An Analysis of American Dream in The Great Gatsby 1

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山东农业大学

毕 业 论 文

The Application of Western Rhetoric Theories

山东农业大学学士学位论文

in Chinese Court Argumentation

学 院 外国语学院 专业班级 英语双专业2008级 2班 ……………….……. …………. …………. …………………. …………

届 次 2012届 学生姓名 栾震 学 号 20084453 指导教师 石运章 教授 二零一二年六月十六日 二零一二年六月十六日

Contents

山东农业大学学士学位论文

摘要.............................................................................................. 错误！未定义书签。 Abstract ........................................................................................ 错误！未定义书签。 I.Introduction ................................................................................................................. 6

1.1 Fitzgerald’s Background ................................................................................. 6 1.2 Fitzgerald’s Marriage ....................................................................................... 6 1.3 Literary Works of Fitzgerald .......................................................................... 7 1.4 Literature review ............................................................................................... 7 II.The Introduction of American Dream ........................................................................ 9

2.1 The Definition of American Dream ................................................................ 9 2.2 The Origin of American Dream ...................................................................... 9 2.3 The Connotation of American Dream ............................................................ 10 2.4 The Development of American Dream ......................................................... 10

2.4.1 The Development in the West Movement .......................................... 11 2.4.3 American Dream in Twenty Century .................................................. 11

III. Gatsby’s American Dream ..................................................................................... 12

3.1 Gatsby’s dream of money ............................................................................... 12 3.2 Gatsby’s dream of status ................................................................................. 13 3.3 Gatsby’s dream of love ................................................................................... 14 Conclusion ................................................................................................................... 15 References .................................................................................................................... 16 Acknowledgments........................................................................................................ 16

山东农业大学学士学位论文

目 录

汉语摘要.........................................................................................................................................1 英语摘要.........................................................................................................................................2 1.介绍..............................................................................................................................................2 1.1菲茨杰拉德背景.....................................................................................................................2 1.2菲茨杰拉德婚姻.....................................................................................................................3 1.3 菲茨杰拉德文学作品............................................................................................................5 1.4文献综述..................................................................................................................................6 2 美国梦简介................................................................................................................................10 2.1美国梦定义............................................................................................................................10 2.2美国梦起源............................................................................................................................11 2.3美国梦含义............................................................................................................................12 2.4 美国梦发展...........................................................................................................................13 2.4.1西部运动的发展.............................................................................................................13 2.4.2 20世纪的美国梦............................................................................................................15 3 盖茨比的美国梦........................................................................................................................16 3.1盖茨比的金钱梦....................................................................................................................16 3.2 盖茨比的地位梦...................................................................................................................20 3.3 盖茨比的爱情梦....................................................................................................................21 6.结语.............................................................................................................................................23 7.参考文献.....................................................................................................................................26 致谢................................................................................................................................................27

山东农业大学学士学位论文

An Analysis of American Dream in

The Great Gatsby Author: Fan Shuoshuo Supervisor: Su Mingzhen

(College of Foreign Languages, Shandong Agricultural University, Tai’an )

Abstract: F. Scott Fitzgerald is one of the most significant writers in American in last century.

He is a representative man for the lost generation, and is called as spokesman for American Dream. One of the most famous novels of him is The Great Gatsby,which can be a textbook example in American society. The book describes empty feeling,enjoyment,contradiction of American person who lives in the go-go years in 1920s. Hero Gatsby’s disillusionment reflects illusory dreams of Americans and inanity and helpless feeling behind luxury. During the whole life of Fitzgerald, he experienced frustration,confusion,prosperity and failure, he wrote his own contradiction and struggles of life and his experience story down in this novel, to some extent, making the novel like a biography and one literary masterpiece of the top peak in the field of literature and aesthetics.

