簡析《了不起的蓋茨比》中蓋茨比的悲劇成因【開題報告+文獻綜述+畢業(yè)論文】

1、<p><b>　　畢業(yè)論文開題報告</b></p><p><b>　　英語 </b></p><p>　　簡析《了不起的蓋茨比》中蓋茨比的悲劇成因</p><p>　　論文選題的背景、意義（所選課題的歷史背景、國內(nèi)外研究現(xiàn)狀和發(fā)展趨勢）</p><p>　　一戰(zhàn)結(jié)束后，美國在戰(zhàn)爭中不僅

2、未傷筋骨，反而大發(fā)了一筆軍火財。龐大的戰(zhàn)時利潤和充足的貿(mào)易機會使它很快進入了經(jīng)濟快速增長期，二十年代的美國出現(xiàn)了“飆升的年代”（The Roaring Times）,經(jīng)濟空前繁榮。在這一時期上升到極端重要地位的新工業(yè)不僅推動了其它部門的經(jīng)濟繁榮，也構(gòu)成了改變美國人民的生活習慣和價值觀念的主要動力。這個時候的美國，空氣里彌漫著歡歌與縱飲的氣息，傳統(tǒng)的清教徒道德已經(jīng)土崩瓦解，清教主義和新教的價值觀念和道德風尚受到了強烈的震撼，勤儉、節(jié)約、自

3、控的價值標準面臨奢華、享樂、放縱等觀念的挑戰(zhàn)，享樂主義開始大行其道。弗·斯格特·菲茨杰拉德最著名的小說《了不起的蓋茨比》就設定在20世紀20年代的美國社會里。菲茨杰拉德將這一時期命名為“爵士時代”,是美國“歷史上最會縱樂，最講炫麗的年代”。</p><p>　　弗·斯格特·菲茨杰拉德是美國20世紀20年代文壇上杰出的小說家。素有“爵士時代”的代言人稱號?！熬羰繒r代”是指自一

4、戰(zhàn)結(jié)束至經(jīng)濟大蕭條（1929）的一段時間，也就是20世紀20年代。用菲茨杰拉德自己的話來說，“這是一個奇跡的時代，一個藝術(shù)的時代，一個揮金如土的時代，也是一個充滿嘲諷的時代?！薄读瞬黄鸬纳w茨比》是美國現(xiàn)代小說的先驅(qū)之一。作為一部現(xiàn)代小說藝術(shù)的精品之作，《了不起的蓋茨比》自出版以來一直受到讀者與文學批評界的好評。著名詩人兼文學評論家T．S．艾略特（1945）稱該小說為“美國小說自亨利·詹姆斯以來邁出的第一步”。 菲茨杰拉德在小說

5、《了不起的蓋茨比》中譴責以湯姆為代表的美國特權(quán)階級自私專橫，為所欲為，以同情的態(tài)度描寫了蓋茨比的悲劇，并指出他的悲劇來自他對生活和愛情的幻想，對上層社會人物缺乏認識。小說通過主人公蓋茨比的悲劇，對照其生前的奢侈享樂及死后的凄慘悲涼，深刻揭示了那個時代盛極一時的奢靡與不可避免的沒落。</p><p>　　對于這部作品，國內(nèi)外評論也非常多。有從女性形象分析，反應作者本人對美國20世紀20年代婦女及美國社會精神價值的嚴

6、肅思考。通過對黛西、喬丹、茱特爾三位女性性格、金錢觀、愛情的描寫，菲茨杰拉德成功刻畫了那個時代美國社會中典型的女性形象，其外表雖然絢麗，但其本質(zhì)是淺薄空虛的。揭示了建立在這種物質(zhì)基礎(chǔ)之上的美國夢的必然結(jié)果就是因其缺乏道德精神實質(zhì)而滅亡。有分析作品中的“二元主角”現(xiàn)象，蓋茨比的過去與現(xiàn)在以及結(jié)局全由尼克本人講述、回憶并且由尼克的視角展開，由此，尼克在小說中是與蓋次比并行的主角?！岸鹘恰贝砹藟粝氲膬蓸O：一個迷戀，一個清醒。作者的矛盾態(tài)

