On the Ruin of the American Dream in The Great Gatsby

Student Name: Tutor Name:

Submitted as a partial fulfillment of the requirements

for the degree of Bachelor of Arts

College of Foreign Languages

Acknowledgements

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I would like to take this opportunity to express my gratitude to all the teachers who have taught me and offered me invaluable advice during my four-year study at University.

In particular I would like to thank my supervisors, Ms.Yang. She has been available at all times with a helpful advice and a helping hand throughout my whole writing process of the thesis. She has provide me with instructive guidance in modifying the topic, in preparing the material pertinent to the topic and in writing the thesis, and has paid great patience in reading and revising the entire manuscript. Without her generous help, I could not even complete the thesis, let alone present it with the present form.

Finally I would also like to thank my parents and all my friends, who have given me innumerous encouragement and critical support in my study these years.

Abstract

F. 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, moneymaking life of the decade but also a detached observer of it. Owing to its extraordinary literary merits, Fitzgerald?s Great Gatsby is listed among the most notable twentieth-century American novels.

This thesis analyzes the roots of the disillusionment of Gatsby?s dream from the social, historical and authorial perspectives. By exploring the origins and essential nature of Gatsby?s 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 defines Gatsby?s 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

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内容摘要

弗朗西斯·司科特?菲兹杰拉德往往被推崇为“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

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Contents

Introduction ……………………….............................................................................1 I. Fitzgerald and The Great Gatsby……………….....................................................1 1.1 Fitzgerald's Life and His Works……………………………………….……..........1 1.2 Social and Historical Context of The Great Gatsby……………….............…..…..2 II. The Disillusion of the American Dream…………………………….…...............3 2.1 The So-called American Dream：A Historical Retrospect………….………...... ..3 2.1.1 Origin of the American Dream…………………………………….…........…….3 2.1.2 Development of the American Dream………………………………..……....….4 2.1.3 Corruption of the American Dream…………………………………....…......….4 2.2 The Disillusionment of Gatsby's Dream………......................................................6 2.2.1 Origins of Gatsby?s Dream…………………………………………...........…....6 2.2.2 Essence of Gatsby?s Dream……………………………………….…...…..........7 2.2.2.1 Elements of Gatsby?s Dream …………………………………….….....…......7 2.2.2.2 A Dream with Its Elements in Conflict……………………………........….....8 III. Cruelty of the Society……………………….......................................................9 3.1 The Conflicts between the New Rich and the Established Rich……..….…......….9 3.1.1 The Economic Difference…………………………………………….....….......9 3.1.2 The Social Conflict………………………………………………….......…......10 3.2 Cruelty of the Society Epitomized by the Immoral Buchanans………….....…....11 Conclusion………………………………………………………..............................13 References ……………………………………………………………..……......…..15

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