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Short Fiction · Chapters

Chapters explained

Chapter companions for Short Fiction by F. Scott Fitzgerald.

Each chapter has a companion in the reader — open a free preview to see notes beside the text.

  1. Chapter 1

    Tarquin of Cheapside

    A poetic narrative blending classical and modern imagery, exploring themes of love, loss, and the passage of time through the lens of a young man's romantic disillusionment in an urban setting.

  2. Chapter 2

    I

    Basil Duke Lee, a fifteen-year-old boy, returns home late after seeing a play and tells his mother he plans to write and produce his own play. He stays up all night working on a melodramatic farce called 'The Captured Shadow,' and the next morning discusses casting with his friend Riply Buckner. Basil tries to recruit Evelyn Beebe as the leading lady, mentioning that Hubert Blair will be the leading man to persuade her.

  3. Chapter 3

    II

    Basil reads his play to the cast on Miss Halliburton's porch, but rehearsals are plagued by disruptions from Hubert Blair, who eventually quits after a confrontation. Evelyn Beebe, the lead actress, then withdraws due to her family's plans to go East. Desperate to keep her in town, Basil considers a morally questionable scheme involving her younger brother Ham and the mumps.

  4. Chapter 4

    III

    Basil Duke Lee stars in a school play, navigating performance anxiety and backstage chaos. After a successful but emotionally hollow evening, he shares a fleeting kiss with Evelyn Beebe and later confesses a vague sadness to his mother, feeling disconnected from the triumph.

  5. Chapter 5

    Porcelain and Pink

    A comedic one-act play set in a bathroom where sisters Lois and Julie engage in a witty, contentious conversation while Julie bathes. The dialogue explores themes of vanity, literature, and modesty, culminating in a farcical misunderstanding when Lois's date, Mr. Calkins, mistakenly believes he is speaking to Lois through the bathroom window, leading to a fainting spell and a dramatic curtain.