7、度也在兩個主角身上體現(xiàn)的淋漓盡致。也有從愛情角度分析蓋茨比的悲劇，張樹光（2010）認為蓋茨比心中的女神是庸俗的物質(zhì)女郎，浪漫的愛情摻雜了拜金主義的氣息,追夢的靈魂就逃脫不了注定的悲劇情緣。也有從消費角度來解讀造成蓋茨比的悲劇的文化根源。汪順來、蔡玉輝（2004）指出蓋茨比生長在那個消費盛行的時代，扭曲、病態(tài)的消費主義觀注定了他的悲劇。當然，更多的評論家將目光集中于蓋茨比的死，研究其悲慘下場的原因。在《了不起的蓋茨比》中，蓋茨比以美國夢

8、的成功者</p><p>　　但單純的從一個角度分析并不能真正解釋蓋茨比悲劇的原因，也無法真正理解作者的意圖。因此本文將從當時的社會背景以及蓋茨比自身角度出發(fā)，分析造成蓋茨比悲劇的原因, 進而得出作者的意圖是為了批判美國社會中的“財閥野心”及其誘惑給人們帶來的毀滅性代價。</p><p>　　二、研究的基本內(nèi)容與擬解決的主要問題</p><p>　　本文將大致從四個

9、方面出發(fā)來分析蓋茨比的悲劇。</p><p>　　一、變質(zhì)的美國夢。從某種意義上來說，蓋茨比的夢幻并非真正的美國夢，他的夢與傳統(tǒng)意義上的美國夢有本質(zhì)上的差別。張禮龍（2008）曾寫到：“蓋茨比的追夢過程潛藏著黑社會的諸多兇險, 他的奮斗環(huán)境也令他丟失了原有的道德準則。在通向財富的道路, 他把自己出賣給了敲詐勒索的大頭目沃爾夫山姆, 成了黑道上的人。美國夢演變到這一地步不僅失去了原先的積極意義, 而且也是極為有害的

10、?！北疚膶⑼ㄟ^對比蓋茨比積累財富的過程及美國夢先驅(qū)者的實現(xiàn)成功的過程揭示蓋茨比以及那個時期許多人所幻想的一個變質(zhì)了的美國夢。</p><p>　　二、“爵士時代”美國社會中存在的階級關(guān)系。以湯姆為代表的富人階級和以蓋茨比為代表的下層階級的矛盾體現(xiàn)了這兩個階級的對立。富人階級始終瞧不起下層階級出身的蓋茨比，也暗示了蓋茨比最終不可能成功的悲劇。楊莉、徐穎果（2009）也寫到：“下層階級為了愛情和金錢不斷奮斗，到最后還

11、是竹籃打水一場空。生命遭到貴族資產(chǎn)階級的踐踏與蔑視。死亡也沒有對貴族資產(chǎn)階級們造成任何的震撼與惋惜，他們照樣生活在富足而空虛的生活圈子中，不用為殺人而償命，不用為了心靈的內(nèi)疚而懺悔?！鄙钤谙聦与A級的蓋茨比，“他不可能有地位，他始終是一個低下的人，永遠也不可能超越自己的階級，去和一個貴族階級的“大家閨秀”結(jié)合，更不要奢望去戰(zhàn)敗代表貴族資產(chǎn)階級的湯姆?！?lt;/p><p>　　三、蓋茨比的愛情理想主義。蓋茨比對于黛西

12、近似女神的對待，明顯得表現(xiàn)了他對理想的不遺余力的追求。但是蓋茨比沒有意識到的是，自己心中的愛情對象只是自己美夢的化身，最后被人槍殺還不明白他的理想與現(xiàn)實的差距之大。吳建國（2006）寫到：“蓋茨比錯就錯在他過于天真純樸, 看不透他所癡情的黛西也與其丈夫湯姆一樣,已毫無真誠和良心可言, 有的只是自私、殘忍、虛偽、狹隘, 以及對人的信念的摧殘。”</p><p>　　四、金錢觀對其夢想的扭曲。處于下層階級的蓋茨比天真

13、的以為金錢能讓他的舊夢重溫，為此他不擇手段的積累金錢。張娟、王晉華（2008）也曾寫到：“他（蓋茨比）太過于相信金錢的力量, 以為只要擁有金錢就能得到感情, 然而財富只能帶給他自我的毀滅?！鄙w茨比將金錢, 這個虛幻的東西, 作為實現(xiàn)夢想的手段, 也就注定了他夢想的破滅。</p><p>　　三、研究的方法和技術(shù)路線</p><p>　　研究方法：本文將通過對菲茨杰拉德寫作時期的爵士時代的背

