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Americanliterature班级：0903班学号：2009010119姓名：宋丹丹AnalysisofthePersonalityoftheMajorCharactersinTheGreatGatsbyAbstract:TheGreatGatsbyisthefinestnovelwrittenbythefamousAmericanwriter,Fitzgerald.ThenovelmirrorsthedeclineoftheAmericandreamanddeeplyrevealstheessenceofit.InTheGreatGatsby,FitzgeraldselectsskillfullydifferentpeoplesuchasJayGatsby,andDaisyBuchanantorepresenttheirdifferentstatusesinsocietyandeventuallytoreflectthecontradictionsoftheAmericanworldbytheirlives.Thisessaywillfocusonthediscussionofthetwomajorcharacters,discussingtheirfatebycomparisonandtalkingabouttheinternalconflictoftheirpersonality,tohaveafurtherunderstandingofthecorruptionoftheAmericansocietyaftertheFirstWorldWarandthecauseoftheirdifferentpersonality.Keywords:TheGreatGatsbymajorcharactersanalysisofpersonality1FrancisScottFitzgeraldwasconsideredasoneofthemostwellknownwritersinAmericaatanerathathenamed“theJazzAge”.Duringthetwentyyearsofhiswriting,hepublishedaboutonehundredshortstoriesandfourlongnovels.TheGreatGatsbyisoneofthegreatestliteraryworksofthisperiodandoneoftheclassicsinAmericanliterature,whichrevealsthemoralemptinessandhypocrisyundertheprosperityoftheJazzAge.FitzgeralduseshispentorevealthelifeandtheideasofpeopleaftertheFirstWorldWarandintroducesonekindofvaluablespirit.TheAmericandreamofhappinessandindividualismhasfallenintothemerepursuitofwealth.FitzgeraldpresentstheriseandfallofJayGatsby,skillfullychoosingafirst-personnarrator,NickCarraway’sperspective.2TragicJayGatsbyJayGatsby,atypicalupstartaftertheFirstWorldWar,isasensitiveyoungmanwhoidolizeswealthandluxury.HefallsinlovewithDaisy,whenhestationsatamilitarycampnearherhome,butlatershemarriesanotherman.HissearchfortheAmericandreamleadshimfrompovertytowealth,intothearmsofhisbelovedandeventually,tohisdeath.HeisattractedbyDaisy’sgraceandcharm,butblindshershortcomings.Tosomeextent,GatsbyisnaiveandstupidforheneverseesDaisyinhertruecolorsjustasheneverseesthegreenlightclearly.ThoughheneverstopslovingandhastakenthehouseinWestEggtobenearher,heneverrealizesthathecan’tcomebacktotheoldwarmworld.ItiseasytofindthatthroughouthiscourtshipofDaisy,Gatsbyisalwaysinapositionoflesspowerandlowersocialstatus.BecauseGatsbyhasidolizedher,Daisywillnecessarilynotliveuptohisexpectation.ThereadermayfindoutthecontradictioninGatsby’spersonalityafterreadingthenovel.Ononehand,Gatsbyisinnocentandnaiveinhisheartforhestickstohisgoalanddedicateshimselftoachievehisdestination,butheneverrealizesthatitisactuallyunreal.Heshowshisloyaltytohisbelovedanddaresnoefforttomakehisdreamcomeintotrue.However,ontheotherhand,heownsmoneybyallmeansincludingillegalonesandheisindifferenttothedeathofMyrtleWilson,thesuperficialwifeofagaragemancalledGeorgeWilson.Justasthenovelmentions,“hespokeasifDaisy’sreactionwastheonlythingthatmattered.”Gatsbyisnimbleandambitiousinmakingmoney,whichshowsthe“sagacity”ofmodernpeople,buttowardslovehegivesustheimpressionof“anaiveyoungman.”Gatsbyisgreatbecauseofhisloyaltytolove.ForGatsby,Daisyisthesoulofhisdreams.HebelieveshecanregainDaisy.Althoughhehasthewealththatcanmatchwiththeleisuredclass,hedoesnothavetheirmanners.Histragedyliesinhispossessionofanaivesense.Therefore,Gatsby’stragedydoesnotlieinhisdeath,butinthedeathofhisdreamofutopia.Itishislackofreasonandjudgmentthatleadshimtodeath.WhenintroducingtheoriginationofGatsby’sname,Fitzgeraldwrites:“ThetruewasthatJayGatsbyofWestEgg,LongIsland,sprangfromhisplatonicconceptionofhimself.HewasaSonofGod–aphrasewhich,ifitmeansanything,meansjustthatandhemustbeaboutHisFather’sbusiness,theserviceofavast,vulgar,andmeretriciousbeauty”.ThissetsthetoneofGatsby’stragiclife.HehasnotbeenawareofthedifferentsocialstatusesbetweenhisandTom’s.Ingeneral,JayGatsbyisoneofthebestamongcharactersinthenovel.Eventhoughheisabootleggerandallhismoneyisillegallymadehestillhasmoreconsciencethanmanyothers.Gatsbywantspeopletobehappy,andiftheyarehappyhewillbehappy,too.Heholdsluxurypartiesforpeopletoattendandenjoythemselves.HealsodoeshisbesttomakeNickfeeleasyinhisgarden.Gatsbyshowsacertainamountofkindnesstoalmosteveryonehemeets.Hispartiesareopentoanyonewhowantstoattendnomatterwhathissocialclassis.Hedoeshisbesttobekindtoalmosteveryone.Fromthisaspect,heisaverydecentpersonindeed.Allinall,Gatsbyisonlyadreamiestinhiswholelife.HisloyaltytohisloveandidealandthecontradictionsofhisdreamsleadtothedisillusionmentofhisAmericandream.Hisdeath,inasense,servesasawarning,butitalsoennobleshim.3VanityandSelfishDaisyBuchananAsabeautifulandcharminggirlintheupperclass,Daisyisquietactiveinallkindsofsocialactivitiesandsheoncehadhertruelove.ItissafetosayDaisyoncereallylovedGatsby.Buthermotherpreventsit.Tosomeextent,hermothernotonlypreventsDaisy’sstupidideabutalsochangesheropinionsabouttherealmeaningoflife.Afterthat,Daisybecomesarepresentativeoftheupperclass.Atthattime,themostimportantthingforaladywastofindarichhusbandwithdecentstatus,soDaisymakesgooduseofherbeautytodealwithalotofyoungmen.Hervanityiscompletelydisclosedwhenshecontactswiththosemen.Shehasbrighteyesandabrightpassionatemouthandherbestfeatureseemstobehervoice.SoshequicklymarriesTomjustbecauseheisricher.ComparedwithGatsby,Daisyissuperficial,shallow,andself-centeredforsheseeseverythingfromtheperspectiveofherownhappiness.ForFitzgerald,womenlikeDaisyrepresentthedeepestseductivepoweroftheAmericandreamaswellasitsgreatestdangers.Daisy’slackofresponsibilityisrevealedattheendofthestory.WhenshedrivesoverMyrtleandshedoesn'tevenstop,whichshowswhatFitzgeraldwantstorevealinthewholebook—therichhavenoconceptofresponsibilityinreality.Sheisalittlebittoocareless.Infact,hercarelessnessleadstothedeathofMyrtleWilson.SheprovesherrealnaturewhenshechoosesTomoverGatsby,andallowsGatsbytotaketheblameforkillingMyrtleWilsoneventhoughsheherselfisthemurderer.Finally,DaisyandTommoveawayratherthanattendGatsby’sfuneral,leavingnoaddress.DaisyisindifferenttothedeathofGatsby.Asamatteroffact,sheistherealmurdererofMyrtleWilson.Aftertheaccident,sheandTomconspiretogetherandfollowsherhusband’ssuggestiontoletGatsbytaketheresponsibility.WhyDaisyisunwillingtoleaveTomandcometogetherwithGatsbyafterhebecomesrich?Infact,therearealsosomecontradictionsinherpersonality.Ononehand,sheismovedbyGatsby’sloyaltyandstubbornness,whichisfullyembodiedinthereunionbetweenGatsbyandher.Inaddition,sheisalsoattractedbyGatsby’swealthanddisappointedatTom’sinfidelity.OntheOtherhand,shedosenothavethepowertoleaveherhusbandandherfamilywhenTomconfrontsGatsby.Shecan’tlosethecomfortableandluxurylifewithTom.“Thislifeisboringbutgivesherafeelingofsafety.”DuringtheFirstWorldWar,Gatsbyisonlyaninferiorofficer.Therefore,thoughDaisyloveshim,sheisunwillingtomarryhim.AfterGatsbyleavestofightinthewar,shemarriesBuchanan,ayoungmanfromanaristocraticfamilywhopromisesherawealthylifestyle.Gatsbygathersgreatfortuneandbecomesthenewrich,butDaisyismarriedtoTomBuchananwhoisthe“theveryrich”andthetraditionalaristocrat.ThoughDaisyisunsatisfiedwithTom’sbehaviorandneverforgetsGatsby,thewealthmakesDaisyandhiminvulnerable.Sointheend,Mr.Gatsby’sdreamstillhasnotcometrueandDaisydoesnotbreakupwithTomtogowithGatsby.Asarepresentativeladyoftheupperclassattheparticulartime,Dais