The_Great_Gatsby论文.doc

姓名：闫曼曼 学号：20120140011028 专业：2012级英语师范一班The Social Perspective of American DreamAbstract:F.Scott.FitzgeraldwasoneofthemostrepresentativeAmericannovelistsofthe1920s.Hewasnotonlyaleadingparticipantinthetypicallyfrivolous,carefree,moneymakinglifeofthedecadebutalsoadetachedobserverofit.TheGreatGatsby(1925)isregardedbymanycriticsasoneofthefinesttwentieth-centuryAmericannovels.T.S.Eliotcalledit“thefirststeptheAmericannovelhastakensinceHenryJames.”TheGreatGatsbyisageneralcritiqueoftheAmericandream.Americancultureischaracterizedbyastrongemphasisonthegoalofmonetarysuccessandaweakemphasisontheimportanceofthelegitimatemeansforthepursuitofsuccess.ThisthesisanalyzestherootsofthedisillusionmentofGatsbysdreamfromthehistoricalandauthorialperspectives,ByexploringtheoriginsandessentialnatureofGatsbysdream,thenaivetyandinnocenceinthepersonalityandthecrueltyofJazzAgesocietyepitomizedbytheruthlessandimmoralBuchanan,thepaperdrawstheconclusionthatacombinationoftheseelementsdefinesGatsbysfailureanddestructionintheend.Themediscussioninthispaperisbasicallydonethroughhistoryandcharacteranalysis,whichaimsforbetterunderstandingofthoseconnotations.Key words: American dream Gatsby Disillusionment 1. Social background of The Great GatsbyFrancis Scott Key Fitzgerald (September 24, 1896 December 21, 1940) was an American author of novel sand short stories, whose works are the paradigm writings of the Jazz Age, a term he coined himself. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest American writers of the 20th century. Fitzgerald is considered a member of the Lost Generation of the 1920s. He finished four novels, This Side of Paradise, The Beautiful and Damned, Tender is the Night and his most famous, The Great Gatsby. A fifth, unfinished novel, The Love of the Last Tycoon was published posthumously. Fitzgerald also wrote many short stories that treat themes of youth and promise along with despair and age.1In 1925, the publication of his masterpiece The Great Gatsby established his position in literary history. The Great Gatsby is a performance of the American Dream disillusionment. The novel condemns the Unite States privileges selfish and rude. Fitzgerald sympathetic description of Gatsbys tragedy, and point out that the tragedy comes from his fantasy of love of life. In 1934, Fitzgerald published another novel Tender Is the Night, successful performance the upper-bourgeois selfishness and corruption.1.1 Jazz AgeThe Jazz Age was a movement that took place during the 1920s or the Roaring Twenties from which jazz music and dance emerged. The movement came about with the introduction of mainstream radio and the end of the war. This era ended in the 1930s with the beginning of The Great Depression but has lived on in American pop culture for decades. With the introduction of jazz came an entirely new cultural movement in places like the United States, France and England.1.2 Lost GenerationThe Lost Generation is a term used to refer to the generation, actually an age cohort that came of age during World War I. The term was popularized by Ernest Hemingway who used it as one of two contrasting epigraphs for his novel, The Sun Also Rises. In that volume Hemingway credits the phrase to Gertrude Stein, who was then his mentor and patron.In A Movable Feast, which was published after Hemingway and Stein had had a famous feud and fallen apart, and indeed after they were both dead, Hemingway reveals that the phrase was actually originated by the garage owner who serviced Steins car. When a young mechanic failed to repair the car in a way satisfactory to Stein, the owner shouted at him, You are all a generation perdue. Stein, in telling Hemingway the story, added, That is what you are. Thats what you all are.All of you young people who served in the war. You are a lost generation.The term, therefore, does not refer to all of the expatriate artists who lived in Paris after World War I. It clearly, as is seen from the original quote as reported by Hemingway, refers to his generation, those who were members of the age classes called to duty in the Great War. This generation included distinguished artists such as Ernest Hemingway, F. Scott Fitzgerald, T.S. Eliot, John Dos Passos, Waldo Peirce, Alan Seeger, and, Erich Maria Remarque. It has alternately been used to describe the generation which participated in the Cultural Revolution in China.2. American DreamsGatsby was born in a poor peasant family in the Midwest Court, during his childhood worship of Franklin and excited by the story of though hard struggle to achieve personal goal. However, because of the status and wealth, Gatsby eventually lost his lover Daisy. 2.1 The first dreamOne of Gatsbys dreams is getting rich. Gatsby believed equal opportunity, in order to succeed, he work tirelessly to do many things. He do anything to earn money ,in just a few years, though work by illegal trade and other dishonesty things, a poor young man changed into a nouveau riche. Although he is rich, his heart is extremely empty; he bought luxury homes, fine cars, seaplane and beautiful clothes, only to squander his money to fill the inner emptiness. This is a common feature of young people of that era.2.2 The second dreamGatsbys another dream is love dream. Served in the Army, he fell in love with rich girl Daisy, but he understands that he cant marry her. He is just a poor boy. In the eyes of Gatsby, Daisy represents the realization of all dreams, her house a symbol of Gatsby aspire to wealth and status. For him, Daisy is elusive. Realized that they have great gap in the wealth and social statue, Gatsby knew that this is not a solid foundation of love, is just fantasy. After Gatsby went to oversea, Daisy married Tom who is with money and rank, but she does not love him. They lived a glamorous life. Gatsby, however, believe that money can get Daisy back, relive the days of their passing away, determined to fight to achieve their dreams.3. Reasons for Gatsbys shattered American dreamGatsbys dream is actually a combination of love and money. He believes that the money can get everything, but he is not the pursuit of money as the ultimate goal of the vulgar dream, he chased the money - only for his ideal love fantasy. In the term of Gatsby the dream of getting rich and Love Dream are inseparable. The former is a means; the latter is a goal, as the latter without the former will never become true. Without money Gatsby and Daisy could never have the opportunity to rekindle old dreams, with a lot of money, Gatsby will be more confidence. Nick and Gatsby have such a dialogue in the novel. Nick: You can not rekindle old dreams. Gatsby: “Of course I can! Gatsby dare say so, because at this time he has strong material wealth. He is very confident that he can win Daisy back. But in reality in the United States, who only has enough money, can not achieve the American dream. Although Gatsby realized the dream of getting rich, he and Daisy are in different social classes. In the novel, the author says: Even a rich person are no longer rich, he is also different from the poor3, obviously there is a unbridgeable gap between the upper class and lower class , suggesting that Gatsbys dream will inevitably burst.The root of Gatsbys tragedy is the darkness and emptiness of capitalist society. American dream is essentially a spirit to inspire people to make progress, it has a positive meaning. From the 18th century to the 1920s, it created a brilliant material civilization and the United States Spiritual civilization. But in the 1920s, after the World War I, the American dream has been decadent, corrupt, and the original hard work, frugality, temperance and other values are weak; they were replaced by hedonism, extravagance and waste. After the World War I the U.S. youth realize the war is just a fight for the upper -class interests, but bring millions of families death and grief. They feel cheated, and so disappointed, confusion, extreme spiritual emptiness, they then blind pursuit of material wealth, the formation of money first mentality. The American Drea