论《了不起的盖茨比》中美国梦的幻灭与重生

论文总字数：31514字

摘 要

弗朗西斯·斯科特·菲茨杰拉德，爵士时代一位出色的文学“雕刻家”，用令人惊叹的“工艺”雕刻出英美文学中一颗璀璨“钻石”《了不起的盖茨比》。本文从文本出发，结合社会背景，作者自身的经历，对美国梦的幻灭进行分析。并从全新的视角，去探讨小说中美国梦的重生以及重生道路诞生的本质原因。小说作者运用优雅的文风以及绝妙的文字，将20世纪20年代纵乐浮华的美国社会状态淋漓尽致的呈现出来。通过小说主人公盖茨比即使梦想破灭也不放弃希望的人生经历，描述出美国梦的本质色彩，从而展现小说积极的社会意义与更深刻的社会价值。小说启示人们热爱生活，丰富精神世界，最终脚踏实地的去实现他们的梦想。

关键词：《了不起的盖茨比》；美国梦；幻灭；重生；原因

Contents

1. Introduction 1

2. Literature Review 2

3. The American Dream and The Great Gatsby 2

3.1 Introduction to the American Dream 2

3.2 The Embodiment of the American Dream in the Novel 3

4. The Disillusionment of the American Dream 5

4.1 The Disillusionment of the American Dream 5

4.2 The Causes of the Disillusionment of the American Dream 6

5. The Rebirth of the American Dream 7

5.1 The Rebirth of the American Dream 7

5.2 The Causes of the Rebirth of the American Dream 8

5.3 The Ways to Revive the American Dream 10

6. Conclusion 11

Works Cited 13

1. Introduction

F. Scott Fitzgerald was born in 1896 in Saint Paul, Minnesota, who had an upper middle class family. When he studied at Princeton University, he found that he was interested in writing. However, the First World War broke out, he joined the army. Thought that he had to make the literary dreams come true, Fitzgerald began writing novels formally after leaving the army, when This Side of Paradise came into the world, it encouraged Fitzgerald to submit more novels in the future. Fitzgerald had a beautiful wife named Zelda Sayre, who was the model for most of the female characters in his novels, and his wife had a vital influence on Fitzgerald’s works and Fitzgerald’s whole life. Fitzgerald has written a lot of novels, but the most well-known novel is The Great Gatsby published in 1925. It made Fitzgerald became a paradigmatic writer of the Jazz Age, who was widely regarded as one of the greatest American writers and a member of the “Lost Generation” in 1920s.

The Great Gatsby is one of the best novels in the history of English and American literature. The story started with a man who named Nick Carraway. He was served as this novel’s narrator. When he came to New York, he lived in a small house on Long Island next door to the rich and powerful people Jay Gatsby, who dreamed to regain the heroine Daisy’s love. Even though Daisy was married to the wealthy Tom, but Gatsby still loved Daisy, so he struggled to be a millionaire. A few years later, Gatsby has accumulated a great amount of wealth illegally, he asked Nick to arrange a reunion between himself and Daisy, and then Gatsby and Daisy began a new love affair again. Gatsby thought that his dream would come true. Actually, Daisy was just interested in the excitement, wealth and enjoyment. When Daisy’s husband Tom discovered the relationship between Gatsby and Daisy, Daisy could not give up her flashy life. At last, Gatsby was dead and his dream was disillusioned.

The novel is a miniature of Fitzgerald’s real life, and he once got drunk in a luxury and dissipation life for a period, so Fitzgerald reappeared the “roaring twenties” (Li Jihong, 2013: 4) as natural as though it was living. When the people want to perceive the American dream in the Jazz Age, The Great Gatsby is the indispensable medium. This novel is so great, because it has defined an era independently.

1920s is not only the golden years for the author of The Great Gatsby; it’s also the glorious time for American. When World War I ended, the American became the wealthiest country in the world and the origin of modern consumerism. The American economy was flourishing as never before, so the people indulged in the gorgeous material universe. Their spiritual world became bland. People’s dream could not stand a fight which was lashed by the flashy social reality. Fitzgerald said “That is a miraculous era and an era full of mockery.” (Fitzgerald, 1931) And he called this era the “Jazz Age”. Due to the enthrallment of substance, the people indulged in creature comforts, they lost their traditional values, gave up their faith, honor, even lost themselves. They immersed in their wealthy world, meanwhile, they felt blank and numb. At this time, The Great Gatsby turned out, and it rang the alarm of the Jazz Age.

