o objec i i y ha ealis s demanded o hemsel es. Unlike No is, Fi zge ald did no come up wi h any codi ied c i ica! c edo o sys em o hough . His le e s, howe e , e eal occasional glimpses. F om he body o his wo ks, le e s, No ebook and «Though book,» i seems ha he younge no el is did echo o ollow wha he olde w i e had so explici ly p opounded: li e is be e ha·n li e a u e, expe ience is supe io o imagina ion. This may be e med « oman ic indi idualism» - as Donald Pize de ines i , «a pe asi e and widesp ead ai h in he alidi y o he indi idual expe ience and mind as a sou ce o knowledge anda guide o ac ion.»14 Wha is implici in his ai h and con ic ion is ha i is possible o c ea e se ious and las ing wo ks o he imagina ion di ec ly ou o Ame ican expe ience. In his essay «An Ame ican School o Fic ion?» No is is con iden ha : The school o ic ion Ame ican in hough , in pu pose, and in ea men will come in ime, ine i ably. Meanwhile he besl we can expec o he leade s is o emain s ead as , o keep unequi ocally o he me es and bounds o he ineya ds o hei Iabo s; no espassing, no bo owing, no ilching o he g apes o ano he man's ines. The cul i a ion o one's own ine is qui e su icien o all ene gy. We wan hese ines o g ow -in ime- o ake oo deep in Ame ican soil so ha by and by he ui shall be ali o ou own g owing. 11. Philip Rah , lma ?e an d Id ea (No olk, Conn. New Di ec ions, 19 4 9) , p. 8. 12. In oduc ion o he Mode n Lib a y Edi ion o Th e G ea Ga sby. 1934. 13 John Ku ehl, «S co Fi z ge a ld's C i ic a! Opinions.» Mo de n Fic ion S udies. (Sp ing 1961 ), pp. 3- 18. l 4. Donald Pize , «Roman ic lndi idualism in Ga land, No is and C ane,» Am e ican Qua e ly. 10, No. 4 (Win e 1958 ), 463-464. F ank No is and F. Sco Fi zge a/d as R om an ic Rebels 79 We do no wan -dis inc ly and eheme n ly we do no wan - he ine- g owe o lea e his own g apes o o whilehe lies o o he ga he ing o -wha ? The sodden lees o an ancien c ushing. 15 Bo h No is and Fi zge ald belie ed in he indi idual pe cep ion o T u h and p obed, as No is u ged he no e lis o do, he «unplumbed dep hs o he human hea , and he inys e y o sex, and he p oblems o li e, and he black, unsea ch ed pene alia o he soul o man.» 16 No is g ounded hi s c i ica! c edo in he ai h ha li e a u e in i s highes o m «ÍS a since e ansc ip ion o li e.» Fi zge ald wan ed Ii e a u e, among o he hings, o make «new obse a ions,» and a « new examina ion in o human emo ions.»17 The wo w i e s sha ed a ai h in oman ic indi idualism, expe ience, and imagina ion; hey also held simila iews on li e. No is and Fi zge ald could as we ll be conside ed oman ics as ealis s, o , mo e app op ia ely, oman ic e beis, hough li e a y his o ians and c i ics gen e ally end o ea No is asa n a den ad oca e o he na u alis ic no el and Fi zge ald as a his o ian o spokesman o he Jazz Age o he 1920s. No is himsel decla ed ha «Roman ce and Realism a e cons an quali ies o e e y age, day and hou . They a e he e o -day. They exis ed in he ime o Job. They wi ll con inue o exis ill he end o ime, no so much in hings as in poin o iew o h e people who see hings.» 18 This answe s c i ics who we e con ounded by li e a y labels when he y asked hem se l es whe he No is was a na u a li s , o a oman icis u ned ea li s , o a ealis «s i ing o ee himsel om he ammels o his d ab c a .»19 I he dis inc ion made by No is be ween oman icism and ealism - ha he one deals wi h he unusual and he o he he no mal Ji e- is oo a bi a y o be accep ed by hi s c i ics, i a leas se es o explain his own p o cedu e.'0 No sin gle answe o nea pigeonholing is possible wi h ega d o No is in s pi e o he ac ha he was in luenced by Emile Zola, he F ench na u a li s . 21 Li e a y 15. No is, The Responsihili ies, pp . 273-274. 