豆豆staR-
The Great Gatsby and American dream Abstract : critics have always been holding different attitudes towards the debate that whether Fitzgerald criticized American dream in The Great Gatsby. By analyzing the tragedy of Gatsby, we will see Fitzgerald"s ambivalence towards American dream. One hand, the author hated the corruption and villainy of it, on the other hand, he was obsessed with its charms and luxuries. Key words : American dream The Great Gatsby tragedy American dream refers to the pursuit of the equality, freedom and corporeal property. American dream has always been one of the most popular motifs in American literature. As a spirit came into being as America was founded, American dream became stronger and stronger in American people"s mind. It seemed American people can get what they want by work. This kind of spirit encourages American people generation by generation and prompts America to become the most developed country and own the most wealth in this world. Nowadays, America is the super power, however, America dream has more connotations as time goes by. And it has different meanings in different times. The impression of American dream in the early 18 th century is that America is a country of freedom and opportunities which people could enjoy equally. At that time, the immigrants were puritans from Europe. Among them, British puritans and peasants were the most typical ones. When they arrived in America, their desires for political equality were strong, so the demand for democracy had been accomplished. Thus, the equal rights became the connotation of American dream in that period. As gold rush in the late 18 th century and the early 19 th century began to emerge, some lucky dogs made fortune over night, this gold rush became a legend and promoted the immigration rush. American dream was decorated with the color of gold. But after the Civil War, especially after 1990s, America began to industrialize. American dream had new connotations. Most people thought that it means to pursue wealth and money. They got successful by hard work and endeavor. People gave positive meaning, wisdom and endeavor for American. Since then, America experienced a long time of rapid expansion, more and more people went to America to find their own dreams. However, after the WWI，the connotation of American dream had been changing gradually, because of the post war stability and prosperity, the atmosphere seemed to be harmonious, people thought that they didn"t need war any more, young people turned to be debauched. They compensate themselves in the luxurious lifestyles. Young people didn"t believe in risks and hard work any more, they began to get much wealth by promotion strategies which included cheat and illegal methods. Most of them treated wealth as the only standard to comment whether a person was successful or not. But the pursuit of wealth and ideal cannot be balanced, the broken dream is the necessary ending of the American dream. Gatsby is the typical representative that succeed in the process of pursuing for American dream. This novel"s greatness embodies that it concerns the individuals in America and finally associates them with the whole American nation. Fitzgerald figured a classical tragedy, and it is a tragedy of the American dream. Gatsby is doomed to lose and finally reduced to a tragic character. Because at the very beginning, Gatsby"s love for Daisy is partly based on the glamour he associates with the money, and he pursues her by becoming wealthy himself. His passion for Daisy blends with earlier desires for financial success going all the way back to the daily schedule he established as a boy. His dream is completely misguided. When they meet again, Gatsby become a rich man who is still innocent, but the girl—Daisy he pursues merely becomes his empty imagination with symbolistic meaning. So what Gatsby wants is not real Daisy, but the Daisy that figured, decorated and glorified in his imagination. This kind of imagination is beyond Gatsby"s ability and power, and it is also beyond the reality. Gatsby"s old flame becomes his spirit world. In his heart, Daisy is beautiful and innocent, and she represents all the merits in the upper class of America. Gatsby creates the perfect image of Daisy, and treat her as the avatar of dream to sacrifice himself. Gatsby pursue for money, but he dosen"t treat money as the final goal, he just wants to accomplish his love dream by using money. But Daisy"s preference for wealth is stronger than any love in her heart. Because all her sentiments has become into cold money. But it is money to decorate Daisy as a princess, and drive her away from the lives related with miscreant and insecurity. Although Gatsby makes money by illegal methods, his still has many merits in his characteristics. He is positive for his life and strong for his faith. He loves Daisy firmly, since romantic elements and innocent love always remain in his heart. No matter how precious Gatsby"s merits are, his romantic love still diverts from the reality and finally loses in the dirty society. Fitzgerald reveals the fact by Gatsby"s tragedy that it is not enough to only create corporeal property, the poverty of spirit can be occupied by the lack of moralities. But some critics argue that Gatsby is not a tragic character, since his death proves his greatness, and the title of this novel has no ironic meaning at all. So the author didn"t criticize American dream, on the contrary, the merits and spirits that Gatsby owns would never be destroyed, and they would come back into the large amount of American wealth. The critics also hold a point of view that in the process of pursuit of American dream, Gatsby"s dream has never broken, even thought he finally dies, his dream is still remained in his heart. As Gatsby dies with his American dream, we can see that the author has blends his ambivalent mentality into the novel. On one hand, just like Gatsby, Fitzgerald is attracted by Daisy"s beauty, but one the other hand, he is aware that the splendid appearance can never cover vulgarities and inanition. Gatsby"s unbroken dream reveals that American dream has powerful charms and lasting attraction, it influences American lives deeply. But this affection is not always positive, it is full of ambivalence and anxiety. The repeating referred “green light” in this novel is the symbol of American dream that everyone wants, and it is illusion and desire. But to some people, American dream is their faith. But individual"s future and fate are related with the surroundings, living in a world with corruption and corporeal property, it is nature for Gatsby to make his romantic love come true, and his dream is doomed to be buried in the cruel realities in Jazz Age and killed in the seductive trap of American society. It proves that Gatsby"s merits cannot protect him from the numb surrounding"s hurt, and also his dream cannot afford the heavy pressures in the reality. Gatsby is faithful to his dream about Daisy, even her betrayal cannot destroy his faith. Gatsby is the mirror of idealists who are loyal to dreams forever. Gatsby"s characteristics show the reasons for his death to some extent. But the world is changing, everyone should observe it using a developing mind. One should live in the reality, but not the illusion. However, Gatsby is on the opposite side. Maybe this is Gatsby"s greatness, but it is also his fatal defect. He is too romantic to find the valuable things to go with him. In 1920s, America society came into the stage of monopoly capitalism. The American society developed in a rapid speed, and economy was unprecedentedly prosperous. As American enjoyed the wealth, they became greed and epicurean. Money was the only goal which can be achieved by any means. However, the wealth brought void into people"s mind. So 1920s was a time of gastronomy, a time without any belief, a time for lost generation, and a time of tragedies. This novel has realistic meanings for Chinese readers. The things around us reveal that we are sharing the similar thoughts with the 1920s" America, like extreme individualism and gastronomy. It seems that nothing can be more provocative than this current which is provoking foppish ,vanity and meaningless activities and is feeding all the greedy in the society. People begin to betray and lose their faith. They are all eager for large amount of money, as forgetting that we are all human beings with spirits. By learning the American literature, maybe we Chinese can find medicine to cure our ill society.
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