3毕业论文

ChapterⅠIntroduction

In the 1920s Francis Scott Fitzgerald,a famous American writer wrote his masterpiece called The Great Gatsby which is known for its beaitiful language,subtle technique and so on. It slao reveals the disillusion of the American Dream----the disparity between material richness and spiritual emptiness which is an irony of the American value system.

1.1 A brief introduction of Francis Scott Fitzgerald

Francis Scott Fitzgerald(1896-1940) was a most repesentative figure of the 1920s,who was mirror of the exciting age in almost every way. An active participant of his age, he never failed to remain detached and foresee the failure and tragedy of the “Dollar Decade.”Thus he is often acclaimed literary spokeman of the Jazz Age. He is widely r egarded as one of the twentieth century’s greatest writers. Fitzgerald is considered a member of the “lost generation” of the twenties.

Most critics have agreed that Fitzgerald is both an insider and an outsider of the Jazz Age with a double vision. He lived in his great moments and joined the big party in the 1920s, partaking of the wealth, frivolity, temptations of time, while reproducing the drama of the age by standing aloof and keeping a cold eye on the performance of his contemporaries. His fictional world is the best embodiment of the spirit of the Jazz Age, in which he shows a particular interest in the upper-class society, especially the upper-class young people. Y oung men and women in the 1920s had a sense of reckless confidence not only about money but about life in general. Since they grew up with the notion that the world would improve without their help, they felt excused from seeking the common good. Plunging into their personal adventures,engaging themselves in casual sex and heavy drinking, they took risks that did not impress them as being risks, and they spent money extravagantly and enjoyed themselves to their hearts’content. But beneath their masks of relaxation and joviality there was only sterility, meaninglessness and futility, and amid the grandeur and extravagance a spiritual weatland and a hint of decadence and moral decay. This undeniable juxtaposition of appearance with reality, of the pretense of gaiety with the tension underneath, is easily recognizable in Fitzgerald’s novels and stories.（zhang 578）In the short span of his 44-year lifetime, he produced more than 160 short stories, 4

novels and many poems and screenplays.Among his novels The Great Gatsby is generally acknowledged as his best work and masterpiece in American literature. It made Fitzgerald one of the greatest American novelists.the Great Gatsby gained many critics’ affirmation and praise, becoming as one of the most excellent works in the 20th century. “The famous poet and critic Aerate said that the Great Gatsby t ook a great progress in American novels since Henry James.” It is a novel that is set against the ending of the war. In this novel, with a brief and serious style, the author vividly described a tragedy caused by American Dream, and successfully molded a suffered figure Gatsby. He was the author’s favorite character, in that they had many things in common such as many experiences and spiritual virtues that are different from the comprehension and chase to American life of common people. Gatsby owned marvelous genius, incomparable resolute romantic volition to his dream as well as his loyalty to his ideal, which won high praise of the author. The essay, on one hand, gives deep sympathy to Gatsby about his tragedy, on the other hand, it indicates that it is vain and dangerous to seek American Dream at that time.

1.2 An introduction of the Great Gatsby

The Great Gatsby is a novel that is set against the ending of the war. Nick Carraway, the narrator of the story, is a young Midwester who sells bonds in New Y ork. He lives at West Egg, Long island, which is separated from the city by an ash-dump. The distinctive feature about this ash-dump is an oculist’s faded billboard with a pair of great staring eyes behind yellow spectales,symbolic of an obscenely futile world. Nick’s neighbour is Jay Gatsby, who is a mysterions man, whose mansion and fabulous entertainments are financed by bootlegging and other criminal activities. When he was a poor army lieutenant, Gatsby had fallen in love with Daisy, Nick’s beautiful cousin, but later Daisy married Tom Buchanan, who is wealthy but unintelligent and brutal.Gatsby manages to meet Daisy again with the help of Nick and tries to win her back with his extravagant devotion. Meanwhile Daisy’s husband takes another woman, Myrtle Wilson, as his mistress. When Mr. Wilson, the garageman,become jealous and imprisons her in her room, Myrtle escapes, runs out on the high way ,and is acciedntally hit by Daisy , who drives the car at that moment. Gatsby tries to protect Daisy, and Tom , to whom Daisy has become reconciled, tells Mr. Wilson out of an hatred of his rival that it was Gatsby who killed his wife. Wilson shoots Gatsby and then himself. At the end of the story, nick broods over Gatsby’s

dream and decides to go back home to the West.(zhang 581)

The paper is analyzing the inevitability of the hero Gatsby’s tragedy by examining the essence of Gatsby’s dream, the potential destructiveness in Gatsby’s characters and social-backgrounds that lead to Gatsby’s destruction.