14、景、文學原著進行研究，揭示時代背景與作品的聯(lián)系。分析小說中形形色色的人物如蓋茨比、尼克、湯姆、黛西等人的行為言行，并深入探討，結(jié)合背景、人物特點從多角度分析導致蓋茨比死亡及最終夢想破滅的真正原因。</p><p>　　技術(shù)路線：通過閱讀相關(guān)的書籍、報刊、網(wǎng)上相關(guān)的資料和期刊等方法收集有用的資料，對這些資料進行概括、提煉和補充，結(jié)合自己的觀點，來完成這一論文的寫作。</p><p>　　論文

15、詳細工作進度和安排</p><p>　　2009年11月5日—11月22日 確定論文題目</p><p>　　2009年11月22日—1月10日 指導老師下達任務書，學生提交開題報告，文獻綜述，</p><p>　　2010年1月底前 提交論文初稿</p><p>　　2010年3月

16、底前 初稿、二稿的修改</p><p>　　2010年4月底前 三稿、四稿的修改</p><p>　　2010年5月12日前 定稿，提交按要求裝訂的論文終稿一式四份</p><p><b>　　主要參考文獻</b></p>

17、<p>　　程吳, 注定凄慘的愛情——《了不起的盞茨比>中主人公愛情悲劇的根源[J], 徐州工程學院學報，2006, 第4期。</p><p>　　董衡巽，美國文學簡史(下)[M]，北京：人民文學出版社，1986。</p><p>　　王長榮， 現(xiàn)代美國小說史[M ]，上海: 上海外語教育出版社，2000。</p><p>　　吳建國，菲茨杰拉德研究

18、[M]，上海:上海外語教育出版社, 2006。</p><p>　　汪順來、蔡玉輝，都是消費惹的禍--蓋茨比悲劇的消費文化根源探析[J]，《黃山學院學報》2004，第1期。</p><p>　　楊莉、徐穎果，一個反諷的愛情故事——《了不起的蓋茨比》中的死亡、愛情與社會現(xiàn)實[J]，河北理工大學學報，2009，第5期。</p><p>　　張娟、王晉華，金錢的魅力——從

19、《了不起的蓋茨比》中主要人物對錢的態(tài)度解讀錢的多功能性[J]，中北大學學報( 社會科學版),2008,第28期。</p><p>　　張禮龍， 美國夢的演變與破滅—了不起的蓋茨比評析[ J] ，外國文學研究, 1998，第2期。</p><p>　　張樹光， 注定的悲劇情緣——解讀《了不起的蓋茨比》中蓋茨比對黛西的愛戀[J]，《內(nèi)蒙古名族大學學報》，2010第1期。</p>

20、<p>　　F.Scott Fitzgerald， The Great Gatsby[M]．Beijing：Foreign language Press.2008.</p><p>　　Eloit,T.S,“Letter to Scott Fitzgerald”[A].in The Crack—Up.ed．Edmund Wilson,1945．</p><p><b>

21、　　指導教師審核意見：</b></p><p>　　簽字： 年 月 日</p><p><b>　　專業(yè)意見：</b></p><p>　　簽字： 年 月 日</p><p><b>　　學院意見：</b></p><

22、p><b>　　畢業(yè)論文文獻綜述</b></p><p><b>　　英語</b></p><p>　　簡析《了不起的蓋茨比》中蓋茨比的悲劇成因</p><p>　　一、前言部分（說明寫作的目的，介紹有關(guān)概念，扼要說明有關(guān)主題爭論焦點）</p><p>　　《了不起的蓋茨比》是美國作家弗

23、83;斯格特·菲茨杰拉德所寫的一部以20世紀20年代的紐約市及長島為背景的短篇小說，被視為美國文學“爵士時代”的象征。小說講述了出身卑微的蓋茨比為能進入美國上流社會，實現(xiàn)其“美國夢”，不惜付出一切代價積累財富，但最終以失敗告終的故事。對于這部作品，國內(nèi)外爭論的焦點也非常多。有從女性形象分析，反應作者本人對美國20世紀20年代婦女及美國社會精神價值的嚴肅思考。通過對黛西、喬丹、茱特爾三位女性性格、金錢觀、愛情的描寫，菲茨杰拉德成

24、功刻畫了那個時代美國社會中典型的女性形象，其外表雖然絢麗，但其本質(zhì)是淺薄空虛的。。有分析作品中的“二元主角”現(xiàn)象，“二元主角”代表了夢想的兩極：一個迷戀，一個清醒。作者的矛盾態(tài)度也在兩個主角身上體現(xiàn)的淋漓盡致。但目前研究的最多的是導致蓋茨比的悲劇的原因。有人從愛情、金錢角度分析，也有人將其歸結(jié)于當時的消費特點，更多評論家將蓋茨比的死亡悲劇、夢想的破滅歸結(jié)于美國夢。但基于這部小說的寫作背景，以及故事本身的情節(jié)來看，蓋茨比的悲劇成因遠非是僅

