studentfsfitzgerald.docx

studentfsfitzgerald.docx

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studentfsfitzgerald

TheLostGeneration

WhentheFirstWorldWarbrokeout,manyyoungmenvolunteeredtotakepartin“thewartoendwars"onlytofindthatmodernwarfarewasnotasgloriousorheroicastheythoughttobe.Fullofyouthfulidealism,theseindividualssoughtthemeaningoflife,drankexcessively,hadloveaffairsandcreatedsomeofthefinestAmericanliterature.Theydidexperimentationonnewmodesofthoughtandexpression.Thesewriterswerelaternamed"TheLostGeneration".

AnAmericanwomanwriter,GertrudeStein（1874-1946）,whohadlivedinParissince1903,welcomedtheyoungAmericanwriterstoherapartment,afamousliterarysalon.GertrudeSteinwastheadvisor,friendofsomeoftheAmericanartists&writersofthetime.EzraPoundjoinedhergroupintheearly1920’s.Theyencouragedyoungwriters:

ErnestHemingway,E.E.Cummings,andF.ScottFitzgerald.ManyotherwritersweredrawntoGertrudeStein’shome.TheywerebasicallyexpatriateswholeftAmericaandformedacommunityofwritersandartistsinParis,involvedwithotherEuropeannovelistsandpoets.

Disillusionedanddisguisedbythefrivolous,greedy,andheedlesswayoflifeinAmerica,theybegantowriteandtheywrotefromtheirwonexperienceinthewar.

GertrudeSteincalledthem“TheLostGeneration”,becausetheyhadcutthemselvesofffromtheirpastinAmericainordertocreatenewtypesofwritingwhichhadneverbeentriedbefore.

AmongtheseyoungwriterswerethemostprominentfiguresinAmericanliterature,especiallyinmodernAmericanliterature.TheLostGenerationwritersallgainedprominenceinthe20thcenturyliterature.Theirinnovationspavedthewayforsubsequentgenerationsofwriters.

F.ScottFitzgerald（1896-1940）

DominantinfluencesonFSF

Aspiration;Literature;Princeton;

ZeldaSayreFitzgerald;Alcohol.

LifeExperiences

Pointofview

（1）     Heexpressedwhattheyoungpeoplebelievedinthe1920s,theso-called“AmericanDream”isfalseinnature.

（2）     Hehadalwaysbeencriticaloftherichandtriedtoshowtheintegratingeffectsofmoneyontheemotionalmake-upofhischaracter.Hefoundthatwealthalteredpeople’scharacters,makingthemmeananddistrusted.Hethinksmoneybroughtonlytragedyandremorse.

（3）     Hisnovelsfollowapattern:

dream–lackofattraction–failureanddespair.

Hisideasof“AmericanDream”

Itisfalsetomostyoungpeople.Onlythosewhoweredishonestcouldbecomerich.

Fitzgeraldwasthevictimofhisownsuccess.

Criticsconsideredhimapartofthefashionablelifeofthe1920’s,theyfailedtounderstandtheserioussideofhisbooks.

Hisearlysuccessdamagedhislife&spoiledhisliteraryproduction.

Hisunderstanding&moralinterpretationoftheerawasfarmoreimportantthanhisparticipationinit.

Hisliteraturehasoutlastedtheperiodhewroteabout.

Fitzgeraldnevertrulybelongedtothewealthyclass,hebothlongedfor&mistrustedit.

Hewantedtohavetheappearanceoftheuppercrust.

Hefoundwealthalteredpeople’scharacters,makingthemmean&destructive.Moneyboughtonlytragedy&remorse.

Inhisbestnovels,hebothcondemned&pitiedtherich.

A.     Fitzgerald’sfictionalworldisthebestembodimentofthespiritoftheJazzAge,inwhichheshowsaparticularinterestintheupper-classsociety,esp.theupper-classyoungpeople.

B.FitzgeraldneversparedanintimatetouchinhisfictiontodealwiththebankruptcyoftheAmericanDream.

C.FitzgeraldisagreatstylistinAmericanliterature.Hisstyle,closelyrelatedtohisthemes,isexplicitandchilly.Hisaccuratedialogues,hiscarefulobservationofmannerism,styles,modelsandattitudesprovidethereaderwithavividsenseofreality.

D.HefollowstheJamesiantraditioninusingthescenicmethodinhischapters,eachoneofwhichconsistsofoneormoredramaticscenes,sometimeswithinterveningpassagesofnarration,thetediousprocessoftransitiontothereader’simagination. 

Style

FitzgeraldwasoneofthegreatstylistsinAmericanliterature.Hisproseissmooth,sensitive,andcompletelyoriginalinitsdictionandmetaphors.Itssimplicityandgracefulness,itsskillinmanipulatingtherelationbetweenthegeneralandthespecificrevealhisconsummateartistry.

MajorWorks

ThisSideofParadise

F.ScottFitzgeraldwrotethefirstdraftofhisfirstnovelinthearmyduring1917and1918.Theworkingtitleswere"TheRomanticEgoist"and"TheRomanticEgotist."ItwasrejectedbyCharlesScribner'sSonsin1918.In1919FitzgeraldrewrotethebookasThisSideofParadise.ItspublicationbyScribnersinApril1920madehimaliterarycelebritybeforehistwenty-fourthbirthday.