Chapter ⅡThe American Dream

The American dream is a popular thought that people can achieve success, whether it is wealth, fame, or love though honest hard working in the new world of liberty, equality, and chances and promises. It is a kind of faith, a kind of desire, and a kind of illusion. Different people have different understanding about the American Dream. Some think it is simply to win a home or out of poverty; some wish to serve god,country,or community. There are those who want to learn to read to run their own business. Still others wish to exercise fundamental American rights: to openly to practice religion and to speak what is in their minds and hearts.

2.1 The origin of the American Dream

The origin of the American Dream can be traced back to the European pioneers’process of exploring on the new continent and extending to the western areas. During the process the European pioneers appealed to the belief and creation of their own. At that time, the American Dream refers to pursuit of happiness, especially the pursuit of success, including career, love and wealth.

American national mythology is full of illustration of the American success story. Benjamin Franklin, the very model of the self-educated, self-made man, who rose from modest origins to become well known scientist, philosopher, and stateman. Benjamin Franklin first put forward seeking individualism. In other word, no matter whom, no matter what the status and nationnality are ,and so on. If he has courage, good luck and deligence, he will succeed. After the World War Ⅰ, in the so called Jazz age. The American economy soared, bringing unprecedented levels of prosperity to the nation. The search for wealth was of American trandition in measuring personal success.

2.2 The evolution of the American Dream

But dreams easily turn into nightmares. Every American who hopes to “make it ”also knows the fear of failure, because the myth of success inevitable implies comparison between “the haves ”and “the haves-not ”, the stars and anonymous crowd. Everyone wants to be successful in life, but most people take the wrong way to get there. It is not true in all cases that every one can get success no matter what his

beginnings are.

2.3 Bankruptcy of the American Dream

In the 1920s, the American Dream was bankrupt in the sense that the wealthy people were spiritually disorientated and morally corrupted. The fact that the rich people turns to be more indifferent and careless brought forth the disillusionment of American Dream.(zhang 580) In The Great Gatsby, Jay Gatsby is a poor boy that turns into a very wealthy man, yet money is actually the only thing that he has. He tries to realize the American Dream, but eventually fails in his battle.

Chapter III Analysis of Gatsby’s American Dream

In different social and historical backgrounds, the concepts of American Dream are different, and for different people, they have different understandings of American Dream and the ways to pursue their American Dream are also various. As for Gatsby, the symbol of his final American Dream is to win the love of Daisy. However, owing to the fact that Gatsby is subject to their different social status and life styles, his American Dream is doomed to be a failure.

3.1 Origin of Gatsby’s Dream

Gatsby’s dre am originated from the American dream, and the so-called “American Dream”, in American society, especially in the period of exploiting the New Continent, formed and developed a rather commonly attracting ideal. It has long history dating from the period of European emigrants exploiting the New Continent, and this dream owns tremendous enough connotations of American desire and hope to spirits and materials. Consequently, many people defined it as the synthesis of Wealthy Dream, Transcendent Dream and Love Dream. Benjamin Franklin, the first and well-known embodiment and advocate of American Dream in the world, edified and encouraged people how to enrich their families and to fulfill American Dream by their struggle, especial in his Autobiography.