25、僅一個美國夢那么簡單。從社會和個人多角度分析更能全面解釋蓋茨比的悲劇，進而也更好的理解作者的意圖——批判</p><p>　　因此本文將從四個方面出發(fā)來分析蓋茨比的悲劇。一、變質(zhì)的美國夢。從某種意義上來說，蓋茨比的夢幻并非真正的美國夢，他的夢與傳統(tǒng)意義上的美國夢有本質(zhì)上的差別。二、“爵士時代”美國社會中存在的階級關(guān)系。以湯姆為代表的富人階級和以蓋茨比為代表的下層階級的矛盾體現(xiàn)了這兩個階級的對立。富人階級始終瞧不起

26、下層階級出身的蓋茨比，也暗示了蓋茨比最終不可能成功的悲劇。三、蓋茨比的愛情理想主義。蓋茨比對于黛西近似女神的對待，明顯地表現(xiàn)了他對理想的不遺余力的追求。但是蓋茨比沒有意識到的是，自己心中的愛情對象只是自己美夢的化身，最后被人槍殺還不明白他的理想與現(xiàn)實的差距之大。四、金錢觀對其夢想的扭曲。處于下層階級的蓋茨比天真的以為金錢能讓他的舊夢重溫，為此他不擇手段的積累金錢。蓋茨比將金錢, 這個虛幻的東西, 作為實現(xiàn)夢想的手段, 也就注定了他夢想的

27、破滅。</p><p>　　二、主題部分（闡明有關(guān)主題的歷史背景、現(xiàn)狀和發(fā)展方向，以及對這些問題的評述）</p><p>　　《了不起的蓋茨比》的寫作背景設定為20世紀20年代的美國社會。一戰(zhàn)結(jié)束后，美國在戰(zhàn)爭中不僅未傷筋骨，反而大發(fā)了一筆軍火財。龐大的戰(zhàn)時利潤和充足的貿(mào)易機會使它很快進入了經(jīng)濟快速增長期，二十年代的美國出現(xiàn)了“飆升的年代”（The Roaring Times）,經(jīng)濟空前繁

28、榮。在這一時期上升到極端重要地位的新工業(yè)不僅推動了其它部門的經(jīng)濟繁榮，也構(gòu)成了改變美國人民的生活習慣和價值觀念的主要動力。這個時候的美國，空氣里彌漫著歡歌與縱飲的氣息，傳統(tǒng)的清教徒道德已經(jīng)土崩瓦解，清教主義和新教的價值觀念和道德風尚受到了強烈的震撼，勤儉、節(jié)約、自控的價值標準面臨奢華、享樂、放縱等觀念的挑戰(zhàn)，享樂主義開始大行其道。菲茨杰拉德自己就生活在那個年代里，親身經(jīng)歷了奢華享樂和生活破敗后的窮困潦倒。用菲茨杰拉德自己的話來說，“這是

29、一個奇跡的時代，一個藝術(shù)的時代，一個揮金如土的時代，也是一個充滿嘲諷的時代。”《了不起的蓋茨比》是菲茲杰拉德的杰作，是美國現(xiàn)代小說的先驅(qū)之一，。菲茲杰拉德在小說中通過主人公蓋茨比的悲劇，對照其生前的奢侈享樂及死后的凄慘悲涼，深刻揭示了那個時代盛極一時的奢靡與不可避免的沒落。對于蓋茨比的悲劇，國</p><p>　　第一，美國夢的幻滅導致了蓋茨比夢想的破滅。張禮龍（2008）曾寫到：“蓋茨比的追夢過程潛藏著黑社會的

30、諸多兇險, 他的奮斗環(huán)境也令他丟失了原有的道德準則。在通向財富的道路, 他把自己出賣給了敲詐勒索的大頭目沃爾夫山姆, 成了黑道上的人。美國夢演變到這一地步不僅失去了原先的積極意義, 而且也是極為有害的?！庇纱丝梢?，一個變質(zhì)的美國夢對蓋茨比的影響是非常大的。</p><p>　　第二，蓋茨比的愛情理想。出身貧寒的蓋茨比癡心不改地追求因“貧富差距”而未能“終成眷屬”的情人,卻以失敗身亡而告終。吳建國（2006）寫到：