Key Words: American Dream,struggle,literature

摘要：美国作家斯科特菲茨杰拉德，20世纪最伟大的美国作家之一，他是美国“迷惘的一代”的作家中的代表性人物，被称为“美国梦的代言人”。他最为有名的一部小说就是《了不起的盖茨比》，此书堪称美国社会缩影的经典代表，描述了1920年代美国人在歌舞升平中空虚、享乐、矛盾的精神和思想，主人公盖茨比美国梦的破碎，反映出了那个年代人们心中虚幻的梦想和奢华背后的空虚和无奈。菲茨杰拉德的一生经历了挫折、迷惘、成功与失败，而他把自己内心的矛盾和冲突，思想上的挣扎，他自己对美国生活的体验，全都注入到了《了不起的盖茨比》这部作品中，使得这部小说带有一定的自传色彩，在文学和美学领域都堪称文学佳作中的巅峰。 关键词：美国梦，奋斗，文学

山东农业大学学士学位论文

I.Introduction

1.1 Fitzgerald’s Background

F. Scott Fitzgerald was born in 16 into a St, Paul middle-class family. His father Edward Fitzgerald is a poor businessman. He spent his childhood mainly in Buffalo during 18 to 1901 and 1906 to 1908. Because his parents were both Catholics, Fitzgerald studied and lived in the Catholic church in his early teens. He found himself be interested in literary during his life in Buffalo. In 1908,Fitzgerald came back to Minnesota with his family, and during 1908 to 1911,he studied in Saint Paul’s College.

In 1911,Fitzgerald was 15 years old ,he was sent to Newman college in New Jersey, after he graduated from Newman college, he started his study in Princeton University and decided to be a writer. In Princeton, he met the unborn critic, writer Edmund Wilson and John Paul, and he began to write for Princeton triangle club. Fitzgerald joined the army in 1917 and was sent to Alabama Montgomery military bases. In 1920, he published his first novel This Side of Paradise, the book became popular soon, and made him rich and famous. 1.2 Fitzgerald’s Marriage

After an unsuccessful undergraduate career at Princeton,he entered the army as a second Lieutenant and while in training camp he met the beautiful girl who was to become his wife. He married Zelma Sabre in 1920.Through the 1920s when money seemed plentiful and postwar morality encouraged a reckless pursuit of happiness,he and Zelma traveled in Europe and New York, acting out the glamorous lifestyle he wrote of in his most popular magazine fiction,He was a spokesman for the so-called Jazz Age,setting an literary example for a generation whose first commandment was: Do what you will.The quality of his life dropped as his life was crumbled by Zelma’s insanity and his self-destructive alcoholism.He fell from favor as a writer when the indulgent decade of his triumph went down under the impact of a worldwide Depression in the 1930s. It is absolutely the tough teenage years and marriage life that made Fitzgerald experience the difficulties and frustrations of the life.So we should discover some reflections of the story from the authors life.The relationship between Fitzgerald and Zelma went so dramatic that even himself once said:Sometimes i don’t know whether Zelma and and I are real or whether we are characters in one of my novels.Zelma was the daughter of a judge in Montgomery,Alabama,a beautiful society girl.Though she told Fitzgerald that she loved him so much,but her too expensive life left him unable to support her.The

山东农业大学学士学位论文

y have experienced breaking up but finally got engaged because Fitzgerald’s success.It was also at this time that Fitzgerald wrote many of his short stories which helped to pay for their extravagant lifestyle. But when the misfortune came in 1930s,when Zelma became increasingly troubled by mental illness. Their life became harder.It was his marriage and his onerous life of making money to support her that affected his writing tremendously.Fitzgerald was tormented virtually all his life by the fact that he could not concentrate on his working and improvement of his art in general. 1.3 Literary Works of Fitzgerald

The Roaring Twenties was a period of literary creativity,and works of several notable authors appeared during the period.Such as Earnest Hemingway, Erich Maria Remarque and F. Scott Fitzgerald.

Literary works in that period of time mirror people’s experiences and attitude.We could see it from the following examples:All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque recounts the horrors of WWI and also the deep detachment from German civilian life felt by many men returning from the front.

