Note: This post contains spoilers for The Beautiful and Damned!
The two Fitzgerald books I’ve read are in no way easy reads, and I’m not going to claim I understand the entirety of Fitzgerald’s writing. Nevertheless, let me try to present one particular thing that stood out to me: distance. Distance thematically permeated the life of Fitzgerald’s couples - Anthony and Gloria from The Beautiful and Damned; Gatsby and Daisy from The Great Gatsby. This time, I’ll discuss my understanding of the former pair.
(I’ll discuss the latter pair in another post, if I ever get down to writing it :) )
In Anthony and Gloria’s relationship, distance triggers an initial period of passionate love - that is, during their courtship and early marriage. This is largely because of what distance did to them. Distance (rather deceptively) bestows beauty and desirability.
