Summary âTender Nightâ will help you get acquainted with one of the most famous novels of the American novelist Francis Scott Fitzgerald in a matter of minutes . It was first printed in 1934. The title of the work is a reference to John Keats' Nightingale Ode.
Creating a novel
"The Night is Tender" (a brief summary will be given in this article) is a work on which Fitzgerald began work in 1925. Moreover, the main concept and name have changed repeatedly.
We have reached the manuscripts of the first few chapters of the novel, in which the protagonist by the name of Francis Melarki travels around Europe with his mother. They get acquainted with wealthy compatriots. Melarki is under their negative influence and decides to kill his mother.
In 1929, Fitzgerald began creating the second version of the novel. At this stage, Rosemary Hoyt appeared, also with her mother. This time on an ocean liner they meet the popular Hollywood director Kelly and his wife Nicole. Only two chapters have survived from this version of the novel.
The third option arose in 1932. This time, the writer began by developing a detailed plan of the work, outlining the age and psychological characteristics of the characters, and describing the motives that led to Nicole's mental disorder. He graduated from the novel in 1933. Then the book appeared its final title.
Critic reviews
Reviews of the book "The Night is Tender" received the most controversial. Many critics accused the author of violating logical and chronological sequences. Therefore, in 1938, the author himself volunteered to revise the text of the novel. But I could not bring this work to the end.
Researchers have a copy of the book with the authorâs notes in pencil. Focusing on them, the novel was revised by Fitzgerald's friend, the famous literary critic Malcolm Cowley. A new version was published in 1951.
The novel "The Night is Tender" (summary)
The action of this work takes place in 1925. In the center of the story is a young Hollywood actress Rosemary Hoyt. She has already managed to earn fame thanks to her role in the film "Daddy's Daughter."
With her mother she is on the Cote d'Azur. True, until the season has come, so only a few hotels are open, and on the beaches it is deserted. Heroes are met by two companies of compatriots. Rosemary calls some âdark-skinnedâ, and the second âwhite-skinnedâ.
The first are more sympathetic to the girl. They are beautiful, tanned and relaxed. At the same time, it is emphasized polite and tactful. She gladly joins them, almost immediately falls in love with Dick Diver. Dick has a wife, Nicole. They themselves are local. All the rest are their guests who came from America.
"The Night is Tender" (a brief summary we are considering) is a work that describes how Rosemary was fascinated by their beauty and ability to live merrily. They constantly arranged innocent pranks and fun. A particularly powerful force came from Dick Diver. It seemed that he makes people obey himself with the help of his charm.
First love
Fitzgerald in The Tender Night, a brief summary of which is in this article, especially notes that Rosemary is only 17 years old. This is her first truly great hobby for a man. In the evenings, she sobs on her motherâs chest, telling how she is in love with him. She can not encroach on his happy family life, because her wife Nicole also sympathizes with her.
After some time, divers call her to go with them to Paris, to spend the guests. On the evening before departure, Dick organizes a farewell dinner. In the evening, everyone is fascinated, but everything ends unexpectedly. A duel.
One of the "fair-skinned" who were also invited to dinner, Mrs. Makkisko, saw something inappropriate in the house. She was advised not to discuss this in the villa, but it all ends with a duel between Mr. Makkisko and Tommy. Both remain alive.
Travel to Paris
The heroes of the novel are spelled out so carefully that literally from the first pages the reader captures the novel "The Night is Tender." A chapter summary describes the heroes' trip to Paris.
Rosemary and Nicole go shopping. A young actress learns how an experienced and wealthy woman spends money. Meanwhile, Rosemary is more and more interested in Dick every day. It is becoming increasingly difficult for him to remain an adult and a serious person. He involuntarily succumbs to the spell of a young and attractive girl.
Meanwhile, one of Abe North's guests is starting to drink. He does not fly away to America, but instead provokes a conflict in one of the bars between American and Parisian blacks. Dick has to solve these problems. It all ends up with a corpse in Rosemary's room.
With great difficulty, Dick manages to arrange everything so that her name remains unsullied. They managed to hush up the case, and also do without reporters. But one has to leave hastily from Paris.
Clinic Domler
The brief content of the book "The Night is Tender" (the exposition on this work is often asked to write to students) tells about the fate of the doctor of medicine Richard Diver. In 1917 he returned from the army and set off to complete his education in Zurich. He expects to earn a degree. Before that, in Vienna, he had an internship with Sigmund Freud himself, now he worked on the book âPsychology for a Psychiatristâ.
By the age of 26, he manages to maintain youthful maximalism and many illusions. He believes that a good start prevails in man.