From the birth of it to 1920s, American Dream of owing the success in materials to the individual virtues and struggles, was always publicized by the people as powerful as possible, and then without doubtness it became the ideal which average American people tried their best to struggle for day by day, and the fundental spiritual strength which prompted American Capitalism prosperity and maintained capitalism-social system generation by generation. Gatsby’s American Dream originated from his childhood:

Rise from be……………………………………… 6.00 A.M

Dumbbell exercise and wallscaling……….6.15-6.30A.M

Study electricity, etc……………………….7.15-8.15 A.M

Work …………………………………………8.30-4.30P.M

Baseball and sports…………………..4.30-5.00P.M

Practice elocution, poise and how to attain it 5.00-6.00P.M

St udy needed inventions……………..7.00-9.00P.M” ( Fitzgerald, 206)

Above-mentioned shows that on the last fly-leaf of Hopolong Cassidy Gatsby used to read were recorded his transcending decision and a piece of strict timetable for working. Over so many years, Gatsby always persisted in it and observed it.

From the Schedule, as everyone knows, Franklin and Addison, giving a good example, depended on the struggle by themselves and got a success at last and their stories, which made every one believe that each youth could become a millionaire or the president of U.S in the future. In their age, the novels describing American Dream were best-sellers, but they gave the preaching contents: As long as one person was honest, patient and independent, he would have the equality with every one to do everything, namely, it is possible for him coming from the poor family to become a rich and noble person, while Gatsby was one of the believers of it. The dream which seemed to happen in fairy tales was the endless infinite power that encouraged Gatsby struggle for it.

The author contact Gatsby’s pursuit with European emigrants’ ancient desire to New Continent, and Franklin, representing American Dream and its invert forms later, defined Gatsby’s tragedy as huge historical backgrou nd and deep typical senses. The traditional model of American Dream, as many critics and writers pointed out, were full of falsity, especially under the condition of capitalism developed rapidly, and polarization intensified increasingly. It made a point of evidence that Gatsby made a fortune, relying on personal virtues, diligence and frugality. Since his childhood, Gatsby used to abide by Franklin’s teaching, and try to practice the main inquire of the traditional model, following his own comprehension and the background of 20-century society in U.S. it is vagary for one person to come to the fore, who only depended on virtues, diligence and frugality, however, Gatsby’s story of getting rich just certified it. When he was young, Gatsby could not gain any appropriate consequence that he wanted to get, so that he was surrendered by his beloved lover Daisy, for he was penniless and fameless at that time. And later he absurdly became a millionaire. Obviously, it ought to be tremendous irony for him to believe in American Dream. By all appearances, as were same with other magnates at that time, Gatsby still understood and practiced following principles. Theoretically, borderland, (here referred to the whole American) were equal paradise to every one, and the reward completely owed to diligence, frugality and good luckiness, but in fact, the rewarding often depended on trickiness, greed and mercilessness, as well as cruel

ruthlessness and completely rotten means. It is the American dream, but it is the origin of Ga tsby’s dream.

3.2 Essence of Gatsby’s Dream

Even if his dream originated from American dream, the essence of Gatsby’s dream is the essence of American dream. With his growing, Gatsby’s American Dream went by an evolution when he was young. He dreamed making a good fortune, transcending common people and getting rid of poorness as much as the heroes written by Ben Franklin and Horatio Alger. Later he met Daisy by chance and then lost his heart to her, thus Daisy became the personification of his perfect ideal and the embodiment of concentrating his entire ideal, and the he endeavored to do everything in the direction of them. Because in his mind, Daisy represented all beautiful creatures of the upper class society in America, and in his memory, the first love between Daisy and him seemed to be a human fairyland, whereas, the cruel reality was that he lacked rich family supporting him and his love. The great disparity of their status made him sense that he had no right to touch her hand. “Gatsby was overwhelmi ngly aware of the youth and mystery that wealth impressions and preserves, of the freshness of many clothes, and of Daisy, gleaming like silver, safe and proud above hot struggles of the poor.” (Fitzgerald, 98)