31、“蓋茨比錯就錯在他過于天真純樸, 看不透他所癡情的黛西也與其丈夫湯姆一樣,已毫無真誠和良心可言, 有的只是自私、殘忍、虛偽、狹隘, 以及對人的信念的摧殘?！卞e誤的愛情觀以及對愛情的過于理想加速了其悲劇的進程。他的這一愛情理想至少在20世紀的美國是無法實現(xiàn)的，因為20 世紀的美國是一片道德和精神的荒原，這一夢想的最終破滅使蓋茨比成了一個被“美國夢”引誘毀滅的悲劇人物。</p><p>　　第三，當時的消費文化導致了

32、蓋茨比的悲劇。美國20世紀20年代的休閑消費是以物質(zhì)與情欲享受，向別人炫耀、得到虛榮為特征, 人與人之間相互嫉妒、攀比、互相詆毀, 以致美夢難圓，造成人們心理、道德上的墮落。人們過度沉迷于對物質(zhì)的要求，以獲取物質(zhì)的極大化，并在此過程中得到快感。汪順來、蔡玉輝（2004）指出蓋茨比生長在那個消費盛行的時代，扭曲、病態(tài)的消費主義觀注定了他的悲劇。</p><p>　　以上分別從美國夢、愛情、消費文化等不同的角度對有可

33、能是造成蓋茨比的悲劇的原因進行了分析。我們也清楚的看到這些確實是蓋茨比死亡悲劇的部分原因。但單純的從一個角度分析并不能真正解釋蓋茨比悲劇的原因，也無法真正理解作者的意圖。</p><p>　　三、總結(jié)部分（將全文主題進行扼要總結(jié)，提出自己的見解并對進一步的發(fā)展方向做出預測）</p><p>　　本文主要是從社會和個人多角度分析造成蓋茨比悲劇的原因，進而揭示作者的真正目的——批判美國社會中的

34、“財閥野心”及其誘惑給人們帶來的毀滅性代價。如同大多數(shù)深受美國夢啟發(fā)的美國人民一樣，蓋茨比白手起家，不斷聚斂財富，但是又因為美國社會中存在的階級鴻溝而遭人唾棄。同時愛情、金錢對其的影響，使其夢想扭曲并最終死于非命。所以我們可以從美國夢、、階級、愛情、金錢四個角度出發(fā)，分別闡述對其產(chǎn)生的誘惑，最后相互聯(lián)系總結(jié)出其悲劇成因，進而得出作者的意圖。</p><p><b>　　主要參考文獻</b>&

35、lt;/p><p>　　程吳, 注定凄慘的愛情——《了不起的盞茨比>中主人公愛情悲劇的根源[J], 徐州工程學院學報，2006, 第4期。</p><p>　　董衡巽，美國文學簡史(下)[M]，北京：人民文學出版社，1986。</p><p>　　王長榮， 現(xiàn)代美國小說史[M ]，上海: 上海外語教育出版社，2000。</p><p>　　

36、吳建國，菲茨杰拉德研究[M]，上海:上海外語教育出版社, 2006。</p><p>　　汪順來、蔡玉輝，都是消費惹的禍--蓋茨比悲劇的消費文化根源探析[J]，《黃山學院學報》2004，第1期。</p><p>　　楊莉、徐穎果，一個反諷的愛情故事——《了不起的蓋茨比》中的死亡、愛情與社會現(xiàn)實[J]，河北理工大學學報，2009，第5期。</p><p>　　張娟、王

37、晉華，金錢的魅力——從《了不起的蓋茨比》中主要人物對錢的態(tài)度解讀錢的多功能性[J]，中北大學學報( 社會科學版),2008，第28期。</p><p>　　張禮龍， 美國夢的演變與破滅—了不起的蓋茨比評析[ J] ，外國文學研究, 1998，第2期。</p><p>　　張樹光， 注定的悲劇情緣——解讀《了不起的蓋茨比》中蓋茨比對黛西的愛戀[J]，《內(nèi)蒙古名族大學學報》，2010第1期。&

38、lt;/p><p>　　F.Scott Fitzgerald， The Great Gatsby[M]．Beijing：Foreign language Press.2008.</p><p>　　Eloit,T.S,“Letter to Scott Fitzgerald”[A].in The Crack—Up.ed．Edmund</p><p><b>　　

39、本科畢業(yè)論文</b></p><p><b>　　（20 屆）</b></p><p><b>　　英語</b></p><p>　　簡析《了不起的蓋茨比》中蓋茨比的悲劇成因</p><p>　　A Brief Analysis of the Sources of Gatsby’s T

