The Basil and Josephine Stories

[4] On the hand, Josephine, was a fictional character based on real life stories of a young woman whom allegedly, Scott had been in love with in his youth.

[5] In various correspondences Fitzgerald expressed admiration for the Lee stories, based on a young man's life in the Midwest.

Fitzgerald wrote these stories circa 1928, when he was bucking the pressure to write a sequel to The Great Gatsby.

The Saturday Evening Post published the bulk of both the Basil and Josephine stories providing Fitzgerald with an ample regular paycheck.

He noted that the characters typified what he called "emotional bankruptcy"[9] and it was during this time he also wanted to claim a part of his past he once cherished, while resenting the nefarious influence of class distinctions and sell-outs in the world.