So having lost Daisy, he desperately earned much more money, and fantasized about recapturing his beloved—Daisy with money when he was rich enough, afterwards, he really made a fortune. “Once I wrote down on the empty space of a timetable the names of those who came to Gatsby’s house that summer, in cluding film stars, boarders, duke, prince, etc. (Fitzgerald, 13)” , while the narrator Nickel’s finn servant informed me that Gatsby dismissed every servant in his house a week ago and replaced them with half a dozen others. Gatsby became very rich beyond people’s imagination, nearly owned magical power, could gather all rich men and dismiss servants and employ any one, and even made West Egg become a constant magnificent feast. Surely, what have been finished was not to depend on the traditional teaching but illegal deals in gangdom or underworld, however, luxurious life could not bring Gatsby a little happiness, since in essence, he was different from those who sought for benefits and fames. In Jazz Age, wealth was not the most significant to Gatsby, while what he only recalled was to repeat the past with Daisy day and night and to get the lost pure love. After he got rich, he bought a luxurious

mansion in front of Daisy’s house across the bay. “If it wasn’t for the mist we could see your house across the bay,” said Gatsby, you always have a green light that burns all nights at the end of your dock.” (Fitzgerald, 110) Almost five years, Gatsby never stopped recalling his first lover Daisy. “He had thrown himself into it with a creative passion, adding to it all the time, decking it out with every bright feather that drifted his way. No amount of fine or freshness can challenge what a man will store up in his ghostly heart.” (Fitzgerald, 113)

As the result of the more perfect his ideal became, the more far away reality was.

3.3 Gatsby’s Efforts in Achieving his American Dream

Gatsby was born in a poor family in the Middle West, but when he is a boy he has an ambition to win wealth and position depending on his intelligence and diligence. During the time of serving in the army, Gatsby is in love with Daisy who is in a big and rich family. And in his eyes, Daisy’s living style and her beauty are the very ideal incarnation that Gatsby is dreaming of. But the relationship between them are not possible, because he doesn’t have enough money to afford Daisy a luxuriant life, and later on Daisy gets married with the rich and influential Tom Buchanan. Gatsby believes that it is money which makes her leave him, so he determines to be rich. After several years’ self-imposed hardships, Gatsby become wealthy and successful by illegal operations, and his faithful belief in ideal love which is the symbol his American Dream. When he could get the admission with the help of money, he buys a villa standing for wealth and in the o pposite site of Daisy’s mansion; also it’s a kind of silence call of Daisy. He holds grand banquet in his villa day and night to attract Daisy to come and intends to regain their past loving days, a nd succeeds in retrieving Daisy’s love again. From the luxuriant ball, people could see th e luxury and squander of Gatsby’s life. People from all around the world come to his house. They are drinking, singing and dancing, and they come for fun, for enjoyment. But most of them don’t know why the party is held; some of them even don’t know who the host is. And Gatsby is a mystery. However, Daisy in his heart is only an illusion and is as superficial as others in her ranking and she will never give up her simple-minded but elegant, and settled life for the ideal love.

For such an American Dream, Gatsby spares no effort in achieving it. He not only tries every possible means including illegal trade of alcohol to make a fortune, but also catches every chance to meet with Daisy, speaks out his feeling to her, tries

his best to make Daisy believe in his love for her and gives Daisy everything he can. But while Gatsby, Tom, Daisy and a friend of Daisy have a talk in the hotel of London, and Daisy, who drives Gatsby's car, encounters a car accident and kills Tom’s mistress----Myrtle, Gatsby’s American Dream begins to fall down. After the accident, Daisy and Tom tra vels abroad for shelter. Myrtle’s husband learns that the car belongs to Gatsby, and then he murders Gatsby. Then the st ory comes to an end with Gatsby’s death. Gatsby has done a great effort for his love, but all his efforts turn out to be a failure.

Chapter IV Disillusionment of Gatsby’s American Dream As Fitzgerald points out many obvious human traits----snobbery, excessive romanticism, carelessness of others' feelings, betrayal, and the shallow curiosity of other people's dramas, as well as the social discrepancies between the rich and the poor scornfully and with distaste. Different social statuses have different styles of life.

