Short Fiction · Chapters

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Chapter companions for Short Fiction by F. Scott Fitzgerald.

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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.
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.
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.
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.
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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Tarquin of Cheapside

I

II

III

Porcelain and Pink