Abstract

F. Scott Fitzgerald is one of the most important American writers, and also a famous playwright. As the most significant representative of the Jazz Age, he has a profound and lasting effect on American literature. His characters are often young people who lived after the World War and searched fantasy. However the author shares the same life and spiritual experience with them from which we can notice the process of his pursuing the American Dream and its breaking.
The Great Gatsby is a short novel written by Fitzgerald in 1925, which was set in New York and the Long Island in 1920s. It is his magnum opus which is also a classic describing the American Dream. It ranks second in the selection of 100 best novels in 100 years by the authorities of academic at the end of the 20th century which establishes its modern classic status. The novel reveals the gradual decay of the Dream represented by Gatsby through portraying his unfulfilled broken dream. Daisy who Gatsby loves is pretty in appearance, but selfish and vain in heart. The goddess Gatsby thinks is actually a material girl who pursues fame and wealth. Gatsby dies innocently for covering up for her, while she and her husband travel out with little care. All Gatsby has paid for her, including the illegal business, is worthless with his death. The ending of the novel shows the illusory Dream in Fitzgerald’s eyes, bringing a profound signification. In the work, Fitzgerald adopted impressionist technique which plays an important role in his writing, using a warm but calm tone. The theme of the novel, the American Dream, has always been one of the most popular themes in the circle of literature and art and developed itself with the time. Although the pros and cons of the Dream are both very obvious, it influences the lives of American and people around the world a lot. Especially, the American Dream has its unique realistic meaning to Chinese youth.
This paper focuses on the analysis of The Great Gatsby, sketching Gatsby’s character and life as well as the deep meaning, refined words and perfect symbolic technique of the novel. Then the unique inner world of the Lost Generation and the Jazz Age represented by Fitzgerald is brought to light. While the change and realistic meaning of the American Dream can also be analyzed.

Key Words: The American Dream; Gatsby; Jazz Age; Realistic meaning

摘要

弗•司各特•菲茨杰拉德是美国最重要作家之一，也是美国著名编剧。作为 “爵士时代”最重要的代表人，他对于美国文学史的影响非常深远。他塑造的人物形象大多是一群战后追求梦幻的青年男女，但他们在生活经历和精神世界方面都与作者有着密切的内在联系。从这些内在联系中，我们可以看到菲茨杰拉德从追求理想的“美国梦”到梦幻破灭的过程。
《了不起的盖茨比》是菲茨杰拉德1925年所写的一部以20世纪20年代的纽约市及长岛为背景的短篇小说，也是他的代表作。这部小说在20世纪末美国学术界权威评选的百年百部最优秀的小说中高居第二位，傲然跻身当代经典行列。《了不起的盖茨比》是美国文学史中描写美国梦的典范，通过描写主人公盖茨比所追求的理想之梦的破灭 ,揭示了他所代表的美国梦的逐步衰败。盖茨比所追求的黛西有着漂亮的外貌，内心却虚荣自私，盖茨比心中的女神只不过是追求名利的物质女郎。盖茨比为掩盖黛西的罪行无辜地丧生，黛西却与丈夫外出度假，毫不在意。盖茨比为其付出的一切努力，包括经营非法生意，都随着他的死亡化为泡影。这一结局揭示了菲茨杰拉德眼中虚无缥缈的美国梦，有着一针见血的深刻含义。小说采用印象派的描写手法，笔调既热烈又冷静，这种写法对他的写作起到了重要作用。小说主题美国梦一直是文艺界的重要话题之一，几百年里美国梦的意义与时俱进，虽然有利也有弊，但始终影响着美国甚至全世界人们的人生，对于现代中国的青年人也有其独特的现实意义。
本文通过深入分析《了不起的盖茨比》，对主人翁盖茨比的性格及人生道路进行探讨，并且通过分析小说中深刻的主题，洗练含蓄的文字风格，完美演绎的象征主义手法，揭示以菲茨杰拉德为代表的“爵士一代”和“迷惘一代”的独特的精神世界，进一步剖析“美国梦”的发展变化以及现实意义。

关键词：美国梦；盖茨比；爵士时代；现实意义