What did Scott's treatment of Zelda, while she was in the hospital, show you about his character? Did it make him any more sympathetic to you?
Created: 03/08/13
Replies: 11
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Posts: 0
Join Date: 05/24/11
Posts: 59
I was surprised that I didn't feel more sympathy toward Scott when he was so attentive to Zelda when she was hospitalized. My guess is that I was so frustrated by the "treatment" that I was sympathetic to anyone but Zelda. It still makes me so mad that Zelda wouldn't be considered cured until she admitted she would be happiest if she was only a good wife and mother and wouldn't pursue writing or dancing. What rot.
Join Date: 05/16/11
Posts: 17
Although I had a small twinge of sympathy toward Scott when he actually showed some emotion toward Zelda in the hospital, overall he was horrid. Again, the thread running through all his actions (or interaction) with his wife was his self-importance and attending to his needs before anyone else.
Join Date: 01/31/13
Posts: 110
I think Scott needed his high profile wife but needed her to be only in a supportive role. The treatment seemed so inappropriate but it is hard to understand this from modern eyes since such treatment was common. Hard to believe doctors would only do what was best for person paying bill and not the patient
Join Date: 06/01/11
Posts: 78
Join Date: 06/13/11
Posts: 102
Scott had the best of worlds when Zelda was hospitalized. He could inform the doctors of her condition and give them his side of the story and also control her. He felt that the story of their lives was his to fictionalize. When Zelda wanted to write using the same material ,he controlled the time she could spend writing. He thought she was stealing some of the incidents that he was using in Tender Is the Night for her book Save Me the Waltz. Although they loved one another, their marriage was a competition.
Join Date: 03/07/13
Posts: 16
Join Date: 10/12/11
Posts: 256
I think Scott truly loved Zelda and vice versa; however, their love for one another was toxic. Sadly, I think their life together was tragic with tragic mistakes made by each one of them. My sympathy extends to both Zelda and F. Scott.
Join Date: 06/13/11
Posts: 107
Join Date: 01/31/13
Posts: 110
They did truly love each other. I think he also believed he was doing the right thing in getting her treatment. He could write anywhere and he would never want to believe anything but the beat about himself. He really needed Zelda to exist--good or bad.
Join Date: 04/12/12
Posts: 294
I believe that Scott believed he loved Zelda and it was natural for him to take care of her when she was ill. But I think that his own identity was wrapped up in his relationship with Zelda. If she was ill, then he was also ill. I think Scott saw Zelda as something he owned or possessed rather than as a person in her own right. And her illness interfered with his own identity of who he was. So he had to get her better so that he was more successful. Unfortunately, he didn't understand that his control of her every thought and keeping her from feeling successful was poisoning Zelda and himself.
Join Date: 04/02/13
Posts: 109
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