16. lbid., p. 282. J 7. See Fi zge al d's le e o Win e , 1939, o his daugh e F ances Sco Fi zge ald. Rep oduced in The Le e s o F. Sco Fi zge ald. ed. And ew Tu nbull (1963; Ban am edn. New Yo k: Ban am Boo ks, 1971 ), p. 51. A li u u e e e ences o his i le wi ll be by Th e Lelle s. J 8. No is. «T he T ue R ewa d o he No elis ,» The Responsibili ies, p. 200. 1 9. E mes ! Ma chand, F ank No is: A S udy (Copy i gh 1942; pl. 1964; New Yo k: Oc ago n Books, 1971 ), p. 33. 20 . F anklin Walke , F ank No is: A Biog aphy, p. 81. 21. «He was ne e seen wi hou a yellow pape -con e ed no el o Zola in his hand,,, w o e his b o he , Cha les G. No is, o F ank No is. 80 Sa yam S. Moo y his o ians like Osea Ca gill, Robe E. Spille , and Vemon Louis Pa ing on ha e indeed called No is a disciple o Zola. Good ic ion eludes he u na u al bounda ies se o i by such e ms as « oman icism,» « ealism,» «na u alism,» «exis en ialism,» hough any o ali o hese may be comp ehended in a single wo k. Fo example, M cTeag ue. l is easy o conclude ha i is «pu e na u alism.» Bu , how o accoun o he linge ing omance in he idyll o he bela ed !o e o old G annis and Miss Bake ? O he s a k and sha p ealism o No is' supe b po ayal o he li le wo ld o San F ancisc o' s Polk S ee wi h i s ca conduc o s, ca gi ls, «co ee join s,» small shops and saloons? I is a hy hm o he commonplace wo ld in i s undis u b ed ou ine. Also, how igno e he animal quali ies in McTeague which a e a a is ic and des uc i e? The e is, hus, in his li e a y ou de o ce oman icism, ealism, and na u alism; his is ue o mo s o he wo ks o No is. Acco ding o No is, ... Romance ... is he kind o ic ion ha akes cognizance o a ia ions om he ype o no mal li e. Realism is he kind o ic ion ha con ines i sel o he ype o no mal li e. Acco ding o his de ini ion, hen, Romance may e en ea o he so did, he unlo ely- as, o ins ance, he no els o M . Zola. (Zola ha s been dubbed a Realis , bu he is, on he con a y, he e y head o he Roman icis s.) Also, Realism, used as i some imes is as a e m o ep oach, need no be in he emo es sense o deg ee o ensi e, bu on he o he hand espec able as a chu ch and p op e as a deacon -as, o ins ance, he no els o M . Howells .22 No is conside ed oman icism, ealism, and na u alism in a dialec ic, pi ing ealism and oman icism as opposing o ces, and placing na u alism as a anscending syn hesis.B Bu , a he same ime, he was concemed wi h he exis ence o ee will in a pu pose ul uni e se -an aspee! ha was epugnan o he Con inen al na u alis s's c edo o scien i ic de e minism. No is' na u alism is an Ame ican e sion, one close o anscenden al oman icism. I is di icul o b and him as p ima ily belonging o a pa icula li e a y school. No is, i seems, was oman ic a hea wi h a b oad u h o li e, ealis in he sole mn ea men o his ic ional ma e ials objec i ely po aying con empo a y scenes, and na u alis in his li e a y echniques, pa icula ly in wo ks like McTeague and Vando e and h e B u e. wi hou inco po a ing s ead as ly he philosophy o 22. No is, «A Plea o Roman ic Fic ion,» The Responsahili ies. p. 280. 23. Though h e sen ence is pa ly modi ied, he hough is p ima ily bo owed om Donald Pize 's The Li e a y C i icism o F ank No is, ed. F ank No is and F. Sco Fi zge ald as Roman ic Rebels 81 ma e ialis ic de e minism. «No is accep ed de e minism only in so a as i appealed o his d ama ic se nse. » 2 ~ C i ics unmind ul o his ind him, no su p is in gly, inconsis en in his philosophy. No is' biog aphe , F anklin Walke , says: ... F om he beginning his empe amen me ged he oman ic and he ealis ic, selec ing he unusual subjec and p esen ing i wi h e isimili ude. When he w o e I e ne/le, he became abso bed in he de ails o medie al a mo ; when he w o e McTeague he «go up» he pa icula s o den is y. The me hod was he same; h e o mula alone was di e e n ; and i was he disco e y o hi s o mula which so co nple ely changed he na u e o his w i ing. Th e chan ge ca ne as he esul o an in e es in Zola and F ench na u alism. 