but sketchy book The Functional Significance of Setting in the Novels of Francis
Scott Fitzgerald (1974), in which only a few settings are analyzed, no critics
have given us a full-dress analysis of Fitzgerald's use of setting, especially his
use of domestic and urban settings. Given that Fitzgerald is one of the first, and
perhaps the best, of the twentieth-century American writers who created their
fictional world primarily on modern homestead and cityscape, it is wrong to let
his use of domestic and urban settings remain virgin territory. The single
greatest need in Fitzgerald studies has long been for a thorough study of his
treatment of setting as a major part of his artistry, and this study is thus an
attempt to break new ground in this area.

Because scores of books and hundreds of articles have been written about
Fitzgerald's life and writing career, this book will not delve into biography,
except to make passing references when necessary. In order to trace the
consistent pattern in Fitzgerald's exploitation of domestic and urban settings, I
will explore examples from his novels and stories and look into his nonfiction
writings for an insight or a clue to his talent. My examination will not be an
exhaustive study; instead, it will be focused mainly on what I perceive as the
five most frequently adopted and most essential settings in Fitzgerald's fiction.
Each chapter will discuss one setting: home in Chapter 2, bars in Chapter 3, schools
in Chapter 4, city in Chapter 5, and Hollywood in Chapter 6. My choices
have been made not only in keeping with my personal preferences but also with
an aim to draw more attention to and appreciation for Fitzgerald's brilliant
treatment of domestic and urban settings. To overlook Fitzgerald's achievement
in this respect is to disregard an essential part of the artistry in his fiction. While
I can claim that my book is the first major attempt in many years to prevent that
from happening, much more effort still needs to be made.

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