Meanwhile, Dr. Domlerâs clinic has been treating the daughter of an American millionaire named Nicole for three years now. She lost her mind when at 16 she became the lover of her own father. Her cure program includes correspondence with the diver. The sloppy content of Fitzgeraldâs novel "The Night is Tender" describes that during this time her state of mind has improved significantly. They are going to write her out. At this time, Nicole falls in love with the diver. Richard himself is struggling with controversy. On the one hand, he understands that this feeling was provoked by healing goals. At the same time, he himself, knowing her personality as nobody else, realizes that it will be almost impossible to take away this feeling. Otherwise, emptiness will remain in her soul.
In addition, Nicole is a beautiful girl who attracts him. Contrary to logic, reasoning and the advice of colleagues, Dick will marry Nicole. At the same time, he understands that relapses of the disease are most likely inevitable. But Iâm ready to help her deal with this.
His condition seems to him a bigger problem. After all, he does not marry money, as many people think, but solely for love.
In the novel "The Night is Tender" by Francis Scott Fitzgerald, a brief summary confirms this, Dick pretends to be a convinced homebody to prevent possible relapses. For 6 years of marriage, they do not part for almost a day.
One of the protracted relapses occurs when their second child is born. During this time, he manages to form the personality of "Nicole healthy", which turns out to be a bright and strong woman. At the same time, he begins to think that she is using her illness to have power over people around her.
Family life
In Fitzgerald's "Tender Night", a brief summary of which we are considering, attention is also paid to how Dick tries to maintain financial independence in marriage. But this is not easy at all. At this time, Dick himself is torn from his ambivalent position - both husband and doctor. He is not always able to keep the distance necessary in these cases.
All this makes him aware of the appearance in the life of Rosemary.
Christmas in the Swiss Alps
A summary of Fitzgeraldâs âTender Nightâ describes the 1926 Christmas Day that Divers spend in the Swiss Alps. Franz Gregorovius visits them there. The latter suggests that Dick jointly buy a clinic so that Dick begins to receive patients there and receive materials for new books on psychology and psychiatry. Gregorivius himself promises to take on all the clinical work.
He turns to Dick so that he, first of all, helps him financially. Indeed, to open a clinic, starting capital is needed.
Baby convinces Dick to agree, since he sincerely considers this company profitable. In addition, she expects that being in the clinic will have a beneficial effect on Nicole's health.
Relapse on Lake Zug
We continue to consider the summary. "The night is tender," the paraphrases of the narrative describe it in detail, and tells of another difficult relapse that happened after a year and a half of relatively calm and measured life on Lake Tsugskoye. Nicole sets up a scene of jealousy, and then, beginning to laugh wildly, almost sends the car downhill.
And at this time in the cabin is not only her and Dick, but also their children. Tired of living from fit to fit, Dick leaves for Berlin to attend a congress of psychiatrists. He leaves Nicole in the care of Franz. The hero himself wants to take a break from his too restless wife.
In Berlin, he receives a telegram about the death of his father. Therefore, he is forced to go to the USA for a funeral. Returning back, Dick succumbs to temptation and calls in Rome. He hopes to meet Rosemary. In Italy, she starred in the next film.
Meeting with Rosemary
They manage to meet in Italy. Both feel that the relationship that originated in Paris has now continued. Between them, true love flashes. But she is no longer able to save Dick. He is sure that he is not capable of sincerely loving, but only brings people misfortunes.
Therefore, he resolutely breaks up with Rosemary and gets drunk. He is beaten and taken to a police station. From there, he was taken by Baby, who ended up in Rome.
Dick seriously begins to abuse alcohol. He is less and less able to understand and forgive others. He is hardly even offended by the readiness with which Franz decides to leave his common cause. Dick leaves the clinic. After all, his condition, when he is often drunk at work, does not benefit the clinic's reputation.
New to Nicole is the fact that she can no longer shift her problems to her husband. She has to answer for her actions herself. When this happens, the husband becomes disgusted with her. It serves as a living reminder of the years of her darkness. A crisis is brewing in their relations; in fact, they are becoming strangers to each other.
Return to Tarm
Arriving in Tarm, Divers meet Tommy Barbana. He has been to several wars and has changed a lot. With new eyes Nicole looks at him. She remembers that he always loved her.
At this time, Rosemary comes to the Cote d'Azur. A brief summary of The Tender Night, an analysis of which allows us to understand the contradictory nature of human feelings, tells how the Hollywood actress quickly recalls her first meeting with Dick, which took place about five years ago.
Nicole begins to be jealous of her husband and at the same time sees how he has aged and changed. Everything around her has also changed. Tarm has become a fashionable resort where there are many vacationers all year round. The deserted beach, which Dick used to clear with a rake, is now filled with vacationers. And their old friend Mary North, who by this time had become Countess Mingetti, refuses to recognize them. Dick leaves the beach like a king who has lost his kingdom.
In the finale of the novel, Nicole celebrates his recovery, becoming Tommy Barbana's mistress. Soon she marries him. Dick is leaving for America. He begins to receive patients in small cities, but nowhere does he linger for a long time.