25 A ca ea needs, howe e , o be added he e o F anklin Walke 's summa ion. Wha Walke means by «me hod» is ealis n; bu i is no clea wha he wan s « o mula» o mean. Does he sugges ha No is u ned in o a na u alis a e his exposu e o Zo la? O did No is come up wi h a new o heigh ened oman icism unlike ha o Poe o Sco ; no he kind o oman icism ha deal only wi h he dis an pas ; no he kind o oman icism ha esides in d eams and illusions. Whe eas No is was a ac ed by Zola's wo ld o big hings and he sensa ional as in he epic sweep and g andeu o The Oc opus, Fi zge ald' s ascina ion o Zola 's sys em o he eno mous, h e o midable, and he e ible was pa ly inco po a ed in Tende Is he Nigh and he un inished The Las Tycoon. In his le e o John O'Ha a, Fi zge ald sugges ed, «ln en asys em Zolaesque» (see he appendix oJosephson 'sli e o Zola in which he gi es Zola's plan o he i s Rougon-Maqua book) 26 In ac , he No es o he un inish ed The Las Tycoon indica e ha Fi zge ald did no s op p ac ising wha he p eached. I seems ha bo h No is and Fi zge ald we e cap i a ed by he «Zolaesque sys em» which bo h ied in h ei own way o ollow. Bo h may ha e been imp essed by he ealism o Zola, bu No is' au hen ic ealism appealed o Fi zge ald mo e; no he k in d o « ic ion ha con ines i sel o he ype o no mal li e,» no he « ealism o he gcn ee l, o he d awing oom,» no he «d ama o a b oken eacup.» To No is, «de ails, ga he ed h ough ex pe ience, close ob se a ions, and ha d wo k, objec i ied eali y.»27 The au hen ici y o ealism app ehend ed h ough ali he imp essions o sense epi omized in No is' wo k cap i a ed Fi zge ald's empe amen . 24. F anklin Walke , F ank No is: A Biog aphy, p. 85. 25. lbid., p. 81. 26. Fi zge ald 's l e e o John O' Ha a da ed July 25, 1936. Rep oduced in The Lel e s, ed. Tu nbu ll, p. 545. 27. William B. Dillingham, F ank No is: lns in c1 and An, (Linco ln : Uni e si y o Neb aska P ess, 196 9) , p. 128. 82 Sa yam S. Moo y The ealism o McTeague opened new is as and «laid ba e a sec ion o Ame ican li e whe e he ic ion w i e had sca cely e e hough o p obe, andina spi i and manne al oge he new - he spi i and manne o he ana omis .» 28 Fi zge ald in his iew o B ass, by Cha les No is, made a special e e ence o he elde b o he 's wo k and ook he l ibe y o poin ou ha F ank No is in M cT eague had gi en an ai o au hen ici y by appealing « o he sense o smell o o hea ing a he han by he commone o m o wo d pain ing.» 29 The ex ensi e documen a ion in The Beau i ul and Damned employed by Fi zge ald, pa icula ly in he sec ion ela ed o he discussion o Glo ia' s dia y, o Iend au hen ici y o he na a i e is simila , as a de ice, o he one in No is' Vando e and he B u e. This me hod is pe ec ed in Tende Is he Nigh in he discussion o Nicole's le e s. Fi zge ald con essed o Max Pe kins ha he d unken scenes and ali he ealism in This Side o Pa adise «migh ha e been w i en by No is.» Mos o wha Fi zge ald w o e was ue o his imes and he places in which he li ed. To label Fi zge ald as he social his o ian o heJ azz Age is hus no un ai , no does i obscu e his me i s. I is, in ac , a ibu e o his powe s o sha p and acu e obse a ion anda se ious commi men o a ealis ic p esen a ion o he socially signi ican de ail. AsJohn O 'Ha a has pi hily ema ked, in This Si de o Pa adise « he people we e igh , he alk was igh , he clo hes, he ca s we e eal... »· '°The au hen ici y ha Fi zge ald longed o andsough a e , o which he showe ed encomiums on McTeague, is ealized in his eiy i s no el. Bo h No is and Fi zge ald el he u h o de ail, deside a um o ealism, and s ong con ic ion in ac as he ul ima e way o u h, essen ial. Themsel es in he line o he nine een h cen u y Ame ican ealis s beginning wi h Ma k Twain, No is and Fi zge ald placed a high alue on «expe ience» and hey espec ed he «au ho who w o e wha he knew,» «F om Twain o Hemingway he e is clea ly disce nible his adi ion which alues abo e almos ali else he au ho 's ue knowledge o wha he is alking abou .» 