2. Literature Review

In the history of American literature, the topic “American dream” appeared repeatedly. The main research area of the American dream focused on the disillusionment of the American dream, in order to analyze the American society and the social problem. According to scholar Miao Yongming, she made an analysis on the American society in 1920s related to The Great Gatsby. What’s more, Xiao Dongbo and Tang Jun focused on the discussion of the American dream and the cause of disillusionment. They were outstanding researches about The Great Gatsby, but most of them were restricted to the disillusionment of the American dream and social essence of American, the in-depth research on the rebirth of the American dream is less. So this paper is not only analyzes the disillusionment of the American dream based on the text content, background of creation and references, but also explore the road of rebirth to the American dream on the basis of relevant researches, to uncover more positive and far-reaching social significance of The Great Gatsby.

3. The American Dream and The Great Gatsby

3.1 Introduction to the American Dream

American dream is a term proposed by James Truslow Adams in 1931, the definition of the American dream is “life should be better and richer and fuller for everyone, with opportunity for each according to ability or achievement” regardless of social class or circumstances of birth. (Adams, 1931)

It is a national ethos of American; it is a characteristic product of American economy. It believes that you can achieve a better life after a hard struggle. In American dream, upper class, special social identity is unimportant; people can earn respect through hard working, economic success, creativity and resolution. So everyone has an opportunity to realize the American dream. American dream is not a dream to be wealthy; it is also a faith to have an equal social position in the society and a happy life.

The American dream could date back to the period of the first batch of European colonizer. The origin of it came from the puritanic religions idea. In early American colonialism, success meant working very hard. Many people were millionaires and started from scratch. Benjamin Franklin is the successful representative of the American dream and the best annotation. The American dream makes people believe that all the people are equally valuable in this island, which is full of vitality and hope. If you make arduous efforts, you will obtain wealth, and harvest happiness. The American dream focuses on equality of everyone and the same chances of success. Success mainly depends on how hard you work, in traditional American dream, freedom of faith is important.

The national culture is changing and developing in the tide of history. The American dream will be given the different meaning in the different era. The development of the American dream reflects public"s hopes for a better life. In new century, the connotation of the American dream meets the requirement of the new society in a new era. In 21 century, the era of information globalization has already come. Apple founder Steve Jobs and the American President Barack Hussein become the spokesmen of the American dream in the new century. Both of them use efforts and intelligence to make the dream come true. So the connotation of the American dream in the new century is making hard effort, and applying wisdom, confidence, courage and advanced knowledge to make the dream come true.

3.2 The Embodiment of the American Dream in the Novel

Gatsby is a product of American society and culture, Through the description of the Gatsby’s whole life, we can clearly make an understanding of Gatsby"s life, which is the best embodiment of American dream, Gatsby’s American dream is originated from childhood, he was born in a normal family, but he was studious and hoped that through their own efforts to achieve their own dream, and to be a great man like Benjamin. However, because of the degenerative social situation, Gatsby could not realize his American dream same with Benjamin Franklin. Daisy is the key point to make Gatsby elect the anomic American dream. Daisy was so beautiful and enchanting, Gatsby fell in love with Daisy, in order to redeem Daisy’s love, under the impetus of the social conditions, and Gatsby used much money to win Daisy. Because he thought that if he had enough money, even more than Daisy’s husband Tom, he will win Daisy’s love. So it is reasonable for him to accumulate material wealth to gain the love of Daisy. Even though Gatsby made the fortune through illegal business, and did everything for Daisy, such as moving to West Egg, and making money by any means necessary, holding extravagant parties during all the summer. His dream was still burst at last, however, Gatsby never gave up his original intention of dream, and Gatsby’s dream is an embodiment of the American dream in the novel, development, disillusionment and rebirth.

“Involuntarily I glanced seaward-and distinguished nothing except a single green light, minute and far away, that might have been the end of a dock.” (Fitzgerald, 2009: 20) This is the first “green light” in the novel. It is the symbol of the American dream to Gatsby, and he yearned to gain the love from Daisy.

“If I wasn’t for the mist we could see your home across the bay,” said Gatsby.” You always have a green light that burns all night at the end of your dock.” Possibly it had occurred to him that the colossal significance of that light had now vanished forever. (Fitzgerald, 2009: 83) This is the second “green light” in The Great Gatsby, it is the presage of the disillusionment of the American dream, Daisy never has the same values with Gatsby, and the dream was doomed to burst at last. So the second “green light” has the meaning of the disillusionment of the American dream.

