Abstract

Fitzgerald was America’s most famous chronicler of 1920s, an era that he dubbed “the Jazz Age.” The Great Gatsby is one of the greatest literary works of this period. This study analyzes Gatsby’s pursuit and disillusion of “American Dream” from the angle of symbolism, and condemns the selfishness and tyranny of the American privileged class. This study first introduces the author and the background of the novel briefly. After that, this study introduces the definition and analyzes the function of symbolism in the literary. Then this study clarifies the application of symbolism in terms of color (such as green and white) and geography (the East Egg, West Egg and the Valley of Ashes). Finally, this study summarizes the theme that the symbolism reveals, and points out the lack of the acknowledgement of the upper class is a major reason of Gatsby’s tragedy. Through the study of this novel, readers could further know the society in that age.

Key Words: The Great Gatsby   symbolism   American Dream

摘 要

菲茨杰拉德是美国最著名的20世纪20年代编年史家。那个时代由他命名为“爵士乐时代”。《了不起的盖茨比》是那个时期最伟大的文学作品之一。本文从象征主义的角度，分析了盖茨比的美国梦及其破灭的原因，揭露了美国特权阶层的自私和专制。本文首先简要介绍了小说的作者和写作背景，然后介绍了象征主义的定义及其在文学作品中的作用，接着着重分析绿色和白色这两种颜色的象征意义，和东卵﹑西卵和灰谷在小说中体现的地理象征意义。通过象征主义运用的分析揭示小说的主题思想，并且指出盖茨比的悲剧根源是由于他设想的生活和爱情缺少上层阶级的承认。通过本文的分析，读者可以进一步了解那个年代的美国社会。

关键词：象征主义  美国梦  了不起的盖茨

1 Introduction
F. Scott Fitzgerald is an American writer of novels and short stories, whose works have been seen as evocative of the Jazz Age. He is regarded as one of the greatest 20th-century writers. Fitzgerald is considered as a member of the “Lost Generation” of the 1920s. He finished four novels: This Side of Paradise, The Beautiful and Damned, The Great Gatsby, and Tender is the Night.
Francis Scott Fitzgerald was born in St. Paul, Minnesota, on September 24, 1896.  Fitzgerald’s given names indicate his parents’ pride in his father’s ancestry. Fitzgerald was not a good student. He spent more time writing for school plays and magazines at Princeton than studying. University officials warned him he had to do better in his studies or he would be expelled. So he decided to leave the university after three years to join the United States Army. He met his future wife while he was at one of the bases where he trained. She and Fitzgerald agreed to marry. Then she rejected him when her family said that Fitzgerald could not give her the life she expected．