40、ragedy from The Great Gatsby</p><p><b>　　誠 信 聲 明</b></p><p>　　我聲明，所呈交的論文(設計)是本人在老師指導下進行的研究工作及取得的研究成果。據(jù)我查證，除了文中特別加以標注和致謝的地方外，論文(設計)中不包含其他人已經(jīng)發(fā)表或撰寫過的研究成果，也不包含為獲得＿＿＿＿＿＿或其他教育機構(gòu)的學位或證書而使用過的

41、材料。我承諾，論文(設計)中的所有內(nèi)容均真實、可信。</p><p>　　論文(設計)作者簽名： 簽名日期： 年 月 日</p><p><b>　　授 權(quán) 聲 明</b></p><p>　　學校有權(quán)保留送交論文（設計）的原件，允許論文（設計）被查閱和借閱，學?？梢怨颊撐模ㄔO計）的全部或部分內(nèi)容，可以影印、縮印或其

42、他復制手段保存論文（設計），學校必須嚴格按照授權(quán)對論文(設計)進行處理，不得超越授權(quán)對論文（設計）進行任意處置。</p><p>　　論文(設計)作者簽名： 簽名日期： 年 月 日</p><p><b>　　摘要</b></p><p>　　《了不起的蓋茨比》中蓋茨比的悲劇是貫穿整篇小說的中心，因此國內(nèi)外許多研究都關(guān)

43、注于蓋茨比的悲劇。通過分析導致主人公死亡悲劇的原因可以解釋作者寫作的真正意圖。本文主要從社會和蓋茨比自身因素出發(fā)研究導致蓋茨比的悲劇的原因，并進一步指出作者的意圖是揭示那個時代盛極一時的奢靡與不可避免的沒落，并反應黑暗和不公的社會現(xiàn)實。</p><p>　　關(guān)鍵詞：悲??；社會因素；自身因素；社會現(xiàn)實</p><p><b>　　Abstract</b></p&g

44、t;<p>　　The tragic story of Jay Gatsby is the core of the novel, The Great Gatsby. So dozens of studies carried out on this novel have been mostly focused on Gatsby’s tragedy. The intention of author is explained

45、by analyzing causes of the hero’s death.</p><p>　　The purpose of this paper is to analyze the social and personal factors that lead to Gatsby’s tragedy, which further reveals the author’s intent on unveiling

46、 the decay and downfall of the era then, as well as the dark and unfair reality of society.</p><p>　　Key words: tragedy; social factors; personal factors；reality of society</p><p><b>　　Con

47、tent</b></p><p>　　Abstract……………………………………………………………………………..II</p><p>　　1. Introduction……………………………………………………………………….1</p><p>　　2. Social causes that lead to Gatsby’s tragedy………………

48、…………………….2</p><p>　　2.1 The Degeneration of American Dream…………………………………………2</p><p>　　2.2 The Strict Class Distinction of the Society……………………………………..4</p><p>　　2.2.1 The superiority

49、of capitalists over the members from the lower class…….4</p><p>　　2.2.2 The class disparity which brings to the failure of love between Gatsby and Daisy……………………………………………………………………...5</p><p>　　3.

50、 Causes of Jay Gatsby himself ……………………………………………………7</p><p>　　3.1 The Idealism of Jay Gatsby……………………………………………………..7</p><p>　　3.2 The influence of money upon Jay Gatsby………………………………………8 </p>

51、<p>　　4. Conclusion…………………………………………………………………………9</p><p>　　Bibliography………………………………………………………………………...11</p><p>　　Acknowledgements………………………………………………………………….12</p><p>　　Introduct

52、ion</p><p>　　Francis Scott Key Fitzgerald was an American author of novels and short stories, whose works are the paradigm writings of the Jazz Age, a term he coined himself. He is widely regarded as one of

53、the greatest American writers of the 20th century. Fitzgerald is considered a member of the "Lost Generation" of the 1920s, together with other expatriated American writers such as Gertrude Stein, Hemingway, an

54、d Ezra Pound. He finished four novels, This Side of Paradise, The Beautiful and Damned, Tender I</p><p>　　Published in 1925, The Great Gatsby, the finest novel written by Fitzgerald, is surely the work by wh

55、ich his name is destined to be remembered, and one of the classics of modern American literature. It is a picture of the prohibition era and masterpiece related with irony and pathos to the legendry of the “American drea

56、m”. T. S. Eliot(1945), never a hasty or extravagant critic, praised the novel was “the first step that American fiction has taken since Henry James”. Fitzgerald drew most of his i</p><p>　　The story is told