On the basis of the previous two “green light”, the third one has a special meaning, which is the road of the rebirth of the American dream. “In the novel, Gatsby believed in the green light, the orgiastic future that year by year recedes before us. It eluded us then, but that’s no matter-tomorrow we will run faster, stretch out our arms farther...And one fine morning.” (Fitzgerald, 2009: 164) So the road of rebirth reflected in the writing of the novel. The author told us that even though the dream was failure, but the history was developing all the time. We will make our dream come true in the future.

4. The Disillusionment of the American Dream

4.1 The Disillusionment of the American Dream

The American dream is the combination of protestant ethics and constitutionalism. So the paragon Benjamin Franklin of the American dream used his successful experience to encourage more and more people carried forward American dream. However, because of money worship and materialism inflation in that era, the people fixed wrong position of the American dream, which means the upper class’s life. People indulged in the gorgeous material universe to replace the original American dream.

In the 20th century, World War broke out, the United States earned a lot of money from the war, the American’s economic strength enhanced rapidly, the American economy entered the era which is full of unprecedented economic prosperity and abundance, and however, the social moral came down in the society. The American dream in the 20th century abandoned the positive significance of the original American which made wealth and freedom as the essential goal. The American dream in the 20th century turned into the pursuit of money. People in this “Roaring Twenties” named the “Lost Generation”; they lost their faith in life, and dream about to be a millionaire, so they could use the money to fill the emptiness inside. The thought of “wealth is everything” began to appear in this age. The American dream in the 20th century has broken away from the original intention of the American dream along with the change of social.

In the novel, the author used Gatsby to be the representative, disclosed the bursting of the American dream in the Jazz Age,. Gatsby loved Daisy, winning Daisy’s love by means of money is Gatsby’s American dream, even though Gatsby did a lot of things to realize dream, Gatsby was failure at last, there are some causes of the disillusion of American dream, including the personal and social causes.

4.2 The Causes of the Disillusionment of the American Dream

4.2.1 The Gatsby’s Personal Reasons and Limitations

The hero of this novel Gatsby dreamed of achieving love with the heroine Daisy through his material wealth. The gloomy social reality led to the disillusionment of his dream. But Gatsby’s personal reason and limitations can’t be ignored. In the novel, Gatsby loved daisy, he tried his best to win Daisy’s love, but the target was wrong, when she came to Gatsby’s mansion, she cried in the pile of top grade shirt, she could not image that Gatsby became so prosperous; when she knew Gatsby was no longer a poor soldier, she betrayed her husband; when Gatsby died, she went with her husband for holiday. So Daisy was materialism, selfish, this was her essence, she could live without love, but she could not live without money. It was impossible for her living to old age in conjugal bliss with Gatsby, she never paid for her dream. For Gatsby, he never thought the same with Daisy, he never knew that Daisy attached herself to the sophisticated society. He cheated that he would win lover’s love by his efforts, and the world was sunshine and pure. He did not know the true world which remained under cover the cold and inexorability. The social reality is that people are blind and blank, just interested in feasting and wealth. The first personal reason is that Gatsby does not want to face up Daisy’s true inner quality and the differences between him and Daisy.

The second reason is that Gatsby has lost his morality just in order to win Daisy’s love. Gatsby made the fortune through illegal business, which has set the foreshadowing of the disillusionment of the American dream. The true American dream is based on hardworking and efforts, but Gatsby gives up making efforts. At first, Gatsby has made the American dream deviate from the rules. The disillusionment of the American dream is inevitable, which brings us deep introspection and thinking.

4.2.2 The Essential Causes of the Disillusionment of the American Dream

American economy developed in an abnormal condition in 1920s, the traditional values and the rules were challenged, “Social being determines social consciousness”, and so the causes of the disillusionment of dream was that the dream could not fit the social reality and the trend of the era. People’s wonderful dream has evolved chasing money and status with sharp practice. They have lost their convictions and ideals. So Gatsby’s dream could not exist in this materialism society. The essential causes of the disillusion of the American dream are the darkness and empty reality of capitalist society in the 1920s.

The differences between so-called upper-class people and ordinary people in the United States are not only the wealth, but also the false level of identity. There are a lot of conflicts between the east and west. Gatsby is so naive to think they can use the money to become the people in high society, profoundly reveals the confusion of American society and the essence of selfishness, cruelty, hypocrisy in high society. So the essential cause is the capitalist system.

