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1、On the Ruin of the American Dream in The Great GatsbyAbstractF. Scott. Fitzgerald (1896-1940), as the most famous chronicler and laureate of the Jazz Age, is one of the most representative American novelist of the 1920s. He was not only a leading participant in the typically frivolous, carefree, mon
2、eymaking life of the decade but also a detached observer of it. Owing to its extraordinary literary merits, Fitzgeralds Great Gatsby is listed among the most notable twentieth-century American novels. This thesis analyzes the roots of the disillusionment of Gatsbys dream from the social, historical
3、and authorial perspectives. By exploring the origins and essential nature of Gatsbys dream, the naivety and innocence in his personality and the cruelty of the Jazz Age society epitomized by the ruthless and immoral Buchanans, the paper draws the conclusion that a combination of these elements defin
4、es Gatsbys failure and destruction in the end. Theme discussion in this paper is basically done through history and character analysis, which aims for better understanding of the connotation of the novel. Key words: Scott. Fitzgerald; The Great Gatsby; American dream; disillusionment内容摘要弗朗西斯司科特菲兹杰拉德
5、往往被推崇为“爵士时代”的编年史家和桂冠诗人，是二十世纪美国最重要的作家之一。他不仅亲身经历了美国历史上“最会纵乐、最讲究炫丽”的时代的生活，而且以敏锐的目光，审视着那个时代所发生的一切。代表作了不起的盖茨比一问世便以其蕴涵的重大社会意义和表现的精湛艺术成就引起巨大轰动，被认为是二十世纪美国文学中最优秀的作品之一。本论文从人物分析着手, 从社会、历史、以及作者自身的经历和世界观等多方面探讨导致主人公盖茨比梦毁人亡的根源所在。美国梦幻灭不仅有其深刻的社会历史原因，且与盖茨比性格中的自我毁灭因素息息相关。通过分析我们可以看出盖茨比之梦的历史渊源和实质，盖茨比性格中的天直单纯和不谙世故以及以汤姆、黛
6、西为代表的美国社会的冷酷无情和道德沦丧。这些从根本上决定了美国梦的幻灭。本文主要通过人物分析来分析作品的主题，并将二者有机地统一起来，意在较全面深刻地解读作品的内涵。关键词：司科特菲茨杰拉德；了不起的盖茨比；美国梦；幻灭ContentsIntroduction .1I. Fitzgerald and The Great Gatsby.11.1 Fitzgeralds Life and His Works.11.2 Social and Historical Context of The Great Gatsby.2II. The Disillusion of the American Drea
7、m.32.1 The So-called American Dream：A Historical Retrospect. .32.1.1 Origin of the American Dream.32.1.2 Development of the American Dream.42.1.3 Corruption of the American Dream.42.2 The Disillusionment of Gatsbys Dream.62.2.1 Origins of Gatsbys Dream.62.2.2 Essence of Gatsbys Dream.72.2.2.1 Elemen
8、ts of Gatsbys Dream .72.2.2.2 A Dream with Its Elements in Conflict.8III. Cruelty of the Society.93.1 The Conflicts between the New Rich and the Established Rich.93.1.1 The Economic Difference.93.1.2 The Social Conflict.103.2 Cruelty of the Society Epitomized by the Immoral Buchanans.11Conclusion.13
9、References .15IntroductionI. Fitzgerald and The Great Gatsby1.1 Fitzgeralds Life and His Works F. Scott. Fitzgerald was the most representative novelist of the 1920s. He was not only an active, leading participant in the typically frivolous, moneymaking life of the decade, but also a detached, profo
10、und observer of it at the same time. His own life was a mirror of the times. He led a priceless life and achieved much during the “Roaring Twenties”, drinking hard whisky, driving fast cars, and taking much delight in it. F. Scott. Fitzgerald was born on September 24, 1896, in St. Paul-in the Middle
11、 West of America. His father was a poor but well-bred descendent of the family. During a Christmas vacation spent in St. Paul, Fitzgerald fall in love with Ginevra king who is a wealthy Chicago debutante. But later Ginevra king rejected him because her father thought that he was not rich. In 1917, F
12、itzgerald met Zelda Sayre and fell in love with her soon. However, although Zelda willing to become engaged to Fitzgerald, did not finally agree to marry him until he could show his ability to support her. So the moment the army released him in 1919, He became a novelist for the sole purpose of earn
13、ing enough money to marry Zelda!(Elizabeth 1982: 62) In 1919, he published his first novel This Side of Paradise, which was an immediate success. Suddenly, Fitzgerald got rich and famous at the age of twenty-three, and then he returned to Zelda and married her. Zelda caused Fitzgeralds greatest happ
14、iness and deepest sorrow throughout his life. For four years, the stylish young couple plunged into the wealthy society of their generation. They recklessly pursued their pleasures from America to Europe, spending more money than they earned. During this period, Fitzgerald wrote The Beautiful and Da
15、mned (1922) and Tales of the Jazz Age (1922). In 1925, he wrote his best novel The Great Gatsby. However, everything changed after the first breakdown in 1930. Fitzgerald sank into alcoholism and was troubled by financial and psychological problems caused by his wifes luxury and jealousy of his writ
16、ing. Tender Is the Night (1934) was completed around that time. He spent the rest of his life writing stories and screenplay and died in 1940, at the age of 44. It was not until ten years after his death that the great genius of his writing came into full recognition. 1.2 Social and Historical Conte