57、in the first person by Nick Carraway, a quiet young Mid-</p><p>　　westerner who comes east to work on the New York stock exchange and rents a house in 1922 at West Egg, Long island, which is nearby to the ci

58、ty. Nick’s house is next to an extravagant and vulgar mansion owned by the mysterious but fabulously wealthy Jay Gatsby, about whom all sorts of rumors pass from mouth to mouth. Gatsby’s real name is James Gatsby and he

59、was a poor boy from the west. When he was an army officer, he had fallen in love with Daisy, who was charming and polished in her social ma</p><p>　　2. Social causes that lead to Gatsby’s tragedy</p>

60、<p>　　2.1 The Degeneration of American Dream</p><p>　　Many critics blame the death of Gatsby on the American Dream, for the dream makes people lust for more and pursue a luxurious life which is beyond t

61、heir capacity.</p><p>　　When the aspirations fall through, they themselves go to pieces. There is no doubt that Gatsby is swaying between the American Dream and the reality. </p><p>　　The early

62、American Dream，however, had a positive meaning from the very beginning. The American Dream is a national ethos of the United States in which freedom includes a promise of the possibility of prosperity and success. In the

63、 American Dream, first expressed by James Truslow Adams (1931), in his book, Epic of America that "life should be better and richer and fuller for everyone, with opportunity for each according to ability or achievem

64、ent "regardless of social class or circumstances of bir</p><p>　　After decades of years, however, the land has been divided and occupied by a few people. The American dream starts to drift from the way

65、it once claimed ,“all men are created equal”. The rest only works for these landowners to earn their bread. Those farm people works as hard as they could, but few people can really walk out of their field, let alone beco

66、ming rich. As a consequence, the poor but ambitious farmers begin to do evil stuff for the sake of living a better life.</p><p>　　Gatsby’s parents is just shiftless and unsuccessful farm people. So for Gatsb

67、y, the road to success is much bumpy. He is an ambitious man. He had planned to obtain success even when he was just a boy. He believes in the original American Dream and tries to attain success by doing what his great a

68、ncestors would probably do: working out everyday to polish his figures, reading as much as possible to improve his mind. He believes that he is able to start from scratch like Benjamin Franklin, Abraham </p><p

69、>　　His evil deeds began the day he met Dan Cody, whose yacht dropped anchor on Lake Superior. Rumors about his antecedents spread since then: Gatsby killed Dan Cody and inherited a big fortune from him; He lied to peo

70、ple that he graduated from Oxford; He and Wolfsheim sold alcohol over the counter in drug- stores. As the old saying goes, “one reaps what he sows.” Gatsby will have to pay for what he has done.</p><p>　　Wha

71、t’s more, the degenerated American Dream has widen the gap between rich and poor. People are jealous at what the rich has got: fancy mansions, beautiful cars, parties and alcohols every weekend. Life is so rich and color

72、ful that average people start to dream a life like this. Gatsby is adding to the pattern of his fancies every night. To young Gatz, resting on his oars and looking up at the railed deck, the yacht represents all the beau

73、ty and glamour in the world. So his American Dream has be</p><p>　　2.2 The Strict Class Distinction of the Society</p><p>　　2.2.1 The superiority of capitalists over the members from the lower c

74、lass</p><p>　　Before World War I, the laissez-faire democratic ideal that America has always believed is the product of an age when individual effort counted, when a man could rise by his own efforts. World

75、War I shattered this vision. It ended once and for all the faith in individual effort that had been eroding since the Industrial Revolution. Men from poor background are incomparable to those who have tough ones. Much as

76、 the American society worships freedom, it has already raised a strict class distinctio</p><p>　　In this novel, the background of the story is set on an island near New York. And the island is divided into t

77、wo completely different parts, the West Egg and the East Egg. Nick Carraway and Jay Gatsby live at West Egg, the less fashionable of the two, while Tom Buchanan and his wife Daisy live at the fashionable and glittering E

78、ast Egg. A person from East Egg would always look down upon those from East Egg. For example: when Nick first met Jordan Baker in Tom and Daisy’s place, Jordan remarked c</p><p>　　As for the party guys, ever

79、yone suspects him of at least one of the cardinal virtues. Even though they attend Gatsby’s party, they assume the function of representing the staid nobility of the countryside- East Egg condescending to West Egg.</p

80、><p>　　In The Great Gatsby, Tom Buchanan, Daisy’s husband, stands for the solid wealthy class. His family was enormously wealthy-even in college his freedom with money was a matter for reproach. A born-rich man

