The Lees of Happiness

The Lees of Happiness is a story written by Francis Scott Fitzgerald, an American writer belonging to the so-called Lost Generation literary movement.

In the early twentieth century, the idea that in the United States one might hope to satisfy every material desire and thereby achieve happiness came into being, (this is the so-called American Dream).

In the Twenties, Fitzgerald spoke complexly to and for this modern idea of the meaning of America.

However, he believed it to be deceptive, as proposing the satisfaction of all desires, equating them with material acquisitions, could only lead to dissatisfaction.

The sense of disaster is, therefore, a recurrent theme in Fitzgerald's works, as most of his writing is concerned with the disintegration of the American Dream.

The Lees of Happiness contains a little melodrama and sentimentality, and characters that show a depth of humanity and responsibility that is rare in Fitzgerald’s works.