In the novel, The Great Gatsby, Fitzgerald describes and contrasts the difference between East and West Egg, shows the separation of the upper class and the lower class, and it provides some insight with the use of symbolism of color. Each of the four important geographical locations in the novel----West Egg, East Egg, the valley of ashes, and New Y ork City----corresponds to a particular theme or type of character encountered in the story. West Egg like Gatsby, full of garish extravagance, symbolizing the emergence of the new rich alongside the established aristocracy of the 1920s. East Egg like the Buchanan, wealthy, possessing high social status, and powerful, symbolizing the old establishment and aristocracy that continue to dominate the American social landscape. The valley of ashes is like George Wilson, desolate, desperate, and utterly without hope, symbolizing the moral decay of American society hidden by the glittering surface of upper-class extravagance. And people, who live in New Y ork City, are the presentation of traditional English. Each of the four lives a different life from others, which they think is the perfect, because they have different points of view about living, wealth, and love. And they all lead a life style which belongs to them only. (song 248)

Gatsby’s spends his whole life in attaining money and status so that he can reach a certain position in life and then he can win Daisy back. That is what motivates him to move to West Egg, and makes money by any means necessary, holds extravagant parties in every weekend, does everything what Daisy requires him to do and so on. There is a position in life that he yearns for and will do all that it takes to achieve it, and the final goal for his American Dream is to get Daisy’s love.

Daisy and Tom on the other hand show how people can use their position to look down on others and live their life carelessly. As the narrator of The Great Gatsby Nick says about Daisy, “in a moment she looked at me with an absolute smirk on her lovely face as if she had asserted her membership in a rather distinguished secret society to which she and Tom belonged” (Fitzgerald, 83) It is this superior mind set that allows

Tom to cheat on his wife and allows him and Daisy to run away from the death of Myrtl e. They don’t need to worry about such things because they are too good for it. And Nick sees it as a kind of carelessness. “They were careless people, Tom and Daisy----they smashed up things and creatures and then retreated back into their money or their v ast carelessness…they can use their wealth and position to escape whatever they choose.” (Fitzgerald, 163)

By comparison, Gatsby and Daisy belong to different kinds of people, they have different backgrounds and life styles, and their social statuses are not the same at all. It is doomed to be a failure if Gatsby wants to be in love with Daisy, and live with her forever.

Chapter V Conclusion

Gatsby’s final destructiveness was the consequence of Tom’s plottin g and framing. It was superficial phenomenon that Tom, the real murderer of murdering Gatsby, represented the upper class society and committed the crime, but the deep connotation was that upper class society ruined Gatsby’s dream in spirit. Gatsby’s falsity was that he was too innocent to see through that his beloved Daisy was as dishonest and unconscientious as Tom, and they unique possessed selfish, cruelness, falsity, deceit as well as narrowness. In the cocktail party Gatsby held, Tom and Daisy smashed up things and creatures and then retreated back into their money or their vast carelessness, or let other people clean up the mess they had made, so Daisy was not worthy for Gatsby to devote himself to her, and he lived in cruel environment.

“So we beat on, boats on against the current, born back ceaselessly into the past”(Fitzgerald, 215). To repeat the past, Gatsby devoted all to his dream, but at last his efforts were hopeless. Actually, this was an ode of personality separated in special time and space. Gatsby tried practicing his figure again, prompting into upper class society and regaining original ideal beloved Daisy, whose actions were magnificent and epic, but he was destined to fail because his various efforts were sarcastic. He made a lot of lies for getting Daisy, yet she was only a beautiful body with good appearance and bad virtues, so Daisy has no qualification to be the person who Gatsby devoted his life to.

Owing to his innocence, lacking of discerning power and self-comprehension, Gatsby fell into the trap that the social evil power set for him. Owing to his honestness, kindness, determined beliefs, tense desire and firm decision, he believed that he could build a real fairy-land. Doubtlessly, the description of American Dream was perfect, but the realistic world represented by Tom and Daisy was too absurd to withstand a single blow. Gatsby’s lack of mind and discerning power led to his final destructiveness——his destructiveness was not only in physic but also in spirit. It is h uman being’s tragedy.

Works cited

Fitzgerald, F. Scott.The Great Gatsby Y uanFang Press.Beijing.The world library Press Company, 2002.

宋岳礼王晓燕,20世纪英美小说流变与选读，西安，西北农林科技大学出版社，2009

张伯香，北京，英美文学选读外语教学与研究出版社，2006