How did Fitzgerald draw on his own life experiences to create his characters and plot lines?

F. Scott Fitzgerald drew heavily on his own life experiences, particularly his tumultuous relationship with wealth and social status, to shape his characters and plot lines. His upbringing in a middle-class family, coupled with his time at Princeton and interactions with the elite during the Jazz Age, informed the glamorous yet tragic lives of characters like Jay Gatsby and Daisy Buchanan. Fitzgerald's struggles with love, ambition, and personal failure also resonate in his narratives, reflecting his own quest for identity and meaning in a rapidly changing society. Ultimately, his autobiographical elements lend authenticity and depth to his exploration of the American Dream.