LA LUCHA DE ZELDA FITZGERALD POR CONVERTIRSE EN ARTISTA
Antonio Daniel Juan Rubio
Resumen
Esta contribución pretender esclarecer un poco la oscura figura de Zelda Fitzgerald en su faceta de escritora y novelista más allá de la sombra de su famoso marido, el célebre novelista Francis Scott Fitzgerald. Fue precisamente en sus diferentes estancias europeas por diversos países (Inglaterra, Francia, Suiza, Italia…) donde se fraguó su lucha por obtener un reconocimiento a su valor como escritora y novelista mientras convivía a la sombra de un marido celoso y misógino.
Probablemente, Zelda Fitzgerald sea uno de los personajes femeninos más desconocidos e infravalorados del siglo veinte. Si por algo fue conocida mundialmente fue por el hecho de convertirse en la mujer de, no por su labor profesional como autora de magníficas novelas e historias cortas en un mundo claramente dominado por los autores masculinos.
La lucha por conseguir su reconocimiento profesional condujo posteriormente a la destrucción total tanto del matrimonio Fitzgerald como de sus carreras artísticas y profesionales con súbitas e inesperadas muertes. La tarea de Zelda en obtener dicha remembranza no puede ser considerada más que como “hercúlea”.
Lo que intentaremos analizar en este artículo es el reconocimiento de Zelda Fitzgerald como artista por sus innumerables talentos y producciones artísticas, antes que como símbolo femenino de liberación en una época dorada del siglo veinte.
ABSTRACT
This paper aims at presenting an overall picture of a quasi-unknown woman in all her personal and professional facets: Zelda Fitzgerald. But do we really know and appreciate who Zelda was? And, do we really know what she was and what she became in? The answer to these questions is no. Zelda is probably one of the most misunderstood female characters along the 20th century. But what the majority of us do know about her is that she became the wife, and hence the supporter, of the world-famous writer F. Scott Fitzgerald.
Being born a woman in a traditional Southern background at the beginning of the 20th century in America must have been an awkward task for Zelda. Such an assignment becomes hazard when it comes to the fact of her living a wild and outrageous life in such a male-dominant background. Had both factors been enough to let her down, it must also be added the evidence of having a misogynist and jealous husband, besides being rather popular and successful, who hated women for what they were and above all were trying to become in. Thus considering all these joint features, Zelda’s duty could not be considered as anything else as Herculean.
I therefore intend to explain that taking all these circumstances into consideration, we partly have the explanation, but not the justification, of knowing Zelda both as a symbol of the splendorous epoch of the Roaring Twenties in the USA known as “The Jazz Age”, and as the wife of the eminent writer Scott Fitzgerald, rather than letting us acknowledge all her talents and artistic production as a total artist.
Probablemente, Zelda Fitzgerald sea uno de los personajes femeninos más desconocidos e infravalorados del siglo veinte. Si por algo fue conocida mundialmente fue por el hecho de convertirse en la mujer de, no por su labor profesional como autora de magníficas novelas e historias cortas en un mundo claramente dominado por los autores masculinos.
La lucha por conseguir su reconocimiento profesional condujo posteriormente a la destrucción total tanto del matrimonio Fitzgerald como de sus carreras artísticas y profesionales con súbitas e inesperadas muertes. La tarea de Zelda en obtener dicha remembranza no puede ser considerada más que como “hercúlea”.
Lo que intentaremos analizar en este artículo es el reconocimiento de Zelda Fitzgerald como artista por sus innumerables talentos y producciones artísticas, antes que como símbolo femenino de liberación en una época dorada del siglo veinte.
ABSTRACT
This paper aims at presenting an overall picture of a quasi-unknown woman in all her personal and professional facets: Zelda Fitzgerald. But do we really know and appreciate who Zelda was? And, do we really know what she was and what she became in? The answer to these questions is no. Zelda is probably one of the most misunderstood female characters along the 20th century. But what the majority of us do know about her is that she became the wife, and hence the supporter, of the world-famous writer F. Scott Fitzgerald.
Being born a woman in a traditional Southern background at the beginning of the 20th century in America must have been an awkward task for Zelda. Such an assignment becomes hazard when it comes to the fact of her living a wild and outrageous life in such a male-dominant background. Had both factors been enough to let her down, it must also be added the evidence of having a misogynist and jealous husband, besides being rather popular and successful, who hated women for what they were and above all were trying to become in. Thus considering all these joint features, Zelda’s duty could not be considered as anything else as Herculean.
I therefore intend to explain that taking all these circumstances into consideration, we partly have the explanation, but not the justification, of knowing Zelda both as a symbol of the splendorous epoch of the Roaring Twenties in the USA known as “The Jazz Age”, and as the wife of the eminent writer Scott Fitzgerald, rather than letting us acknowledge all her talents and artistic production as a total artist.
Reconocimiento – símbolo femenino – labor profesional – artista total - Recognition – feminine symbol – professional labour – total artist
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