17、xt of The Great GatsbyThe decade of 1920s of America had a sharply defined uniqueness than most recognized periods. World War I had left all European belligerents weak and numbed spiritually. America, however, not having been involved in the War for long, remained just as forceful as before. An econ
18、omic boom marked the first few post-war years, and materialism spread rapidly all over the country, and people became more greedy and self absorption. The American dream turned to be a dream of money, and wealth became the symbol of success. However the gap between the wealthy and the poor was still
19、 painfully obvious in society. Prosperous in economy as it was，a lot changes in spiritual and social values were taking place in the 1920s, which deeply affected the younger generation. The attitude of the time was also a backlash against the experience of the war. Young people turned their backs to
20、 the values of their parents. Girls enjoyed the freedom in their relationships with boys, which would be impossible before. A revolution took place in peoples attitudes towards sex and moral. The pursuit for material fulfillment and sensual enjoyment became the dominance of young peoples life. The A
21、merican Twenties is also a period when city crimes were on the rise. A lot of groups as well as individuals took the chance to make large profits over the Prohibition.II. The Disillusion of the American Dream2.1 The So-called American Dream：A Historical RetrospectThis chapter intends to explore the
22、reason why the American Dream, as Fitzgerald attempts to state in his The Great Gatsby, brings about failure and corruption in the 1920s instead of success as it does in the early years of American history by means of looking back to some historical phenomena relevant to the changing progress of the
23、 American Dream from the colonial period to the 1920s, that is, from its origin to its development and finally to its corruption. 2.1.1 Origin of the American Dream The American Dream,as a special product of the American civilization, begins to take shape at the starting point of the American civili
24、zation when the first European Puritan settlers came to the new world in the early seventeenth century. Therefore, some of the American Puritan religious and moral concepts have gone into the making of the following three essential qualities of the American Dream.First, the American Dream adopts a p
25、ositive attitude towards material success and considers it as all important expression of self-fulfillment. That explains the reason why material success is what one most likely first thinks of when it comes to the topic of the American Dream. Secondly, the American Dream is also known to support th
26、e idea that the chance to achieve material success will falls onto the person who has high moral standards. Accordingly, spiritual development is necessary for material success in the logic of the American Dream. This idea of appreciating spiritual development equally stems from American Puritan rel
27、igious belief. Finally, Optimism is another remarkable characteristic of the American Dream. We can see this quality from Gatsby; he never loses his faith and confidence in his ability to attain his life goal from the moment when he kisses Daisy first time five years ago until the last days of his l
28、ife.2.1.2 Development of the American Dream This part intends to make an study of how the American Dream gets enriched and developed with the advancement of the nation.First, the American Dream is an ideal that expresses human hopes and wishes for a democratic, liberal society, where mans basic dema
29、nd for survival, self-fulfillment and social recognition can be ensured. It is supposed that in such a society, no man is despised due to his origin and every one shall equally have the opportunity to achieve his due success and happiness if he works hard toward a goal. Secondly, carrying forward th
30、e Puritan tradition, the American Dream goes on to healthily grow up in Americas capitalist democratic soil. And it successfully pushes the advancement of the nation and becomes a reality in many fortunate self-made mens cases in the early age of America. Among these people, Benjamin Franklin, Thoma
31、s Edison and Abraham Lincoln are the most famous representatives. They all come from poor origins and win the unanimous reverence of the nation. Their successful legendary careers proclaim to the world that every one can achieve success in America if he has confidence, aspiration, determination, and
