Craaazy Sunday

So, I read this short story called "Crazy Sunday" by F. Scott Fitzgerald. When I was reading it, I was wondering if this was a good story to analyze because it seemed to focus more on the relationships of the characters rather than show business itself. When I finally finished and thought back upon this story with my thororough analyzation skills, I realized that the reason that this had to do with show business is because of how it affected the character's lives. The main character is named Joel Coles, and he is a new screenwriter in Hollywood. Like many newbies in this business, he is struggling to impress the right people. On one Sunday,Miles Calman, a director he admires, invites him over. There, he is reunited with Miles' wife, Stella, whom he knew as a struggling actress in New York. Cole later learns that Miles has been cheating on her, and despite his attraction to Stella, he does not want to get on the bad side of someone who could him find more success. She is attracted to him as well, but also does not want to do the same thing to her husband that he did to her. Joel and Stella hang out together more often, until they finally get drunk and have sex. Coincidentally, Joel later gets a phone call that says Miles was killed in a plane crash. Although Stella wants Joel to comfort her, he leaves because he knows that she will never really love him, so there is no point.
See what I mean? This story has so much to do with the relationships of characters, but when I finally thought of the setting, I realized how much of an influence that had on those relationships. Obviously, when someone's in Hollywood, or New York, they are usually willing to do (or not do) a lot in order to find fame. This seemed to be the case for Joel, who resisted his lust for Stella not only to free his conscience, but also to make sure he did not ruin his chances with Miles, who could help him find success and happiness. He is trading love in for these two goals of his, and when Miles dies, he may have also left because he did not see a point in being this close to her if it would not benefit his career.
Similar to Joel, Stella also seemed to depend on Miles for happiness. Although she may have loved him, she also loved the life that he gave her, meaning she could have loved him for his success, rather than who he was. Her history as a struggling actress definitely has an influence in how she may perceive happiness in her future. If she married a famous director, theen she will obviously be happy with what she always wanted, right? WRONG! This story shows that even those who are the most successful and the wealthiest can have problems like anybody else. Fame and money does not bring happiness, and this story (as well as many true stories today) perfectly shows that. The life of a movie star or Broadway actress can be tough, especially with relationships! You may think Brad Pitt and and Angelina Jolie would be happy with huge mansions in France and children from every continent, but evidence has illustrated their unhappiness. It does not matter how many movies one makes or stars in; they cannot rely on their fame and money in order to gain happiness. A celebrity has to find happiness like everybody else. And that starts withing themselves...But admit it, it does seem like being rich and famous would help someone to feel at least a little bit better about themselves! And, scene...

The Short Stories, by F. Scott Fitzgerald
p.713-728