The Great Gatsby

余彥Abstract：The Great Gatsby is regarded as one of F.Scott Fitzgeraldsmost famous works.This paper concentrate on the bankruptcy of the American dream in the 1920s which is conveyed in this story. This thesis referred to the main experience of the author,studying the bankruptcy of Gatsbys American dream in The Great Gatsby.This paper also referred the hostorical background of the Jazz Age and peples American dream in the 1920s.Through the analysisof major characterss personalites of the novel, wecan draw the conclusion that Gatsbys destiny has a great connection with Fitzgerald himself and the death of Gatsby is doomed by the specific money social environment which is full of selfishness, greed and moral degeneration.

Key words：American dream bankruptcy personalites destiny money moral degeneration social environmentThe Great Gratsby is the most famous works of Scott Fitzgerald. It is a story of the bankruptcy of the American dream. In this story, Gatsby's “American dream” is burst by a tragic end. It is inevitably linked by a specific social environment. Selfishness and indifference are the essential feature of that social relationships. Love, friendship are built on the basis of money and material desire .In that society everyone lived for their own interests. It is bound to emerge the nature character of human being—selfishness, greed and indifference when they communicate with each other. Once lossing their wealth or arousing by difficulties, those who have claimed to be their friends and lovers will go away immediately and to find the new happy paradise. This is the reason why the upper classs representatives Tom and Daisy were indifferent when they faced the death of Gatsby .What they did is quietly hide into the bunker which is built by money and ruthless, and let others to clean up the mess. This is the nature of the post-war American society which was prosperity under the cover of selfishness, greed and moral degeneration .

一、The author and the theme of the story

1. A brief account of the author F.Scott FitzgeraldScott Fitzgerald was born in a family of businessman on Laurel Avenue in St. Paul, Minnesota, on September 24, 1896. Unluckly his family waned in his fathers generation. Financing by relatives, Fitzgerald went to Pre. School. Though often got along with the rich, he never regarded himself as a member of them. In 1913, Fitzgerald entered Princet on University and his life in university was the starting point of his literature creating. In his junior year, he has short timely been in love with a millionaires daughter, but the love ended in failure. Academic troubles and apathy plagued him throughout his time at college, and he never graduated, instead joining in the army in 1917, just when World War I neared its end. Fitzgerald became a second lieutenant, and was stationed at Camp Sheridan, in Montgomery, Alabama. Just in there he met and deeply fell in love with a local judges daught Zelda Sayre. Zelda finally agreed to marry him, but she paid too much attention to wealth, fun, and leisure all which led her to delay their wedding until he could make a success. From it, Fitzgerald realized, he needed money to pave the way to his dream. He longed for getting rich and soon left the army in 1919. After a while of poor life, Fitzgerald decided to go back home for concentrating on polishing his novel that had been finished in the university .With the publication of This Side of Paradise in 1920, Fitzgerald not only became wealthy and reputed, but also won back his “golden girl”—Zelda. In 1925, Fitzgeralds masterpiece, long story—The Great Gatsby have been published.During the rest of his life,Fitzgerald pubnished the long novel Tender is the Night, The Last Tycoon and so on,and one hundred pieces short stories. However, on December. 21, 1940, because of a burst of coronary heart disease, he passed away, just at the age of 44.

2 .Major theme of the novelThe two decades between World War I and World War II were a golden age of American fiction. Fitzgerald, as a member of “the lost generation”, published his The Great Gatsby in 1925 and confirmed his status as a chronicler and poet laureate in the jazz age. At first glance, the novel appears to be a simple love story between a man and a woman, but further examination reveals Fitzgerald's masterful scrutiny of American society during the 1920s and the bankruptcy of the American dream.The protagonist of the story—Jay Gatsby is an average American.His dream and extraordinary energy make him instantly pursue wealth and high social status. That is what motivated him to move to West Egg, make money by any means necessary, and strive to win Daisy back. His death in the end points at the truth about the withering of the American Dream. However,on one hand, although he is defeated, the dream has helped Gatsby to win a dignity and a set of qualities.On the other hand, it also show the decline of American dream in 1920s and the hollowless of the upper class.

