The Disillusion of American Dream Reflected in The Great GatsbyWord格式.docx

The Disillusion of American Dream Reflected in The Great GatsbyWord格式.docx

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1.2DescriptionoftheNovel……………………………………………….3

II.LiteratureReviews…………………………………………………....5

2.1AnalysistheMainCharactersinTheGreatGatsby....………..….............5

2.1.1JayGatsby………………………………..……………………....5

2.1.2Daisy……………………………………………………………....6

2.1.3Nick…………………………………………..………………....7

2.2ArtisticSkills—Symbols………………………………..………………7

2.2.1TheGreenLight…………………………………….……………7

2.2.2TheValleyofAshes…………………………………………………8

2.2.3TheEyesofDoctorT.JEckleburg………………………………….8

2.2.4Geography………………………………………………………..8

III.TheDeclineoftheAmericanDream………………………..…………9

3.1TheDisillusionoftheAmericanDream…………………..….………..9

3.2TheReasonsoftheTragedy……………………………..…….……….11

IV.Conclusion……………………………………………………………13

4.1ThemeAnalysis…………………………………………..….………13

4.2AMirrorofAmericainthe1920'

s…………………………..…………15

References……………………………………………………………….…17

摘要：

《了不起的盖茨比》以独特的艺术手法及深刻的社会背景轰动了当时的整个美国，代表着菲茨杰拉得文学的最高成就，集中反映了二十世纪二十年代的美国梦及其幻灭的过程,给我们展现了美国西部大开发时代的社会面貌，也反映了作者对美国梦的深刻理解。

小说通过栩栩如生的个性鲜明的人物，及大量的象征手法的应用来烘托小说的背景。

菲茨杰拉得通过对盖茨比一生对梦想的追求来反映了当时的青年一代对美国梦的信仰。

本文通过对小说中人物个性的分析，艺术手法的再现来阐述当代的美国梦及其幻灭的过程，再现了美国二十世纪二十年代的社会背景及给如今的我们留下的深刻反思。

关键词：

美国梦的幻灭；

《了不起的盖茨比》；

象征手法；

人物性格

Abstract:

TheGreatGatsbycausedasensationofthewholeAmerica,dependingontheuniqueartistry,deepsocialmeditation.ItisthemasterpieceofFitzgerald.Thenovelreflectsthedisillusionofthe1920sAmericandream；

itreflectsavividsocialbackgroundofthedevelopmentofwesternlandofAmerica;

andalsoreflectsthedeepthinkingoftheAmericandream.Thenovelusesthevividcharactersandtheiruniquepersonalitytosupportthethemeofthenovel:

theprocessofthedeclineoftheAmericandream,atthesametimetoreflectthesocialbackgroundofthe1920stousagain.Additionally,alotofsymbolscoverthewholenoveltosupportthismasterpieceagain.Fitzgeraldportraystheyouth’sfaithinAmericandreamasthe“great”Gatsby’swholelife.Andthisthesismainlyanalysisthevividcharacters,symbolstoelaboratetheAmericandreamandtheprocessofthedisillusionofitandalsoreflectsthesocialbackgroundofthe1920s.Atthesametime,adeepmeditationleftallofustokeepinourminds.

Keywords:

DisillusionoftheAmericandream;

TheGreatGatsby;

symbols;

personality

I.Introduction

1.1IntroductiontoFitzgerald

JustasmanypeoplethoughtthatAmericawouldbecomehopeoftheworld,soF.Scott.Fitzgeraldandotheryoungpeoplewereveryenthusiasticandexitedaboutthisnewworldtheywerelivinginbutlivedtorealizeeventuallythat,insteadofsuccess,itwasadisaster.ForFitzgerald,wholivedinthemidstofthe“roaringtwenties”anditwaspartofitall-drivingfastcars,drinkinghardwhisky,andtakinganimmensedelightinit,Americawas,hewasperceptiveenoughtounderstand,“amoonthatneverrose”.Asmuchasheenjoyedthe“roaringofthepost-warboomrears,heforesawitsdoom”.

FrancisScottKeyFitzgeraldwasbornonseptember24,1896.HewasraisedinSt.Paul,Minnesota.Toughanintelligentchild,hedidpoorlyinschoolandwassenttoaNewJerseyboardingschoolin1911.Despitebeingamediocrestudentthere,hemenacedtoenrollatPrincetonin1913.Academictroublesandapathyplaguedhimthroughouthistimeatcollege,andhenevergraduated,insteadenlistinginthearmyin1917,asWorldWarIneareditsend.

Oneofthemajoreventsduring15monthsofservicewashismeetingZeldaSayre.ZeldawasthedaughterofajudgeinMontgomery,Alabama,abeautifulgirlwhotoldFitzgeraldthatshelikedhimwellenoughbutwastooexpensiveforhim.Afterhisdischargefromthearmyearlyin1919,itbecameapparentthathehadnomeansofsupportingthiswomanwithsuchgreatfinancialandsocialexpectationshehadnowayofmakingafortunebywritingadvertisementsinNewYork.Zeldasoonbroketheirengagement,inJune,andFitzgeraldwentbacktohisfather’shometorewritehishovel.SixmonthslaterhesurfacedagaininMontgomery,thistimetriumphantwiththenewsthathisnovelhadbeenaccepted.Zeldaagreedtomarryhimwhenthemorelwaspublished.ThisSideofParadiseisnotreallyverygoodbecauseitwaswrittenbysoyoungaman,butishistoricallyinteresting.Itbecameimmenselypopularforthesimplereasonthatitcaughtthetoneoftheage.Essentiallyautobiographical,thebookdescribesFitzgerald’ssenseoffailurewithhisacademicperformanceandthefrustrationofhisdreamsatPrinceton.

