The Lost Decade by F.

Scott Fitzgerald
During his college years, F. Scott Fitzgerald claimed himself to be a notorious alcoholic.
Eventually, his struggle with alcoholism would consume his life in the late 1930s. Louis
Trimble, protagonist of Fitzgeralds The Lost Decade, happens to share many similarities with
the struggling author. Throughout the short story, Louis Trimble reflects Fitzgeralds struggles
with alcoholism, isolation, and an ultimately lost youth.
Orrison Brown, an editor and friend of Trimble, is re-introduced to the recovering
alcoholic in the beginning of the short story. ...Mr. Trimbles been away a long time, Or he feels
its a long time- almost twelve years. Oddly enough, F. Scott Fitzgerald was a drunk for a
duration not far off from twelve years. Twelve years certainly is a long time to be isolated from
the real world, especially when the duration of those years was spent being under the influence
of alcohol. Later, the two gentlemen go out to lunch, and along the way, Trimble claims that he
wishes to eat some place with young people to look at. During Fitzgeralds college days, alike
those of Trimbles, he began to embrace alcoholism. Therefore, the two protagonists share a
similar lost youth. Altogether, the important connection to be made lies within the idea that The
Lost Decade could be a reflection of Fitzgeralds lost youth.
The two protagonists share similar struggles, as this much can be seen from the comparison of
Fitzgeralds real life to that of Trimbles story. It is likely that Trimble is a mirror image of
Fitzgerald. Together, three tragic factors made up a common struggle for Trimble and Fitzgerald:
alcoholism, isolation, and loss of youth.