This Side of Paradise by F. Scott Fitzgerald portrays the lives andmorality of post-World War I youth. The Sun Also Rises by Ernest Hemingway is about a group of expatriate Americans in Europe

during .All in all writers and their works in those years were haunted with complicated sensations which have shown us all the difficulties and frustrations in their life.

The Great Gatsby contains all the words that Fitzgerald want to say,in this book,he expressed the spirit of the era. Fitzgerald once said:“It is a time of miracle,art,and luxury,but it is also a time full of sarcasm.” In his writing,the golf course,the luxurious life and romantic love of young man are eternal theme.The Great Gatsby taking the ideals and love as the subject,telling readers a sad story of changing love and ironic dream.

After all,as a excellent artist,the special means of artistic expression of Fitzgerald has been widely concerned by linguists and translators all around the world.His flexible use of narrative techniques made this novel express better to readers. In view of this sense,Thomas Stearns Eliot speak of the novel as “One big step in American literary world since Henry James.” 1.4 Literature review

With the development of symbolism, one of ramification of it,the color symbolism has been widely used by lots of writers for represent figures to convey feelings and make the theme standing out in the literary works.Fitzgerald uses color symbolism to portray the characters and reveal the theme in his finest work The Great Gatsby and present us a vivid image of American during the Jazz Age after the First World War and culture, F. Scott Fitzgerald vividly shows us a colorful painting of the Jazz Age.With different understandings of the colors, the essayists analyzed these colors decades before,nowadays the essayists still work on them.I gathered some of opinions years before from some of the essayists below.The analysis of green: the author Li Xueshun(李雪顺《了不起的盖茨比和它的色彩象征》）believes Daisy’s light in front of her house on the dock is the main image

山东农业大学学士学位论文

symbolizing Gatsby’s love and faith, for which he has been working so hard all through his life time, but even in the end of this story his dream is still like the green light, which is always beyond his reach,it never comes true, and most of the observers hold the same opinion.The analysis of white:Ma Xiangrui’s thesis mentions that in Gatsby’s eyes Daisy looks like a pure angel often in white and sits in white limo,whereas he doesn’t know in the real life she just has a beautiful body with no soul and always does things cruel. In the other author Dong Aihua’s opinion the white symbolized the demoralization and emptiness of the people during the Jazz Age.Although this two author express in different ways, but they share the same basic point of view. The white has very opposite meaning in two sides. The analysis of yellow and golden: In Dong Aihua’s opinion yellow and golden mean money and material factors people are searching for. He believes people’s main philosophy at that age is to chase money, luxury things and social status. And in Wang xiaoming’s thesis.(王晓敏《了不起的盖茨比》中色彩象征的运用）He mentions that this color also links to the death, because the desire is original sin . Desire will lead people to behave badly,finally destroy them. About the other color mentioned less in the novel, for example the pink,blue and purple. Very few essayists researched on them year before,But these years more essayists start working on this and make their meanings clear. Recent years essayists sum up different ideals and analyze these ideals in a systemic way and add some of new opinion in the research. About the green most people hold the same opinion,it symbolized all Gatsby’s hope. About the white Ying Chengjun and Feng zhicai’s (尹成君&冯志才. <<论色彩的象征特征》）pointed out it has two opposite meanings.It symbolized the purity things,justice and simplicity; on the other hand it shows nonentity and destroys. People link the white with Daisy to show the double character of her.She is a pure and fabulous beautiful angel and an emptiness-marble-hearted devil. The yellow and golden shows the reality of the society that money can drive people’s mind.Most essayists agree this ideal. Lots of essayists focus on the color of gray,especially the gray vale in chapter 2 of The Great Gatsby,for example Dong Aihua (董爱华. 谈《了不起的盖茨比》中色彩象征在表现主题中的运用.[J].克山师专学.) mentioned the gray vale is the place surrounded by industry waste and ashes where the poor people live in. Ashes with the color of gray and it allude death and broken dream. After reading different essayists’ opinions we can see they hold lots of common points with particular difference on details.

