the great Gatsby 优秀本科毕业论文终稿.docx

the great Gatsby 优秀本科毕业论文终稿.docx

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thegreatGatsby优秀本科毕业论文终稿

SYMBOLISMINTHEGREATGATSBY

AThesis

presentedto

TheCollegeofForeignLanguages

ChongqingUniversityofPostsandTelecommunications

InPartialFulfillment

oftheRequirementsfortheDegreeof

BachelorofArts

By

YangChunmei

June2014

摘要

象征主义是十九世纪末法国重要的文学思潮。

第一次世界大战前，它传播到欧洲多个艺术领域，许多作家认为，任何事物都应该有相应的内涵，内心世界和外部世界是相互渗透的，人们可以挖掘出隐藏在象征本体里的一切象征意义，因此，它提倡人们可以使用大量的意象来暗示微妙的内心世界，并将它们有机融合在一起。

《了不起的盖茨比》是弗·斯科特·菲茨杰拉德最具代表性和最受欢迎的作品之一，长期以来国内外众多学者从不同角度进行研究。

它强烈抨击了美国20世纪20年代物质主义盛行，人们内心世界的腐败和道德沦丧的社会现状。

作者巧妙地运用象征手法向读者展示一个灯绿梦渺的美国梦。

弗·斯科特·菲茨杰拉德挑选出小说中最能代表美国20世纪20年代期间社会现状的典型人物，通过他们各自对价值观截然不同的反应和所采取的行为，以此表明美国梦破灭的必然性。

关键词：

象征主义；美国梦；物质主义；幻灭

ABSTRACT

SymbolismwasregardedasanimportantliterarytrendinFranceattheendofthenineteenthcentury.BeforeWorldWarI,itspreadtovariousartfieldsinEurope,thewriterswhowereforitbelievedthatanythingshouldhavecorrespondingmeaning,theinnerworldandouterworldwereinductedeachother,andpeoplecandigouthiddensymbolismfromeverything.Therefore,itadvocatedthatpeoplecanusesubstantialimagestosuggestthesubtleinnerworld,andblendtwoofthemtogetherskillfully,oneoftheuniquecharmsinthenovelTheGreatGatsbyistheabundantuseofsymbols．Inthenovel,F.ScottFitzgeraldusessymbolstodepictthevariouscharactersanddeepenthetheme;heconnectsthevisualrealworldwiththeabstractinnerworldbyusingmassesofpotentialsymbolism,showingreaderscharacteristics,personalityaswellascharmsofprotagonistsvividly;meanwhile,theproperuseofsymbolismaddsupinfiniteartcharmandenhancesideologicalimplicationofthework,makingthenovellovedbyagreatnumberofreaders.

TheGreatGatsbyisoneofthemostrepresentativeandpopularworksofF.ScottFitzgerald,itstronglycriticizestherich’spriorityformaterialismandthelossofmoralityaswellastheircorruptionoftheinnerworld，alsointhenovelthesocialrealityoftheUnitedStatesin1920sisdeeplyexposedwithnumeroussymbolsbyF.ScottFitzgerald.Inordertoshowreadersalivelyandbrightplot,heelaboratelyarrangeseachsection,takingtheprotagonistsforexample,F.ScottFitzgeraldpicksoutthemosttypicalcharactersfromdifferentsocialclassesinthenoveltoreflecttheirrespectivevaluesduring1920sintheUnitedStates,accordingtotheirdifferentreactionsandbehaviorstowardsmaterialismandmorality,theauthoraimstoindicatetheinevitabletragedyandevaporationoftheAmericandream.

Keywords:

symbolism,theAmericanDream,materialism,evaporation

Outline

Title:

SymbolisminTheGreatGatsby

ThesisStatement:

SymbolsinTheGreatGatsbyrepresentGatsby’sdisillusionsoftheAmericanDreamaswellasthesocialmoralloss.