二、 Background of the “Jazz Age” and 1920's American dream

1.A general introduction to the “Jazz Age”The 1920s saw the flowering of African American culture in the arts. In music, black culture expressed itself through jazz, an improvisational and spontaneous musical form derived in part from slave songs and African spirituals. Jazz first emerged in the early 1900s in New Orleans then spread to Chicago, New York City, and elsewhere. The 1920s is often called the Jazz Age because jazz flourished and gained widespread appeal during the decade. The improvisational character of the music was often associated with the “l(fā)oose” morals and relaxed social codes of the time. It was also a time of the prohibition of alcohol ,so that many people who like alcohol (obviously a lot of people) restored to “black market dealers” to supply their alcohol.In order to achieve his dream to win Daisy back, Gatsby did a great risk to become a mumber of the bootleggers to supply their alcohol.

2. A general introduction to the American dream Gatsby's dream invokes the theory of what is called the American Dream.The term was first used by James Adams in his book The Epic of America which was written in 1931.He states:The American Dream is “that dream of a land in which life should be better and richer and fuller foreveryone, with opportunity for each according to ability or achievement.It is a difficult dream for the European upper classes to interpret adequately,and too many of us ourselves have grown weary and mistrustful of it.It is not a dream of motor cars and high wages merely, but a dream of social order in which each man and woman shall be able to attain to the fullest stature of which they are innately capable, and be recognized by others for what they are ,regardless of the fortuitous circumstances of birth or position.” [1]

In this story Gatsby made money by any means necessary, just for his dream to win Dasiy back. He has done all he could to attain this dream, and towards the end, he almost attains it, but for a minor dilemma—that is, his death.

三、The analysis of major characters

1.The storys narrator—Nick CurrawayAs we read this novel, we will notice that the voice is always Nick's. Fitzgerald's choice of Nick as the character through whom to tell his story has a stroke of genius. The author has also designed “the dual characters”for Nick . His importance is not inferior to the leading character Gatsby in many aspects. He is not only the storys narrator and commentator, but also an important character in the novel. He is Gatsbyneighbor and friend, Dasiys cousin and Tom's schoolmate, but he is also be in love with Dasiys good friend Jordan. Nick travels to New York in 1922 to learn the bond business. He lives in the West Egg district of Long Island, next door to Gatsby, which enables him to observe and assist the resurgent love affair between his cousion Daisy and Gatsby.

Nick is well suited to narrating The Great Gatsby also because of his temperament. As he tells the reader in Chapter I, he is tolerant, open-minded, quiet, and a good listener, and, as a result, others tend to talk to him and tell him their secrets. And so, Fitzgerald reasoned, someone like Gatsby would be much more understandable and sympathetic if presented through the eyes of a character like ourselves. Nick is Gatsbys friend which brings us closer to the action by forcing us to experience events as though we were Nick.He arranged the meeting between Gatsby and Dasiy after five years department, and witnessed the naive of Gatsby for the dream to win Dasiys heart and also cristiced Dasiys selifish and despicable.After witnessing the unraveling of Gatsbys dream and presiding over the appalling spectacle of Gatsbys funeral, Nick realizes that the fast life of revelry on the East Coast is a cover for the terrifying moral emptiness that the valley of ashes symbolizes.

2. The rich upper class—Daisy, Tom, Jordan

① Daisys husband—Tom Buchanan。Tom Buchanan, who had solid wealth and social status, was Daisys husband. Tom came from the aristocratic family, living in the fashionable East Egg. He was an “old money”a representative of the aristocracy – with a coupe as his label. He was a insolent and conceited playboy who has got a great achievement in sports. The novel in chapter 1 describes:“Now he was a sturdy straw-haired man of thirty with a rather hard mouth and a supercilious manner. Two shining arrogant eyes had established dominance over his face and gave him the appearance of always leaning aggressively forward…”[3]

Tom is a coward and he is a crude man. After the accident, Tom whimpered, “The god damned coward! He didnt even stop his car”. It seemed that he was a hero. But in fact he took advantage of Gatsbys unworryment about his own safety. He made George Wilson believe that Gatsby was the murderer. He shifted the blame to Gatsby by quickly deny the yellow car was his. He did not want to be involved in the accident. Facing his wifes betrayal, Tom was merely angry, furious, like being deprived of his property. He displayed his mistress Myrtle just as his other possessions. That is not to say, that Tom didnt care for Daisy or Myrtle. His love was on a different level. He held only those ideals which were useful to his own position in life, and ruthlessly eliminated any emotion which became a threat rather than a pleasure.