Some of the colors which are mention less in the novel,for example the red,pink and blue people hold various ideals. Wang Xiaoming thinks that red symbolized Tom’s selfishness, haughty wildness and cruel character. Ma Li thinks Gatsby’s pink suit means his faithful warm love to Daisy.But in Li Xueshun’s opinion the red has very close relationship with violence and blood;it indicates the accident in the second half of this novel. In Dong Aihua’s opinion the

山东农业大学学士学位论文

purple means Daisy is a mystery creation in Gatsby’s heart;he used his life time to chase on it and dreamed to make it come true.As most people know the blue still means melancholy and a calm mood.

Through analysis of color symbolism of The Great Gatsby, we find that this area needs more research and in a systematic way,Especially we should combine with American culture,custom background the religion thoughts or the reflection of the war and so on.We know that the reason why F. Scott Fitzgerald uses the color symbolism is not that simple, we should dig out the inner meanings he expressed. And the colors help us understand each character much better.The research we will do in the future will make this analysis more integrity.

II.The Introduction of American Dream

2.1 The Definition of American Dream

The American Dream is an ideal, in the United States, it can be

through the tireless efforts of individuals and working hard, then succeed, rather than rely on a particular social class and the assistance of others.

Some people ever said: “If you have a dream which is not American Dream that means your dream is not enough.”So what is American Dream?Why all the people no matter where they come from all have American dream in their deep hearts.

In brief, American dream is a trust that through your persistent of hard work,you will have a better life than before.Therefore, American Dream is American people seek a better society;American Dream is a microcosm of American culture.

America gives all the immigrants from all over the world equal chances to make great efforts to achieve their goals in this land.Everyone to make great efforts to achieve their goals in this

land.“You will be successful if you try hard.” is the core implication of American Dream. 2.2 The Origin of American Dream

The term \"American Dream\" was first written by American historian Adams , in the book American Historical Dictionary, United States map in 1931,and American history anthology .

According to legend, Adams was particularly keen on the phrase“American Dream”. At that time, the United States was suffered in the Great Depression,in order to inspire the confidence of the American nationals, Adams wanted to send tens of thousands of American who cannot support themselves at that time. There is no reform. This caused the dissatisfaction of some

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Catholics,they hope to purify state religion.The Puritans believed that a success on the job or career is a sign of God's select.The moral principles of Puritan is hard work, and be on the straight.However,the church of England did not agreed with them, so some people were severe persecuted. In order to avoid the political urgent harm, or order to go to the New World and to seek a new life,some British began their North American Adventure. From the mid-17th century, a large number of European immigrants swarmed into the United States.The United States, the new continent pinned many hopes and dreams. There are variety of reasons, such as the economic interests and strict religious regime persecuted helpless.In their eyes, fertile land is the countless used up as the black gold.The new comer is the white American middle class today ancestors, their pursuit of all the good things into the American consciousness,into the part of the American dream, as their new national tradition and proud of it.

In 1930s’, American were in great depression, a historian called Adam mentioned American Dream in the article, that is in this Countries which ordinary people can, through their own efforts to change their future.Some success, but most people’s dream dashed.Nevertheless,generation after generation of Americans is still view American Dream as their dreams and work hard.

2.3 The Connotation of American Dream

On one hand, from the broad sense, the American dream refers toa kind of national belief, such as democracy, equality, free country deal and value concept. The ideas which are embodied in the United States Declaration of Independence: we hold these truths which is self-evident, that is life and equality; god has given them inalienable power: life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. ”

In addition,the U.S. Constitution is the idea made more specific,it clearly stated ensure fair and promote all the country the well-being of the people, to guarantee citizens' freedom. Therefore,American Dream of the core management concept can be summarized as follows:(1) All men are equal;(2) Free and fair;(3) Everyone has the pursuit of happiness and equality of opportunity.