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  1. Chapter 6Head and Shoulders
  2. Chapter 7I
  3. Chapter 8II
  4. Chapter 9III
  5. Chapter 10IV
  6. Chapter 11V
  7. Chapter 12Benediction
  8. Chapter 13I
  9. Chapter 14II
  10. Chapter 15III
  11. Chapter 16IV
  12. Chapter 17V
  13. Chapter 18VI
  14. Chapter 19VII
  15. Chapter 20Dalyrimple Goes Wrong
  16. Chapter 21I
  17. Chapter 22II
  18. Chapter 23III
  19. Chapter 24IV
  20. Chapter 25V
  21. Chapter 26VI
  22. Chapter 27VII
  23. Chapter 28VIII
  24. Chapter 29Mr. Icky
  25. Chapter 30The Camel's Back
  26. Chapter 31I
  27. Chapter 32II
  28. Chapter 33III
  29. Chapter 34IV
  30. Chapter 35V
  31. Chapter 36Bernice Bobs Her Hair
  32. Chapter 37I
  33. Chapter 38II
  34. Chapter 39III
  35. Chapter 40IV
  36. Chapter 41V
  37. Chapter 42VI
  38. Chapter 43The Ice Palace
  39. Chapter 44I
  40. Chapter 45II
  41. Chapter 46III
  42. Chapter 47IV
  43. Chapter 48V
  44. Chapter 49VI
  45. Chapter 50The Offshore Pirate
  46. Chapter 51I
  47. Chapter 52II
  48. Chapter 53III
  49. Chapter 54IV
  50. Chapter 55V
  51. Chapter 56VI
  52. Chapter 57The Cut-Glass Bowl
  53. Chapter 58I
  54. Chapter 59II
  55. Chapter 60III
  56. Chapter 61IV
  57. Chapter 62The Four Fists
  58. Chapter 63I
  59. Chapter 64II
  60. Chapter 65III
  61. Chapter 66IV
  62. Chapter 67May Day
  63. Chapter 68I
  64. Chapter 69II
  65. Chapter 70III
  66. Chapter 71IV
  67. Chapter 72V
  68. Chapter 73VI
  69. Chapter 74VII
  70. Chapter 75VIII
  71. Chapter 76IX
  72. Chapter 77The Bribe to God and the Fall of the Washington Empire
  73. Chapter 78XI
  74. Chapter 79The Jelly-Bean
  75. Chapter 80I
  76. Chapter 81II
  77. Chapter 82III
  78. Chapter 83IV
  79. Chapter 84The Lees of Happiness
  80. Chapter 85I
  81. Chapter 86II
  82. Chapter 87III
  83. Chapter 88IV
  84. Chapter 89V
  85. Chapter 90VI
  86. Chapter 91Jemina, the Mountain Girl
  87. Chapter 92A Wild Thing
  88. Chapter 93A Mountain Feud
  89. Chapter 94The Birth of Love
  90. Chapter 95A Mountain Battle
  91. Chapter 96As One.
  92. Chapter 97O Russet Witch!
  93. Chapter 98I
  94. Chapter 99II
  95. Chapter 100III
  96. Chapter 101IV
  97. Chapter 102The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
  98. Chapter 103I
  99. Chapter 104II
  100. Chapter 105III
  101. Chapter 106IV
  102. Chapter 107V
  103. Chapter 108VI
  104. Chapter 109VII
  105. Chapter 110VIII
  106. Chapter 111IX
  107. Chapter 112The Bribe to God and the Fall of the Washington Empire
  108. Chapter 113XI
  109. Chapter 114The Diamond as Big as the Ritz
  110. Chapter 115I
  111. Chapter 116II
  112. Chapter 117III
  113. Chapter 118IV
  114. Chapter 119V
  115. Chapter 120VI
  116. Chapter 121VII
  117. Chapter 122VIII
  118. Chapter 123IX
  119. Chapter 124The Bribe to God and the Fall of the Washington Empire
  120. Chapter 125XI
  121. Chapter 126Winter Dreams
  122. Chapter 127I
  123. Chapter 128II
  124. Chapter 129III
  125. Chapter 130IV
  126. Chapter 131V
  127. Chapter 132VI
  128. Chapter 133Hot and Cold Blood
  129. Chapter 134I
  130. Chapter 135II
  131. Chapter 136III
  132. Chapter 137IV
  133. Chapter 138Gretchen's Forty Winks
  134. Chapter 139I
  135. Chapter 140II
  136. Chapter 141III
  137. Chapter 142IV
  138. Chapter 143Absolution
  139. Chapter 144I
  140. Chapter 145II: “On Saturday, Three Days Ago.”
  141. Chapter 146III
  142. Chapter 147IV
  143. Chapter 148V: “Sagitta Volante in Dei”
  144. Chapter 149The Sensible Thing
  145. Chapter 150I
  146. Chapter 151II
  147. Chapter 152III
  148. Chapter 153IV
  149. Chapter 154The Baby Party
  150. Chapter 155Dice, Brassknuckles & Guitar
  151. Chapter 156I
  152. Chapter 157II
  153. Chapter 158III
  154. Chapter 159IV
  155. Chapter 160V
  156. Chapter 161The Adjuster
  157. Chapter 162I
  158. Chapter 163II
  159. Chapter 164III
  160. Chapter 165IV
  161. Chapter 166V
  162. Chapter 167The Rich Boy
  163. Chapter 168I
  164. Chapter 169II
  165. Chapter 170III
  166. Chapter 171IV
  167. Chapter 172V
  168. Chapter 173VI
  169. Chapter 174VII
  170. Chapter 175VIII
  171. Chapter 176Rags Martin-Jones and the Pr‑nce of W‑les
  172. Chapter 177I
  173. Chapter 178II
  174. Chapter 179III
  175. Chapter 180IV
  176. Chapter 181V
  177. Chapter 182Jacob’s Ladder
  178. Chapter 183I
  179. Chapter 184II
  180. Chapter 185III
  181. Chapter 186IV
  182. Chapter 187V
  183. Chapter 188VI
  184. Chapter 189A Short Trip Home
  185. Chapter 190I
  186. Chapter 191II
  187. Chapter 192III
  188. Chapter 193I
  189. Chapter 194II
  190. Chapter 195III
  191. Chapter 196IV
  192. Chapter 197V
  193. Chapter 198VI
  194. Chapter 199Magnetism
  195. Chapter 200I
  196. Chapter 201II
  197. Chapter 202III
  198. Chapter 203IV
  199. Chapter 204The Scandal Detectives
  200. Chapter 205I
  201. Chapter 206II
  202. Chapter 207III
  203. Chapter 208IV
  204. Chapter 209V
  205. Chapter 210VI
  206. Chapter 211A Night at the Fair
  207. Chapter 212The Freshest Boy
  208. Chapter 213I
  209. Chapter 214II
  210. Chapter 215III
  211. Chapter 216IV
  212. Chapter 217V
  213. Chapter 218I
  214. Chapter 219II
  215. Chapter 220III
  216. Chapter 221IV
  217. Chapter 222The Captured Shadow
  218. Chapter 223I
  219. Chapter 224II
  220. Chapter 225III