② Daisys friend—Jordan。Jordan, Daisy's friend, Jordan Baker's most striking quality is her dishonesty. She is tough and aggressive- a golfer who is so hardened by competition that she is willing to do anything to win. Jordan is the smart new woman, the opportunist who will do whatever she must to be successful in her world. From the appearance and character, Miss Baker and Daisy are all aristocrats of the upper class. In the story Nick fell in love with her at the first,from the character of Nick , Miss Baker have a Lishu on the ethics and conduct. She witnessed the death of Mrs. Wilson, but she maintain cold, indifferent attitude as a spectators, which revealed her irresponsible attitude. Nick said she is a careless driver She also plausibly that the other road driving and the people will not like her not careful, and firmly believe that the other person will never hit her. This reflects her no sense of responsibility, but also contrasts the people who driving is more irresponsible. She is an opportunist who will do what ever she must do to be successful in her world, which is the world of the rich and influential people.

四、Gatsby's American dream

1. The formation of Gatsby's American dreamFirst of all, that Gatsby deeply fell in love with Dasiy when he met her at the first time, but this love is the possessed by a means of telling lie. Daisy hates poverty, what she cares about is not money but money and wealth. In order to get her, he falsely claimed that he has millions of money. When he was found poor, Daisy abandoned him and married Tom who came from the upper class and had a lot of money.This is undoubtedly a fatal blow, but also a joke that from money to love. But Gatsby is strong, and did not sink, he vowed to win back Daisy ,this is the purpose of all his life. In order to regain the love, he put unbridled and unscrupulous means to collect wealth and money.He rented a luxurious house in the relatively places of Dasiys home and stared at the green light from Dasiys house every night. He frankly challenged to Dasiys husband Tom, said, “She does not love you” .He preferred to be punished for Dasiy,even die for her.Gatsby remembered each sound, each scene, each action of Dasiy in their shortly time.He always remember the kiss of that stary night.Just the kiss,he spent all his life to pursuit.It is the dream that he live for and dead for.

However, Gatsby's innocent love for Dasiy is facing the turbidity world.There, the value of money is the highest scale, all things are infected with the taste of planning and love is no exception. Dasiy is a symbol of money, even her voice is full of money.Gatsby wants to get her to realize his dream of love.So he must invest himself into the reality of mediocre money, using the real values to meet her requirements. The only way to get Dasiy is to possess wealth , to pay money. The separation and confrontation in the way of the pursuit of the ideal love decided that Gatsbys pursuitment of love is an process of unscrupulous pursuit for money. The most purity love of human yield to money and made it commercialize,vulgar and evil.Although Gatsbys heart is pure, but his action destroyed his love completely.

2. The bankruptcy of the “American dream” Although the author uses a large part to write the wealthy of Gatsby,in fact he is very lonely. This fully shows the fitness between the loneliness in Gatsby's heart and his consistent pursuitment of l ove.It is his money and generosity made himself in the center of the flattering crowd, but he is often far away from them and lose in his deep thought. On Gatsbys luxury parties,some people said that he had killed people,some said that he worked as a spy of German,some said that he claimed he had gratitued from the university of Oxford……

The two girls and Jordan leaned together confidentially.

“Somebody told me they thought he killed a man once.”

A thrill passed over all of us. The three Mr. Mumbles bent forward and listened eagerly.

“I dont think its so much THAT,” argued Lucille sceptically; “its more that he was a German spy during the war.”

One of the men nodded in confirmation.