On the other hand, a narrow sense, American Dream refers to any who strive for his goal; forge ahead with determination in this promising country in the United States to become rich,too.American are convinced that: Personal efforts will succeed, will realize their own ideals.In Americans’ minds, a birth and family background are not very important, but at present, Ambitions, talents and abilities are important rather than behave boldly experimental,adventurous.The pioneering spirit is the realization of its vision to showcase their talents and abilities. 2.4 The Development of American Dream

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2.4.1 The Development in the West Movement

If the unique natural conditions are the American Dream a reality-based basis, then the American establishment and the publication of the “Declaration of Independence” will make the American Dream with the ideological basis. From the American War of Independence in 1860, during the American Civil War is the time of American Dream’s development and maturity.

After the victory of the War of Independence, the United States has the rise of a large-scale mold the masses \"Westward Movement\". Along with the rise of the Westward Movement, the western United States developed rapidly. The end of the 18th century, the western United States is basically an uninhabited virgin land, to the

end of the 19th century; however, the western United States has undergone earth-shaking changes in.

Westward Movement is the process of the United States to expand the western territory and development of the vast western,the development of American culture and even the various aspects of the American society has brought great change and far-reaching impact.It has been said that the western part of the early \"paradise for adventurers, Timid grave tomb\". For the realization of the dream of courage,the diligent pursuit of life cast brave and adventurous spirit of the people. The living conditions of the original land actively use their brains, and innovation. The United States national myth gave Americans confidence, development and the spirit of adventure,the pursuit of happiness. So they think they can get what they want in this land east the West. This myth is rooted in wealth. 2.4.2 The American Dream After Civil War

The most important factors that lead to the bursting of the American Dream,are the rapid social-economic exhibition.For most Americans,their American dream in that era is difficult to achieve.The opportunity is no longer equality for all the people,many poor people are tired of all day, but to the dead remain impoverished. The people began to suspect that the American dream is just a dream.At the same time, the Westward Movement ended vigorously.When they have those representatives to the symbol of money and power of the upper classes of society, they look to achieve a dream.Then they found very far from that and they imagine.They admired those upper original wretched ignorance, they join together to chase find dream in return for nothing.

2.4.3 American Dream in Twenty Century

Belief in the “American Dream” is facing new an crisis.With the continuous development of capitalism, it was brought sorts of social problems which can not be solved. Overall, the

even

greater

all American

山东农业大学学士学位论文

society worships money. Where the value of a person,the bills he has to measure rather than depending on his talent and accomplishment.In American society, black and minority ethnic discrimination is undoubtedly the so-called democracy, equality a mockery of the society. For the pursuit of the \"American Dream” is full of contradictions.The first progress contradictions and poverty, the material life of American society is increasingly developed, and people they are increasingly fall into the abyss of spiritual poverty.

Another contradiction is that \"the United States repeats of the tragedy of the Dream.Although many people clearly understand what they realize their dreams of hope, but they still can not help but to pursue,like moths to a flame.

III. Gatsby’s American Dream

3.1 Gatsby’s dream of money

In this book, Tom, Daisy Buchanan and Jordan Baker represent the corruption of American dream. Comparing with Gatsby,they were born with wealth and status but devoid of purpose. Daisy’s lament is especially indicative of this: “What will we do with ourselves this afternoon?” cried Daisy, “and the day after that,and the next thirty years?”(Fitzgerald, 1). Daisy Buchanan, is the dream and cause of his wasted dream.As a representative of those women who are not expected to be well educated,to work, and have developed a kind of parasitic dependency.Daisy is, however, physically attractive, romantic, and sentimental,but emotionally frigid, having a destructive influence on the man with whom she is associated. All her charm is just a gesture of life rather than a quality of living. .

