Textual History of the Novel & Play Script
By Sarah Madsen and Esther Stuart
Trimalchio and Other Titles
Fitzgerald
had enormous trouble deciding on a title. Some of the novel’s previous
titles include: Gatsby; Among Ash-Heaps and Millionaires; Trimalchio;
Trimalchio in West Egg; On the Road to West Egg; Under the Red, White,
and Blue; Gold-Hatted Gatsby; and The High-Bouncing Lover. Fitzgerald claimed to have finally decided on Trimalchio in West Egg, but was persuaded that
the reference was too obscure and reluctantly, went with The Great
Gatsby. The title is inspired by Alain-Fournier’s Le Grand Meaulnes, a novel that also features a young man from modest means as one of its principle characters.
Trimalchio, the title of the original draft, is a character from Petronius’s Satyricon. His name means “thrice-king” or “greatest king.” Trimalchio starts as a freed slave and works his way up to power and wealth. He holds lavish banquets and delights in opulence, and even goes so far as to make his guest act out his funeral at one of his parties.
Trimalchio, the title of the original draft, is a character from Petronius’s Satyricon. His name means “thrice-king” or “greatest king.” Trimalchio starts as a freed slave and works his way up to power and wealth. He holds lavish banquets and delights in opulence, and even goes so far as to make his guest act out his funeral at one of his parties.
Writing and Development
Francis Cugat developed the famous cover art while the novel was still being written. Fitzgerald was so enamored with the painting that he allegedly wrote it into the novel as the Dr. T.J. Eckleberg billboard.
In 1923, Fitzgerald had already written over 18,000 words for Gatsby, but would later scrap most of this draft. Some of it would resurface in his short story “Absolution” in 1924.
While Fitzgerald produced what he thought was his final manuscript in October of 1924, the novel experienced extensive revision of chapters VI and VIII in the following winter. The novel was finally published in April 1925.
In 1923, Fitzgerald had already written over 18,000 words for Gatsby, but would later scrap most of this draft. Some of it would resurface in his short story “Absolution” in 1924.
While Fitzgerald produced what he thought was his final manuscript in October of 1924, the novel experienced extensive revision of chapters VI and VIII in the following winter. The novel was finally published in April 1925.
Gatsby on Stage
Although various interpretations of Fitzgerald's novel have hit the stage, the only play script authorized and granted exclusive rights by the Fitzgerald Estate is the Simon Levy adaption created in 2006. The script adaption premiered at The Guthrie Theater and was directed by David Esbjornson. It was subsequently produced by Seattle Repertory Theatre. Arizona Theatre Company and Grand Theatre in London, Ontario, Canada produced a revised version of the play in 2012. It is currently the only version allowed to be produced in the United States and Canada.
Authorized Gatsby
Since the first edition featured non-authorial changes and was further corrupted upon subsequent publications, the 1991 Cambridge University Press established the authorized critical edition of The Great Gatsby. Some readers may question the necessity for an authorized text, but textual errors abound in Fitzgerald’s masterpiece for a variety of reasons. The rushed schedule of the book, Fitzgerald’s limited knowledge of geography and arithmetic, and even his spelling led him to rely heavily on his editor, Maxwell Perkins. In addition, Fitzgerald was in Italy while the novel was being edited, rendering a careful supervision of any changes made before publication impossible. However, because of Fitzgerald’s meticulous draft records and notes in his first edition of the novel, this edition stays as faithful to Fitzgerald’s artistic goal as possible. The authorial intent displayed in Fitzgerald’s previous drafts led to the correction for almost seventy-five substantiative word revisions including the correction of Daisy’s daughter’s age from three to two years old and the change from “orgastic” to “orgiastic” in chapter XI.
The amount of factual errors within this American masterpiece still plague readers today. The many geographical discrepancies can be traced back to Fitzgerald’s disadvantaged grasp of the geography due to his residence in Europe at the time. Critic Bruccoli suggests that some errors may be intentional citing “Gatsby’s claim to be a Midwesterner from San Francisco” as an example. While “many readers have regarded it as Fitzgerald’s error,” the author could just as well be indicating Gatsby’s “autobiographical untrustworthiness." Likewise, the authorized text makes an effort to restore Fitzgerald’s original punctuation lost in the first Scribner edition. The non-authorial changes to the punctuation corrupt the author’s original intended rhythm for the piece. Although the authorized text has made efforts to keep any purposeful errors, they have corrected many, especially regarding geography, due to their apparent erroneous nature.
The amount of factual errors within this American masterpiece still plague readers today. The many geographical discrepancies can be traced back to Fitzgerald’s disadvantaged grasp of the geography due to his residence in Europe at the time. Critic Bruccoli suggests that some errors may be intentional citing “Gatsby’s claim to be a Midwesterner from San Francisco” as an example. While “many readers have regarded it as Fitzgerald’s error,” the author could just as well be indicating Gatsby’s “autobiographical untrustworthiness." Likewise, the authorized text makes an effort to restore Fitzgerald’s original punctuation lost in the first Scribner edition. The non-authorial changes to the punctuation corrupt the author’s original intended rhythm for the piece. Although the authorized text has made efforts to keep any purposeful errors, they have corrected many, especially regarding geography, due to their apparent erroneous nature.
Fun Facts!
Fitzgerald's original manuscript used the spelling "Wolfshiem", but editor, Edmund Wilson, changed it to "Wolfsheim" in the second edition. The spelling appears also in later Scribner's editions.
Some later editions have used the word “irises," but the original edition featured the anatomically incorrect word "retinas."
Some later editions have used the word “irises," but the original edition featured the anatomically incorrect word "retinas."