31 No is made impassioned and o h igh pleas o au ho ial in eg i y o he s ongly belie ed ha only w i e s o in ellec ual in eg i y and hones y c ould w i e g ea books. Fi zge ald ga e simila ad ice in chas ising Sco ie in one o bis le e s- « ... you ha e o ha e you own ences o jump and lea n om expe ience.»32 And again, «Don' y o be wi y in he w i ing, unless i 's na u al- jus ue and eal.» 33 Ob iously, Fi zge ald wan ed in eg i y and since i y in w i ing. 28 . E nes Ma chand, p. 50. 29. Re iewo B ass, by Cha les No is, Th e Bookman, 54, No. 3(No embe 19 21),253- 254. Quo ed by John Kuehl in his «Sco Fi zge ald's C i ica! Opinions,» 3-18. Rep in ed in P o i/e o F. Sco Fi zge ald, compiled by Ma hew J. B uccoli, p. 26. 30 . John O'Ha a, «In Memo y o Sco Fi zge ald: II -Ce ain Aspec s,» New Repuhlic. 104 (1941), 311. 31. Dillingham, opus ci ., p. 129. 32. Tu nbull, The Le e s. Le e om Sco Fi zge ald o his daugh e , Oc obe 20, 1936, p. 11. 33. Ihid. Le e da ed July 7, 1938, p. 35. F ank No is and F. Sco Fi zge ald as Roman ic Rebels 83 Ye , hough he adop ed ealis ic echniques and me hod s in his no els and sho s o ies, Fi zge ald, like No is, emained p ima ily a oman ic a hea . « ... Fi zge ald was among he wi ldes o he oman ics, bu he was al so amo ng he ew Ame icans who ied, like S endhal in F ance, o make he omance eal by showing i s causes and i s consequences ... » 34 Wha his own oman ic s el longed o - « ame, money, and he gi l » (Zelda Say e) -wa s accomplished, hough pain ully a imes. His own li e was mo s ly a oman ic d eam li ke he d eam o Jay Ga sby; bu wha Ga sby could no magni icen ly possess Fi zge ald co uld sadly own and enjoy. The oman ic's agic sense o li e in o ms Fi zge ald 's wo k. His ea ly wo k, pa icula ly, e lec s he impo ance o his sensa ions a nd eelings and his abili y o exp ess hem wi h hones y. This Side o Pa adise, hough conside ed a pa chy and a i s ically imma u e wo k, does e ea) wha P o e sso Eb le no es: «Fi zge ald, like mos oman ics, ended o endow expe ience wi h max imum emo ion long a e he e en and a e he oman ic imagina ion had had ime o colo and in ensi y he expe ience.»35 By Fi zge ald's own admission, his ideal among he English Roman ics was John Ke a s. The e a e nume ous e e ences o Kea s in Fi zge ald's wo ks. I was K ca s' Ode o a Nig h ingale ha umished Fi zge ald bo h wi h i l e and epig aph. The chi e ai o ealis s like Howells, namely, he eco ding o obse a ion whe he o hei own souls o o he wo ld ou side, is also a ea u e o he oman ics and hei a i ude; hey we e passiona ely e e en ial o ac - he men al ac as well as he ph ysical, whe he i was Shel l ey' s ealism o obse a ion o social ac o Wo dswo h 's g asp o he common man 's idiom. This pa ly ex plain s why Fi zge ald ado ed oman ics, pa icula ly Kea s. The emo ional exhaus ion e iden in he la e wo k o Fi zge ald was pe haps due o he s enuous and se ious d ain on him, somewha pa allel o Kea s' condi ion when he ca ne o« Hype ion» a e he g ea Odes. «I ha e asked a lo o my emo ions,» said Fi zge ald, «one hund ed and wen y s o ies. The p ice was high, igh up wi h Kipling, be ca use he e was one li le d op o some hing -no blood, no a ea , no my seed, bu me mo e in ima ely han hese, in e e y s o y, i was he ex a I had. Now i h as gone and 1 amjus like you now.»36 I is pe haps Fi zge ald 's oman ic ecs asy and agon y, and his oman ic c ack-up. No is a gued as a oman ic ha iolen and bi za e ac ion, exo i c and s ange locales, he li e o passion, he Ji e o he low and allen, he g ea o ces unde lying 34 . Malcolm Cowl ey , « Thi d Ac andEpi logue.» O iginally publish ed in TheNew Yo ke (June 30. 1945). Rep odu ced inF.Sco Fi :ge ald: A collec ion o C i ica/ Essays. ed. by A hu Mizen e (Englewood C li s, N.J.: P en ic e- Hall, Inc., 1963), p. 66. 35. Kenne h Eble, F. Sc o Fi zge a/d (New Yo k: Twayne Publishe s, 1 96 3). p. 48. 36. Malcolm Cowley, « Thi d Ac and Epil ogue, » p. 67.