Final answer:
F. Scott Fitzgerald left behind influential works like 'The Great Gatsby,' capturing the 1920s' extravagance and subsequent disillusionment. His portrayal of his own life echoed the broader realities of the Jazz Age.
Step-by-step explanation:
When F. Scott Fitzgerald died, he left behind a legacy as one of the most iconic American writers of the twentieth century. Fitzgerald's life in the 1920s was characterized by his own experiences with wealth, love affairs, and the pursuit of the American Dream, elements reflected in his most famous work, The Great Gatsby. In his personal essay, 'The Crack-Up', Fitzgerald describes his life during the 1920s as a mix of personal regrets and moments of imagined heroism, indicative of a generation experiencing the thrills and disillusionment of the Jazz Age.
His works, such as This Side of Paradise and The Great Gatsby, are depictions of the era's extravagance and its underlying consequences. Fitzgerald's narratives were sophisticated social satires that mirrored the highs and the inevitable crash of the 1920s lifestyle, a reflection of his and Zelda's own lavish living. Thus, Fitzgerald's interpretation of his life and the decade's reality were interwoven, painting a vivid picture of the Lost Generation and the fallout from its decadence.