Even though some people’s American dream was very noble, and the content was diversified in that age, but it was not suitable for the development trend of the society, people wanted to realize the American dream by means of money, which cause to the loss of positive social values. The American dream of the Jazz Age could not comply with modern society.

5. The Rebirth of the American Dream

5.1 The Rebirth of the American Dream

The American dream is the most typical word in American society. It is an ideal and pursuance possessed American character. The topic of keeping away from the so-called vanity, doesn"t blindly pursuit of wealth, authentically cerate one’s own enterprise and dream, be strict with oneself with strict standard of morality. This is the rebirth of the American dream. The American dream is always adopted by the American writers. After the publishing of The Great Gatsby, the American dream has contained the modern values. On the one side, people struggled to realize the American dream; on the other side, the people destroyed the legitimate American dream. The novel embodied the tragic sense and the feeling of disillusionment. However, the core of the American dream is infectious and charismatic. In Fitzgerald’s writing, there is a feeling of disillusionment and tragedy sense, but the author of The Great Gatsby never gives up the pursuance of dream, he peels off the abnormal parts of the American dream, returns the real value to the American dream.

One of the outstanding accomplishments of The Great Gatsby is the author’s superb writing skill. There is a unique significance in each word belonging to the novel where the “green light” is the most famous word. The “green light” represents the American dream of Gatsby. The road of rebirth of the American dream is reflected by it imaginatively. “The author uses “green light” for telling us that the light is everlasting, and make us learn how to protect the light in our heart and realize our dream. The “green light” will never go out for the people who square the dream with reality, and it will be a constant inspiration to the young people from generation to generation.” (Dai Yanhong, 2013: 58)

Gatsby has cost his life because of the conflict between spiritual pursuit and material pursuit, which gave the rebirth of the American dream a new meaning. In the tragic novels, death is the greatest breakthrough and climax, the value of rebirth will be much scarcer owing to death. Death offers sacrifices to the rebirth of the American dream, even though it is solemn and stirring, but the rebirth becomes the reassuring power in the novel.

5.2 The Causes of the Rebirth of the American Dream

5.2.1 The Dissemination of the Novel

The reason for the success of The Great Gatsby is not the scrumptious description of the disillusionment of the American dream, because the novel reflected the complete picture of evolution of the American dream in 1920s. The novel not only brought the feeling of disillusionment, but also resolved hope. At first, the sales volume of the novel was dismal, because it was too close to that era, and it was too successful to depict the Jazz Age, the people could not face up to the corruption of the American dream. After three years, the social tide changed, and then the novel’s sales volume rose rapidly, besides, more and more literary critics focused on this novel. The Great Gatsby began conquering the road of literature market and it had a great social repercussions. It resisted the concussion of history of the years and shined replenished charm. The Great Gatsby was the earliest novel criticized the American dream, and it also had a positive effect on the rebirth of the American dream, because it broke the so-called American dream. Fitzgerald used the novel to sparkplug the people to do moral self-discipline, and put forward countermeasures for the disillusionment of the American dream, to make the people awake from flashy materialistic society, to make the American dream renascence. This novel derives new social value with the development of the times. It blooms a unique charm in the history and the future

5.2.2 The Redemption Consciousness of the Novel’s Author

The description of the disillusionment of the American dream embodies the profound understanding and anxious feelings of the author. He tried to show on a feasible and marked route to the rebirth of the American dream. Through the anxious feelings and mirror image of death, make the rebirth come true. Just as Haruki Murakami said in Norwegian Wood, “Death is never the opposite of life, but a part of it and lives forevermore.” Fitzgerald used the death of Gatsby to rescue the society, and hoped it will be a part of the rebirth of the American dream. This is the redemption consciousness of the novel’s author F. Scott Fitzgerald.

Fitzgerald called back the traditional social value by using the tone of Nick, and criticized the degenerative American dream. Nick is the embodiment of the redemption consciousness of the novel’s author F. Scott Fitzgerald. Nick is the relater of The Great Gatsby. In the novel, Nick said that “a sense of the fundamental decencies is parceled out unequally at birth; I felt that I wanted the world to be in uniform and at a sort of moral attention forever” (Fitzgerald, 2009: 2) which expressed the redemption consciousness of Fitzgerald. Nick witnessed the disillusionment of Gatsby’s American dream because of his characteristic identity, he detested living a luxury and dissipation life, he penetrated the gloomy social essence in that era, so he was aware of the lack of social morality, and he made himself independent of material wealth. The role of Nick in the novel provided a clue to the redemption consciousness of Fitzgerald.

5.2.3 The Trend of Social Development

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