Abstract

F. Scott Fitzgerald ranks among the greatest American writers during the 20th century. Written in 1925, The Great Gatsby is one of the most influential works of Fitzgerald's period, which wins many favorable praises. In the novel, rich and delicate use of symbolism is achieved, which depicts the disillusionment of the American Dream. At first sight, The Great Gatsby is a novel about love, idealism and disillusionment. However, it soon reveals the hidden depth and mystery that are embodied by various symbols. Fitzgerald is so creative and imaginative that he is skillful enough to use various symbols to reveal the themes of the novel: the corruption of the American Dream, the decay of morals and values, and the frustration of a modern society. He puts those symbols in great harmony and conveys his own attitudes and feelings. Therefore, it is very useful to view The Great Gatsby through the perspective of symbolism, with the aim of finding out the implication of the symbols and disclosing the relationship between the symbols and the themes. This thesis aims at analyzing the adoption of symbolism in the novel. The first part of this thesis presents the introduction to the author and his masterpiece The Great Gatsby, and also the introduction to symbolism as a technique in literature. The following part presents an analysis of symbolism used in The Great Gatsby in three levels, including symbolic settings, symbolic images and symbolic characters. Finally, a conclusion is given to summarize the foregoing analysis. In general, the thesis is focused on the understanding of the implication of symbolism in The Great Gatsby.

Key Words: symbolism setting image character

摘要

菲茨杰拉德是美国二十世纪一位伟大的现实主义作家，其代表作《了不起的盖茨比》赢得了评论界的高度评价。在小说中，菲茨杰拉德以其丰富而精湛的象征手法成功地展示了二十年代“美国梦”破灭的历史全过程。本文阐述了象征艺术在小说中的运用。第一部分介绍了作者及其代表作《了不起的盖茨比》的情节，文学中的象征手法的定义、作用，以及在小说《了不起的盖茨比》中的使用。第二部分从背景、意象、人物三个层次举例分析了《了不起的盖茨比》中的象征手法的运用。第三部分对以上内容加以总结。本文旨在使读者更好地理解《了不起的盖茨比》中象征主义在烘托和升华主题中的艺术价值和意义。

关键词：象征 背景 意象 人物