32、 virtues, regardless of his origin.Consequently, with its worthwhile role in the progress of the nation and individuals, the American Dream gradually becomes an unwavering belief in the mind of the whole nation. 2.1.3 Corruption of the American DreamThere is no denying the fact that the American Dre
33、am has played a positive role in the advancement of the nation and individuals in the early years of American history. However, when it came to the twentieth century, some changes happened to the American Dream and make it corrupt and corruptive at the same time. First, the economic boom after the F
34、irst World War offers the soil for materialism and hedonism. Both of the two concepts draw peoples attention away from the early Puritans emphasis on spiritual and material improvement into merely desperate pursuit of material success. Because of the war, America has risen up as the wealthiest count
35、ry in the world with no obvious rival. People just overspend their money and enjoy physical pleasure. The whole Americans go into a mad whirl of the unlimited materialism and the immediate hedonism. Secondly, the faith crisis after the War causes grave moral decadence of the general society, which c
36、orrupts the moral basis of the American Dream. The faith crisis directly results from the tremendous impact that the First World War has imposed on peoples thought and feelings, in particular on the youth. At first, the young people are inspired to jion into the war enthusiastically with the hope of
37、 making the world more safe for democracy. But when they return from the war, they are disappointed to find that “the Great War” has brought the world nothing but grief and death. Then the faith crisis arises. It unavoidably invites emotions of despair and insecurity among the young generation.Nicks
38、 account of one of Gatsbys lavish parties in Chapter III shows a way of getting close to an accurate picture of the time: Gatsbys vulgar ostentation of his incredible wealth, the wild jazz music, the careless crazy youth, the new daring dances and the chaos abounding at and after the party. With the
39、 effect of the strong wine and the Jazz music, both of which seem to give way to freedom, the young people are seen to go crazy for fun. As Fitzgerald pointes out through Nicks voice in The Great Gatsby, the majority of the 1920s are “careless people” (Fitzgerald 1992: 158). They feel no shame at be
40、ing “a bad driver” (Fitzgerald 1992: 157).Following the above analysis, we can see that it is the impact of the First World War and the economic doom following it that have changed Americans idea of life, which subsequently shakes the fundamental of the American Dream.2.2 The Disillusionment of Gats
41、bys Dream As many critics said, Gatsby is a steady and romantic hero who directs his life by a dream to which he was faithful to the end, for no one and nothing in America can match the vitality of Gatsbys dream. Meanwhile his destruction is strongly coupled with the disillusionment of his dream, th
42、us an analysis of it is necessary.2.2.1 Origins of Gatsbys DreamIn the last chapter of the novel, Gatsbys father proudly showed Gatsbys schedule and general resolves written in 1906 on the last fly-leaf of the “ragged” copy book called Hopalong Cassidy(Fitzgerald 1992: 110) to Nick. It tells how dee
43、ply young Gatsby has absorbed the ideas of Benjamin Franklin through his autobiography into his ambition to be successful, believing that a man can be what he want to be by hard working.Horatio Alger (1834-1899), writer of the book Hopalon Cassidy, is another person who had large influence on young
44、James in forming his early belief. Alger has probably been the most widely read of all American writers. “His novels tend to follow the same pattern: a boy works his way up from poverty to respectability through hard work, thrift and good luck.” (Matterson 1990: 65) To Alger, everything is determine
45、d by the efforts and the character of the individuals. Gatsby actually starts by struggling for advancement in the Alger method. The parallel between Gatsbys experience and the American history is explicit on the last page of the novel：Most of the big shore places were closed now and there were hard
46、ly any light except the shadowy,moving glow of a ferryboat across the sound. And as the moon rose higher the inessential houses began to melt away until gradually I became aware of the old island that flowered ooce for the Dutch sailors eyes-a fresh, green breast of the new world. Its vanished trees，the trees that had made way for GatsbyS house，had once pandered in whisper to the last and greatest of all human dreams; for a transitory enchanted moment man must have held his breath in the presence of this continent, compelled into an aesthetic contemplation he neither understood