Tom Buchanan, the husband of Daisy, is ruler and representative of the moral wasteland that has replaced American idealism.All his bulky gestures tell us that in the moral wasteland, idealism is a source of weakness rather than strength; he devoted to nothing but the impulse of his own flesh and the demands of his own ego,completely regardless of any concept of either a moral code or a personal loyalty. For Tom and Daisy Buchanan, it is nothing worries about any potential crisis around them, for they have no moral responsibility at all.Whenever what happens, they will shield themselves with their upper class social status and retreat into their money or leave other people to clean up the mess they’ve made.

Jordan Baker, at any rate, is no less a creature of the morale wasteland than is Daisy or Tom Buchanan. As a “lovely”girl who dresses in “white” and always seem to be “cool” and apathetic.

山东农业大学学士学位论文

Jordan Baker is an opportunist in her own way. Being a 23-year-old women’s golf champion becomes involved with Nick during the course of the summer of 1922. She looks like “incurably dishonest”, However,though Nick finds Jordan haughty and careless,he finds himself being attracted by her anyway. On the other hand,Jordan once “loved” Nick, for she had sensed the honesty and moral firmness in Nick’s heart, and realized that only when staying with a man like Nike can she be free from the mess and continues to be on her own way. But in the end Jordan gets engaged to another man after not seeing Nick for a short time, leaving Nick angry and letting him realizes the same irresponsible exploitation in Jordan as that he sees in Tom and Daisy.

The hero’s real name is James Gatz. He had changed it at the age of seventeen and at the specific moment that witnessed the beginning of his career. His parents were shiftless and unsuccessful farm people----his imagination had never really accepted them as his parents at all. Although he is a man of humble birth, however,Gatsby didn’t take things as they are,he has always been longing for getting rid of poverty and breaking into upper society,and he knows that he must swallow the misapprehension and he will have a rough time to obtain money,power and happy love.After Gatsby’s death, his father brought his timetable and determination letter,which were made by Gatsby in his young teenage,from the the two pieces of paper,we can see Gatsby’s determination.

Gatsby need a strong material basis,he need a steady flow of money. From his point of view, without money,everything were just idiotic nonsense. To achieve his dream of money, he was willing to bear suffering and tribulation. When he was 17years old, he met a man called Dan Cody,who made his fortune by some illegal ways and spent his money like water everyday. Gatz admired Cody deeply,so he changed his name as Gatsby and followed Cody,he gradually gave up his previous faith and focused all his mind on making money.Afterwards, he became a man of no scruples to make fortune,even colluded with gang leader Sam to smuggle illegal wines.But Gatsby didn’t care about all of this,because at that time,prosperity means he could win Daisy’s heart again and that is what he want.The great Gatsby communicated with vary kinds of people,made good friends with the criminal who controlled the world baseball game and run around many mysterious men.He became pretty rich soon through all kinds of illegal business deals.The great Gatsby is a generous,humble,persistent man,he fell all over his distinguished guests. “On weekends his Rolls-Royce became a bus,bearing parties to and from the city between nine in the morning and long past midnight,while his station wagon flew like a brisk yellow bug to meet all trains.”

After Gatsby became a rich man, he spent gold on one throw.It seems like he owned the whole world, the limousine,the luxury villa,even the airplane, all of these could be a symbol for the achievement of Gatsby’s dream of money.However, his dream of money was just the first step in his life.In Gatsby’s heart,if he couldn’t obtain others’ respect or win Daisy’s love, then money become meaningless soon to him. 3.2 Gatsby’s dream of status

Gatsby comes from a humble background while Daisy was born in a blue-blooded family. The reason why Daisy fell in love with Gatsby in the former time is that Gatsby cheated her,his

山东农业大学学士学位论文

military status covered up the reality of he is a poor guy. Though he obtained Daisy’s heart at that time , but the gap between classes have to separate them finally. The first time separated them was because the war launched by imperialism. As a member of proletariat,Gatsby had no choice but to joined the battle. If there were no war burst out, Gatsby and Daisy may not break up with each other.However,Daisy and Tom lived in a luxury life far away from war as members of capitalist class.