81、 like Tom would never take a serious look at people who is newly wealthy. He thought “a lot of these newly rich people are just bootleggers”. And he picked Gatsby for some big bootlegger and made a point of finding out t

82、he truth even though he had seen the fabulous party and the fancy mansion of </p><p>　　In consequence, the snobbish Tom couldn’t believe the fact that Gatsby was so rich and made a little investigation into

83、his affairs and thus made his things with Meyer Wolfsheim, who possessed a lot of side- street drug-stores and sold grain alcohol over the counter, exposed. Being informed of Gatsby’s affairs, Daisy was frightened and le

84、ft him in the end.</p><p>　　And the indifference of other people to Gatsby’s death from the east embodies his tragedy. There was no one from Gatsby’s party attending his funeral. Nobody cared except photogra

85、phers and newspaper men. The only party guy who called up was trying to get back a pair of shoes he left. Even Meyer Wolfshiem, who claimed to be his closest friend, said he didn’t want to get mixed up in it and refused

86、to come. </p><p>　　All in all, no one from the upper class really cares about Gatsby. They accepted his hospitality and paid him the subtle tribute of knowing nothing whatever about him. So if anything happe

87、ns to Gatz, they couldn’t care less. The underclass strived hard to win love and money, but it ended all in vain in the end. Life was tramped and despised by the capitalists, yet they haven’t felt any sorry or regretful.

88、 They live in their extravagant but vacuous life as ever, not paying for what they have done</p><p>　　2.2.2 The class disparity which brings to the failure of love between Gatsby and Daisy</p><p&g

89、t;　　We know from the novel that Gatsby stands out from a impoverished beginnings, while Daisy’s family is no doubt well off. She already had a little white roadster when she was only eighteen. A girl like Daisy, who was

90、born with almost everything-money, beauty, prestige, surely would be admired by scores of people. She was by far the most popular of all the young girls in Louisville. The telephone in her house rang all day long and exi

91、ted young officer from Camp Taylor demanded the privilege of mon</p><p>　　There was real romance between them once. But if Daisy’s love for Gatsby is to endure, it must exist in non-Platonic, physical terms.

92、 It must exist in the world of money. By the next autumn she was gay again, gay as ever. In June she married Tom Buchanan of Chicago, with more pomp and circumstance than Louisville ever knew before. That is her love wit

93、h a poor man like Gatsz. It only lasted for half a year.</p><p>　　There’s little chance that a woman from a wealthy family will stand the test of hard life and live for pure love, at least not for a girl as

94、hollow as Daisy. Daisy had been immersed in the extravagant life for a very long time before she met Gatsby. She had nothing special to do except being occupied with parties and handsome but strange men. Fitzgerald made

95、a very clear depiction of Daisy’s real Character after her marriage. She is sophisticated, not close to her little daughter and “full of mo</p><p>　　Even though they reunioned five years later, their connect

96、ion was still built upon money. Daisy was willing to see Gatz only because Gatz had owed abundant assets. It is before the five characters move to New York that Gatsby makes his famous remark to Nick: “‘Her voice is full

97、 of money’”. The connection between Daisy and Gatsby- the unobtainable and the insubstantial-is destined to founder in a material world. He died in the end in order to protect Daisy. That’s the consequence of wrong love.

98、 H</p><p>　　Fitzgerald’s real intent is to unveil the fact that because of different social position, people are treated unfairly even in the aspect of love. Love has preference to upper class. Even though G

99、atsby is rich enough, he can never have the equivalent social status. He will always be the humble guy who can not surpass his strata, let alone defeat Tom the aristocrat and marry Daisy.</p><p>　　3. Causes

100、from the main character-Gatsby himself</p><p>　　3.1 The Idealism of Jay Gatsby</p><p>　　From Gatsby, one can see that a major contradiction intrinsic to American dream, the contradiction of idea

101、lism and reality. Ever since his childhood Gatz had displayed his talent of imagination and considered himself different from ordinary people. Naturally, he is motivated to pursue goodness and beauty.</p><p>

102、;　　The whole effort that Jay Gatsby made is trying to get his love back, something he has lost for a very long time. He pictures everything to be good. To Gatsby, Daisy is the symbol of that ‘'vast，vulgar, and meretr

103、icious beauty”(P97) which he aspires to. Daisy is his dream, a dream that is so pure and beautiful. He believes that as long as he is rich Daisy would come back to him. So five years later after Daisy left him and marrie