1.Introduction

2.SymbolismofColors

2.1Green:

DreamandHope

2.2White:

InnocenceandBeautyVSEvilandHorror

2.3Blue:

Gloom,PeaceandFantasy

2.4Yellow:

Power,WealthandStatus

3.SymbolismofProtagonists

3.1Daisy:

SelfishnessandMaterialism

3.2Gatsby:

visionaryandtragic

3.3Nick:

onlookingandInjustice

4.TheAmericanDreaminTheGreatGatsby

4.1TheAmericanDream

4.2DisillusionoftheAmericanDream

4.3InevitableEvaporationoftheAmericanDream

5.Conclusion

Bibliography

1Introduction

TheUnitedStateshadanunprecedentedeconomicprosperityafterWorldWarI,thelifequalityofpeopleshowedanuprisingtrend,whiletheirmentalworldwasdescendingsharplyunderthebrand--newsocialenvironment,thatis,theyoungergenerationofAmericawereaddictedtohedonismregardlessofthetraditionalreligiousbeliefsandmorality,theyindulgethemselvesintheunprincipledrecreation,excessivelyemphasizingonmaterialsbutignoringmentality,whichresultedinthedisillusionoftheAmericandream.

ThepublicationofTheGreatGatsbyin1925isthereflectionof“theJazzAge”–“theperiodfrom1918-1929,theyearsbetweentheendofWorldWarIandthestartoftheroaringtwenties;endingwiththeriseoftheGreatDepression,thetraditionalvaluesofthisageseeasharpdeclinewhilethegreatAmericanstockmarketsoars.”（Wikipedia:

theJazzage）F.ScotFitzgeraldusesauniquenarrationwaytodescribehero—Gatsby’slife.Asanarrator,Nickistiredofhishometown—MidwestlifeandcomestoNewYork.HerentsasmallapartmentinthesuburbofWestEgg.HeisDaisy’scousin,andneighborofGatsbywhoownsaluxuriousmansion.GatsbyandDaisyonceloveeachotherwhentheyareyoung,butendupwithGatsby’spoverty.ThenhejoinsWorldWarI,andDaisymarriesTomBuchanan—awealthyguyandtheygivebirthtoadaughter.Fiveyearslater,theBuchananmovefromChicagotothewest,andNickstartstohavefrequentcontactswiththeBuchanan;duringfiveyears,GatsbyaccumulatesamountsofwealthbymeansofillegalactivityandcomestoNewYorkfollowingDaisy.Hebuysaluxuriousvilla—Gatsbymansion.EachSaturdayhewouldholdagrandpartytoattractthemarriedDaisy,fancyingarousinghernoticeandrestarttherelationship.Onanaccidentaloccasion,GatsbylearnsthatNickisDaisy’scousin,sohebegsNicktoarrangeameetingforthem.Afterthatdate,bothDaisyandGatsbyhavefrequentdate.However,hegraduallyrealizesthatDaisyisvaneandsecularnotaswhatsheusedtobe,Gatsby’sbeautifuldreamfinallybreaks,buthestillinsistsonherandhasaglimmeroffantasy,whichmakeshimsufferfromamiserableoutcomeintheend.Later,DaisydrivesGatsby’scartorunoverandkillsTom’smistressMyrtleWilsonafterdrunkdriving,butTomandDaisyputtheblameonGatsbywithconspiracybrutally,resultinginGatsby’sdeathbyGeorgeWilson’sgunshot.WhileDaisyandTomtraveltoEurope,thereareonlytwopeople—NickandGatsby’sfathertoattendGatsby’sfuneral.GatsbybecomesavictimofselfishandcruelDaisy.

F.ScottFitzgeralddescribesapictureoftragicAmericandreamwithpoeticlanguageandamplecolors.Therearemanysymbolsinthenovel.Symbolismwillbeanalyzedrespectivelyfromthefollowingaspects:

colors,protagonistsandtheAmericanDreamwillbementioned.