Gatsby knows that it is important to gain status to win Daisy’s love. Though he obtained so much money, but prosperity do not equals to social status. Because in American upper classes, there are not only differences in amounts of money , but also exist upstarts and gentlehood. As a upstart, Gatsby can’t win the respect of upper society,on the contrary, he may have to stand discrimination,attack and exclusion. So his second dream was enter into upper class and get rid of his former bottom class. But Gatsby was just too naive,he thought he will be accepted by nobility only if he was rich enough,however the reality is the nobility still considered him as a pauper, there were still a deep gap between them and Gatsby’s American dream just like bubbles under the sunshine.

3.3 Gatsby’s dream of love

Gatsby’s dream of love is the most important part to achieve his American Dream,and his dreams of money and status all work for his dream of love.

When Gatsby was still a solider, he fell in love with a pretty young lady called Daisy,and Daisy also showed special preference to Gatsby. After the outburst of The First World War,Gatsby was sent to Europe,and because disparity of social status,Daisy broke up with him and married a man called Tom, who was born in a rich family.Daisy’s married life was wealthy but full of empty,Tom also had his mistress.Despite Gatsby hadn’t see Daisy for five years and she got married,Gatsby still didn’t change his mind and chased his former dream persistently. Daisy has already become his life ideals instead of a lover. She represented happiness and perfect life to Gatsby. He gave his heart and soul to Daisy-----his ideal incarnation.

He contributed his efforts and love to this women, actually, who is not worthy for his love. He attributed Daisy’s departure to his lack of money and he believed that Daisy had been soft on him for the five years. That is the reason why he amassed money insanely,he thought that as long as he become a rich man,he can win Daisy’s heart again and go through old dreams with her.

Gatsby bought a luxury villa across the bay where Daisy and Tom’s house located in,he held parties from day to night and invited New York’s celebrities come to dance and drink. He done all these for Daisy’s coming someday. Finally, Gatsby met Daisy with the help of his neighbor Nick,he invited her come into his villa,into the carefully luxury dream constructed by himself. He was nervous and careful in meeting Daisy,but couldn’t hide his overpowering ecstasy.

Daisy picked up her love for Gatsby soon,on the one hand,Daisy was hurt by his arrogant husband;on the other hand,Gatsby give faithful love to her and he owned breathtaking fortune. Quickly, Tom knew Gatsby and Daisy’s love affair.One day,Tom came into conflict with Gatsby in a small hotel.Tom told Gatsby that he shouldn’t try to cause something in his family,and Gatsby told Tom that Daisy never loved him.And Daisy cried, she said to Gatsby:“I did love him once,but i love you too.”After their quarrel, an accident happened: Daisy drove a car and killed Miss Wilson, who happened to be Tom’s mistress. When the mad Mr Wilson came to find out the

山东农业大学学士学位论文

accident car with his gun,Tom told his the murder is Gatsby. In the second day, Gatsby was shoot by Wilson and dead.

The great Gatsby was dead,however,there were no flowers,nor a call, in his funeral,nobody came to see him expect Nick and his old father.Daisy just disappeared with Tom, she didn’t come to Gatsby’s funeral,even didn’t make a phone call. She was far from Gatsby’s ideal, she has always lived in the real world ,she believes in money and enjoys life,actually, she is shallow,ignorant and has no sense of responsibility. And Gatsby contributed his whole life for this woman.

Finally, Gatsby can not achieve his dream of love,his ideals just like beautiful bubbles which were ruined one by one.Just like his life,his dream was came to the end.

Conclusion

The Great Gatsby describes the pursuit and disillusion of a young man,it is a tragic novel full of distorted romance. In the history of western literary,tragedy of young man is a eternal theme,however,the novel has some different characteristics to other classic works,cause its author imbued his strong emotion of American life into this work,making it a significant meaningful tragedy show the disillusion of American Dream.

Throughout the novel,Gatsby’s tragic ending is associated with the social environment.His tragedy is also the sad event of Fitzgerald, ia tragedy of “the lost generation”,but a tragedy of capitalist class and that era.