SetmostlyatPrinceton,ThisSideofParadisewasthemostinfluentialAmericancollegenovelofitstimeandannouncedthearrivalofayoungergenerationwithnewvaluesandaspirations.

TheGreatGatsby:

plot

JayGatsbyisamanpossessed—drivenbygreed,ambitionand,mostofall,anunwaveringdesireforawomanhemetbeforetheGreatWar,whenhewaspoorandshewasunobtainable.AsGatsbyreinventshimselfinanattempttobuyhiswayintothesocialeliteofLongIsland'sGoldCoast,heyearnstorekindlehisromancewiththewomanwhostolehisheartyearsbefore.Butwhenthechancefinallyarrives,ashadowoftragedyiscastoverwhatGatsbylong-imaginedwouldbehistriumphantmoment.

Narrativepointofview–Nick

Heisrelatedtoeveryoneinthenovelandiscalmanddetectedobserverwhoisneverquicktomakejudgements.

Selectedomniscientpointofview

Gatsby’slifepattern:

1.adream,2.adisenchantment,3.asenseoffailure&despair.

Itstheme:

TheAmericanDreamisdead.

It’saglimpseintothelifeofthehighclassduringtheroaringtwentiesthroughtheeyesofamoralisticyoungman,NickCarraway.

Throughthenarrator'seyes,readersareshownhowmodernvalueshavetransformedtheAmericanDream'spureidealsintoaschemeformaterialisticpower,andhowtheworldofhighsocietylacksanysenseofmorals.

FitzgeraldshowstheonceimperviousdreamisnowlostforevertotheAmericanpeople.

Chapter3,Gatsby'sfabulouspartiesathisexpensive,rentedestatenearNewYork;the1stsuchpartythenarratorhasattended.

Thereisapassagewhichbeginswithadescriptionoftheelaboratepreparations,watchedfromthehousenextdoor,thenhisobservationsasoneoftheguests.

Anatmosphereofcontradiction:

crowedparty–emptinessofwarmthorfriendship,thecharm&sweetnessofyouthspoiledbytriviality&tawdriness,thehouse&gardennotforenjoymentbutformakinganimpression.

MainCharactersofTheGreatGatsby

Gatsby:

Hehasagrace,charm.Hecherishesaromanticideal,viewswealthonlyassth.external.Heisvulgar,dedicatedtohispurpose.Hisillusionmakeshimsacrificeforawrongdream.

Daisy:

awhiteflowerwithayellowcenter.

Anirony.Sheappearstobeinnocent,pure&natural,charminginappearance.Infactdark,dirty,meanatheart.

AsymbolofAmericanDream.

ImportantQuotationsExplained

（1）

1.Ihopeshe’llbeafool—that’sthebestthingagirlcanbeinthisworld,abeautifullittlefool.

2.Hehadoneofthoseraresmileswithaqualityofeternalreassuranceinit,thatyoumaycomeacrossfourorfivetimesinlife.Itfaced,orseemedtoface,thewholeexternalworldforaninstantandthenconcentratedonyouwithanirresistibleprejudiceinyourfavor.Itunderstoodyoujustasfarasyouwantedtobeunderstood,believedinyouasyouwouldliketobelieveinyourself.

3.ThetruthwasthatJayGatsby,ofWestEgg,LongIsland,sprangfromhisPlatonicconceptionofhimself.HewasasonofGod—aphrasewhich,ifitmeansanything,meansjustthat—andhemustbeaboutHisFather’sbusiness,theserviceofavast,vulgar,andmeretriciousbeauty.SoheinventedjustthesortofJayGatsbythataseventeenyearoldboywouldbelikelytoinvent,andtothisconceptionhewasfaithfultotheend.

4.That’smyMiddleWest...thestreetlampsandsleighbellsinthefrostydark....IseenowthatthishasbeenastoryoftheWest,afterall—TomandGatsby,DaisyandJordanandI,wereallWesterners,andperhapswepossessedsomedeficiencyincommonwhichmadeussubtlyunadaptabletoEasternlife.

5.Gatsbybelievedinthegreenlight,theorgasticfuturethatyearbyyearrecedesbeforeus.Iteludedusthen,butthat’snomatter—tomorrowwewillrunfaster,stretchoutourarmsfarther…Andthenonefinemorning—

Sowebeaton,boatsagainstthecurrent,bornebackceaselesslyintothepast.

StudyQuestions

oDiscussGatsby’scharacterasNickperceiveshimthroughoutthenovel.WhatmakesGatsby“great”?

oWhatisNicklikeasanarrator?

Isheareliablestoryteller,ordoeshisversionofeventsseemsuspect?

Howdohisqualitiesasacharacteraffecthisnarration?

oWhataresomeofTheGreatGatsby’smostimportantsymbols?

Whatdoesthenovelhavetosayabouttheroleofsymbolsinlife?

oHowdoesthegeographyofthenoveldictateitsthemesandcharacters?

WhatroledoessettingplayinTheGreatGatsby?