2SymbolismofColors

Amongsomanysymbolsinthenovel,mostofwhicharecolors:

whiterepresentspurity,innocenceandemptiness,depravation;duringtheprocessofdescribingGatsby’sdream,greennightbecomesanimportantimage,itmeansnotonlydreamandhope,butalsoabubble;besides,yellowmeanswealth,statusandevil,andsoon.Thefollowingpartwillillustratedifferentcolorsthoroughly.

2.1Green

Greenisthecolorofnature,representinghopeanddream.Whenheisseventeen,Gatsbywearsashabbygreensweater,presentinganoptimisticandhopefulimage;whenhefallsinlovewithDaisydeeply,however,Gatsbyistoopoortomarryher.Daisyimmediatelymarriesamillionaire–TomBuchanan.SoGatsbystrugglesoutfromthebottomofsociety,though,heisnotforalifeofluxuriousandmaterialcomforts,butforthe“purelove”,whichisanidealandindescribableromanticillusion,apermanentexpectationforhim.AfterGatsbymakesafortune,heisstillobsessedwithhislove—Daisy,hesparesnoefforttoattractandpursueDaisy,sinceitishisonlydream,inhismind,Daisysymbolizesallofwhathedreams,inaword,Daisyishishope,goalsandincardinationoflove.

Andagainattheendofthenovel,itreferstogreen:

“Gatsbybelievesinthegreennight:

theorgiasticfuturethatyearbyyearrecedesbeforeMan,iteludesManthen,butthat’snomatter—tomorrowManwillrunfaster,stretchouthisarmsfarther…andonefinemorning.”（Fitzgerald2013:

113）herethesymbolismofgreennightisAmerican’senthusiasticandrecklesspursuitfortheillusoryAmericanDream.InGatsby’seyes,greennightishisguideontheonehand,whichmakeshimfeelhisdreamisonthewayandeasytograsp;ontheotherhand,itissoattractive,twinkling,andvague.Finally,whenhisultimatedreamislost,thegreenlightthatsymbolizeshopedisappearsforeverfromhim,whichleadstotheaccesstodreambecomingadarkjourney.F.ScottFitzgeraldlinksitwithGatsby’sblindpursuitforDaisypurposely,makingthegreenlighthaveanobviousirony.F.ScottFitzgeraldsuggeststhattheAmericanDreamisdevastatedbytheexcessivepursuitformaterials,contributingtoafutileeffort.GreenisGatsby’shope,butitishisimpracticalpursuitforthegreenlightthatresultsinhistragedy.

2.2Yellow

Yellowisasymbolofpower,wealthandluxury.Itisoneofthemostwidelyusedcolorsinthenovel.Inordertoregainhistruelove,GatsbyconveysabundantinformationallthetimetoDaisy:

hisgorgeousandexpensivecarthathetakesisyellow;histiethathewearswhiledatingwithDaisyisgolden;hiscars,food,barsthatheownswhenheholdsvarious,luxurious,grand,illuminatedbanquets,areallyellow;hiscombthatisshowntoDaisyisalsopurelygolden;Inaddition,Daisyisregardedasthegoldengirl,hernameisakindofflowerwiththecolorofyellow;JordanBakerhasawitheredgoldenhair,andhisarmsaregolden;twoofgirlsinthebanquetsarewithgoldenskirts;itisthegoldencocktailmusicthatisplayedinthebanquetsallthetime;Alloftheyellowsymbolsrepresentanoisy,wealthyandmoney-orientedatmosphere,itseemsthateverywhereinthesocietyisfullofthecolorofyellow.

DuringtheJazzage,moneyisasymbolofsuccessandstatus,peoplewouldratherdeserttheirownmoralconceptionanddeceiveeachotherwithoutguiltyjustformoney.Inaword,yellowbecomesseductiveandcharming,whileGatsby’stragedyresultsinthegoldenlie,hestrugglesforthecolorallofhislife,buthisdreamisdestroyedatlast.Insuchcase,yellowsymbolizesthecharacteristicsofthesoc