“I heard that from a man who knew all about him, grew up with him in Germany,” he assured us positively.

“Oh, no,” said the first girl, “it couldnt be that, because he was in the American army during the war.” As our credulity switched back to her she leaned forward with enthusiasm. “You look at him sometimes when he thinks nobodys looking at him. Ill bet he killed a man.”

In short,all people who came to Gatsbys parties thought that Gatsby got the wealth thought some improper means. And in people's comments and speculation ,Gatsby was lonely and far away from the bustling crowd. As if he he did not like the hustle and bustle of this world,and just like immersed in his thoughts.

The caterwauling horns had reached a crescendo and I turned away and cut across the lawn toward home. I glanced back once. A wafer of a moon was shining over Gatsbys house, making the night fine as before, and surviving the laughter and the sound of his still glowing garden. A sudden emptiness seemed to flow now from the windows and the great doors, endowing with complete isolation the figure of the host, who stood on the porch, his hand up in a formal gesture of farewell. [4]

The strange behavior of Gatsby comes from his sense of loneliness and his pursuitment of the true value of love .All what he did were unsuitable with the world which was populared with timely enjoy pleasure. Of course, for Gatsby, it is no doubt that wealth and love are inseparable. Because they constitute a the pursuitment of dream for Gates.But Gatsbys truly “greatness” is in his mind—wealth can not replace love, even can not transcend it.It is easy to see how proud it is in Gatsbys inner world. Here, tears and calm,group happiness and loneliness formed a sharp contrast. There is no external outer noise in Gatsbys lonely heart before he entered the tomb.Only his father, Nick and the pastor took part in his funeral. It is a sad contrast between the cold funeral and the noise parties .Those who chased for the wealth of Gatsby in the past were all disappeared this time. He died for Dasiy, but there is not a bit of the guilt feeling in her heart. Daisy move away with Tom, leaving no forwarding address.

五、Conclusion

The Great Gatsby is full of twist romantic tragdy works.The novel tells a stirring love story which makes people deeply feel a classical and poetic sentiment.However, the differeces from other classical works are lies in that the work discribes the reality of the strokes cold-blooded, merciless society by a poetic way. Characters in the novels are infatuated with money and pleasure,are crafty of profit-seeking, are by any means cruel, are irresponsible and selfish…… It was just a very mediocre and ugly “American Dream”. However, the “American dream” of Gatsby was broken,and was swallowed by the vulgar reality of the romantic hope, just as the childish purity were woven into the money built society.參考文獻(xiàn)：

[1] Anderson,W.R.The Fitzgerald Revival,1940-1974[M].Dissertation:University of South Carolina,1974.

[2] Alberto Lena.Deceitful Traces of Power: An Analysis of the Decadence of Tom Buchanan in The Great Gatsby[J].Canadian Review of American Studies, 1998.

[3] Bloom.F.Scott Fitzgeralds The Great Gatsby[M].New York: Chelsea,1991.

[4] Bruccoli.New Essays on The Great Gatsby[M].Cambridge:Cambridge University Press,1985.

[5] Malcolm Cowley and Robert Cowley.Fitzgerald and the Jazz Age[M]. New York:Scribners,1966.

[6] F.Scott Fitzgerald.The Great Gatsby[M]. Qingdao:Qingdao Press,2004.

[7] 吳建國(guó).菲茨杰拉德研究[M].上海:上海外語(yǔ)教育出版社,2002.

[8] 巫寧坤唐建清，了不起的蓋茨比，譯林出版社,1999.

[9] 常耀信.美國(guó)文學(xué)簡(jiǎn)史[M].天津:南開(kāi)大學(xué)出版社,1997.

[10] 虞建華.二十部美國(guó)小說(shuō)名著評(píng)析[M].上海:上海外語(yǔ)教學(xué)出版社,1989.

[11] 董衡巽.美國(guó)現(xiàn)代小說(shuō)選[M].北京：中國(guó)社會(huì)科學(xué)出版社,1987.(作者單位：內(nèi)蒙古興安盟扎賚特旗職業(yè)高中137600)