Outofhisvoluminouswritingsintheearlytwentiescametwocollections.FlappersandPhilosophers（1920）whichglitteredwiththeimageoftheFitzgerald’sasthesymbolofanAmericanideal（theword“flapper,”usedtodescribethenewwomanofthepost-warperiod,becamewidespreadhenceforward）,andTalesoftheJazzAge（1922）whichgaveitsnametoanimportanthistoricalperiodinthehistoryofthecountry,theJazzAge,the1920’s.

In1922FitzgeraldfinishedhissecondnovelTheBeautifulandDamned.ItisinterestingespeciallyasasortoffirstattemptatwritingTheGreatGatsby:

itsthemeisthesameasTheGreatGatsbythoughthewritingisnotasgreatasit.Meanwhile,theFitzgeraldswereliving,ontheproceedsofScott’sbooksandstoriesasawriter,thusitwasamazingthathewasstillartisticallywholeenoughtoproduceinParishismasterpiece,TheGreatGatsby（1925）.Afterthishewroteonemoreimportantbook,TenderistheNight,andsomecollectionsofshortstoriessuchasAlltheSadYouthMenandTapsatReveille.

AsthegiddinessoftheRoaringTwentiesdissolvedintothebleaknessoftheGreatDepression,however,ZeldasufferedanervousbreakdownandFitzgeraldbattledalcoholism,whichhamperedhiswriting.（Threethingseventuallycombinedtobreakhimdown,loneliness,alcohol,andtheawarenessthathewasdissipatinghistalent）.Ashislifebecameatragicmess,hetriedtofindsolaceinhiscups.Itwasalcoholasmuchasanythingthatkilledhimintheend.Toamanwhovaluedartisticintegrityoverandaboveanythingelse,nothinghurtmorethantheacuteconsciousnessthat,bywritingtrashforpopularmagazinesinordertomakemoney,hewasfritteringawayhistalent.Fitzgeraldwastormentedvirtuallyallhislifebythefactthathecouldnotconcentrateonthenovelandtheimprovementofhisartingeneral.

Fitzgeraldisthesacrificeofhistimes.Hewasveryenthusiasticinthelavishlife,atthesametime;

hestillcouldusehiscriticaleyestoobservethem.Inhisstory,GatsbycontrastedmostconsistentlywithNick.Criticspointoutthattheformer,passionateandactiveandthelatter,soberandreflective,seemtorepresenttwosidesofFitzgerald’sPersonality.

1.2DescriptionoftheNovel

NickCarraway,ayoungmanfromMinnesota,movestoNewYorkinthesummerof1922tolearnaboutthebondbusiness.HerentsahouseintheWestEggdistrictofLongIsland,awealthybutunfashionableareapopulatedbythenewrich,agroupwhohavemadetheirfortunestoorecentlytohaveestablishedsocialconnectionsandwhoarepronetogarishdisplaysofwealth.Nick’snest-doorneighborinWestEggisamysteriousmannamedJayGatsby,wholivesinagiganticGothicmansionandthrowsextravagantpartieseverySaturdaynight.

NickisunliketheotherinhabitantsofWestEgg—hewaseducatedatYaleandhassocialconnectionsinEastEgg,afashionableareaofLongIslandhometotheestablishedupperclass.NickdrivesouttoEastEggoneeveningfordinnerwithhiscousin,DaisyBuchanan,andherhusband,Tom,aclassmateofNick’satYale.DaisyandTomintroduceNicktoJordanBaker,abeautiful,cynicalyoungwomanwithwhomNickbeginsaromanticrelationship.NickalsolearnsabitaboutDaisyandTom’smarriage:

JordantellshimthatTomhasalover,MyrtleWilson,wholivesinthevalleyofashes,agrayindustrialdumpinggroundbetweenWestEggandNewYorkCity.Notlongafterthisrevelation,NicktravelstoNewYorkCitywithTomandMyrtle.Atavulgar,gaudypartyintheapartmentthatTomkeepsfortheaffair,MyrtlebeginstotauntTomaboutDaisy,andTomrespondsbybreakinghernose.

Asthesummerprogresses,NickeventuallygetsaninvitationtooneofGatsby’slegendaryparties.HeencountersJordanBakerattheparty,andtheymeetGatsbyhimself,asurprisinglyyoungmanwhoaffectsanEnglishaccent,hasaremarkablesmile,andcallseveryone“oldsport.”GatsbyaskstospeaktoJordanalone,andthroughJordan,Nicklaterlearnsmoreabouthismysteriousneighbor.GatsbytellsJordanthatheknewDaisyinLouisvillein1917andisdeeplyinlovewithher.Hespendsmanynightsstaringatthegreenlightattheendofherdock,acrossthebayfromhismansion.Gatsby’sextravagantlifestyleandwildpartiesaresimplyanattempttoimpressDaisy.GatsbynowwantsNicktoarrangeareunionbetweenhimselfandDaisy,butheisafraidthatDaisywillrefusetoseehimifsheknowsthathestilllovesher.NickinvitesDaisytohaveteaathishouse,withouttellingherthatGatsbywillalsobethere.Afteraninitiallyawkwardreunion,GatsbyandDaisyreestablishtheirconnection.Andthentheirloverekindled.

Afterashorttime,Tomgrowsincreasinglysuspiciousofhiswife’srelationshipwithGatsby.AtaluncheonattheBuchanans’house,GatsbystaresatDaisywithsuchundisguisedpassionthatTomrealizesGatsbyisinlovewithher.ThoughTomishimselfinvolvedinanextramaritalaffair,heisdeeplyoutragedbythethough