Fitzgerald is just like the characters he created,they pursued their American Dream throughout the whole life. In the end, their dreams were shattered. Nevertheless, love and dream are still eternal topic for human beings. A man without dream is pathetic,but indulge oneself into unpractical dream is also inadvisable. From Gatsby’s tragedy, we need to realize that we should put our personal ideals on the basis of social peace and development,do realistic work and keep moving,then we can make gains someday.

After collecting information and completing this essay, we can understand better the appearance, development and disillusionment of Gatsby’s love and dream. Now we can not only feel empathetic about Gatsby’s intricate and pessimistic life, but also see the inhumanity and cruelty of society. Through this novel, Fitzgerald shows the collapse and disillusionment of people’s dream, no matter what kind of concepts it has, money, social status or simply of happiness. The most catastrophic collapse, however, is the American dream itself. Here, heroes and heroines in this book including Gatsby, Daisy, Tom, Nick and Jordan together serve as metaphors by Fitzgerald to reveal the paradox of American dream: when materialism is elevated into having spiritual values, it can only confuse its disciples. He also pointed that, for the reality of life can not compare to idealistic dream, as well as the ideals are usually far too perfect to be paralleled in reality. Then the collapse of American dream is unavoidable. However, this novel is not only a criticism of the corruption of money on American dream. It is also an appealing for abandoning materialism and returning to traditional moral values. What’s more, Nick Carraway, the narrator, provides a successful foil for the degradation of the American dream. He is the voice of morality and humanity in this novel and the only one who register the human loss and measures

山东农业大学学士学位论文

the disparity between Gatsby’s unrealistic dream and the reality upon which it was based. All in all, this novel, The Great Gatsby, can be absolutely termed as the masterpiece of Fitzgerald. From it we can get some hidden information about the author himself. Fitzgerald said that sometimes he doesn’t know whether he and his wife are real or they are just characters in his novel. This novel, actually, ensured Fitzgerald’s position as a serious and talented writer. In more recent years Tony Tanner claimed it to be “the most perfectly crafted work of fiction to have come out of American.”

References

1.Fitzgerald, F.Scott. The Great Gatsby. Penguin Classics, 1994.

2.Bruccoli, Matthew Joseph, Some Sort of Epic Grandeur: The Life of F. Scott Fitzgerald 2nd rev.University of South Carolina Press, 2002,

3.Donaldson, Scott, Fool for Love: F. Scott Fitzgerald, New York: Congdon and Weed, 1983 4.TruslowAdams, James. The Epic of America. New York University Press, 1931

5.艾琦、杨昕，2010，从美国电影看美国梦的文化内涵，《宿州学院学报》第25卷第3期，65-66页

6.周海波，2010，解构“美国梦”，《语文学刊》第7期，41-42页

7.杨慧群.菲兹杰拉德的小说了不起的盖茨比浅析.江苏广播电视大学学报, 2002

8.Harbison, John. Where Is the Old, Warm World?, From the Great Gatsby. HAL LEONARD PUB CO, 2001.

9.李习检 《美国梦的破灭》，《外国文学研究》 1985年4月。

10.张天景 《最动人心弦的美国悲剧-----了不起的盖茨比评析》，成都师范学院学报2004年3月版。

11.Zhao Hongwei. The definition of American Dream 2003, Shanghai Language Education Press, 1998.

12.Burnam, T. A Re-Examination of The Great Gatsby. College English,1952.

Acknowledgments

I want to show thanks to many people who have helped me to complete the thesis. Firstly,I would like to show my gratitude to my supervisor,Mrs, Su Mingzhen,who has constantly guided me through the whole essay and through the writing of the thesis, and also thank her for her much devotion of his precious time and energy to reading and revising my manuscript with great carefulness and patience.

Besides,my sincere gratitude also goes to my friends and parents who have put time and effort into their advice on my thesis.