"First Blood" is a short story by F. Scott Fitzgerald, originally published in the April 5, 1930 issue of The Saturday Evening Post, illustrated by Harry Russell Ballinger.^[1] It was later included in his 1935 short story collection Taps at Reveille.

Plot

The story is about teen rebellion and centers on the Perrys, a wealthy family living in Chicago. The young Josephine Perry joins her friend for a trip to see their boyfriends under the guise of seeing a movie. Her love interest is Travis de Coppet, another young WASP. During the course of the evening Travis makes advances towards Josephine and is subsequently rejected. She rejoices at the power she has over men. Throughout the short story she is characterized as beautiful yet jealous. At the close of the story she laments the fact a man she has interest in is out with another girl, all the while she cannot reciprocate another's feelings because she is emotionally truncated. It is the first of the five part "Josephine Perry" stories.^[2]

History

The story was published while Zelda's mental health was in a palpable decline. Thus, Fitzgerald began to use the profits from short stories to pay for medical bills. This story was published the same month Zelda Fitzgerald was hospitalized. The title may refer to the breaking of a girl's hymen.^[3]

References