Doom of American Dream

科技信息 2008年 第24期SCIENCE&TECHNOLOGYINFORMATION 科 ● ChapterOneIntroduction Dreammeansanunrealizedidealthatexpressesaresolutionor belief.TheearlyAmericanswhoholdthiskindofdream cometo Americaandachievegreatsuccessinshorttime.Americabecomesan attractiveplacecalledparadisewhereeverypersoncanmakehisdream cometrue,soAmericabecomesamythology.TheAmericanDreamisa kindofromanticexpectation,abeliefinthepossibilityofachievingsome sortofglowingfuturewithhardworkandsinceredevotion. Intheearlyyears,theAmericanDreamisPuritan’sdesireforthe freedominreligionandcreation.AlongwiththeexpansiontotheWest, theAmericanDreamdevelopsintothepursuitofhappiness,especially thepursuitofsuccess,includingcareer,loveandwealth.AftertheCivil War,theAmericanDreambecomesmorepopularandmoreconcreteand itmakespeoplebelievethataslongasheworkshard,apoorboycan becomeamillionaireonthiswonderfullandwhichisfullofopportunity. ChapterTwoBackgroundofTheGreatGatsby Whenhumanhistorydevelopsintotwentiethcentury,theAmerican DreambecomesthemainaimofAmericans.AttheendoftheFirst WorldWaramostimportantliterarydevelopmenttakesplace----the modernistictrend,inwhichanewgroupofwriterscalled “thelost generation”rebelagainstformerideasandvalues,butreplacethemonly bydespairoracynicalhedonism.Americanliteratureof1920sis characterizedbydisillusionmentwithidealsandfurtherwithcivilization thecapitalistsocietyadvocate.Thelostgenerationinthe1920sshowsa senseoflossafterthewar. AmongAmericanwritersduringthe1920s,F.Scott.Fitzgeraldis crownedwiththemostcredibleachievementintheUnitedStates.His masterpiece,TheGreatGatsby,conjuresuptheimageoftheroaring twenties,theageofflapper,andtheJazzAge.Inthedenouncementof thenovelthatdeludedfacesthecorruptandgoesdowntodefeat,F.Scott. Fitzgeraldbitterlyportraysthelamentablesceneshecatchesinthe courseofethicalandculturalcollapsethroughdisillusionmentofthe American Dream.In TheGreatGatsbyF.Scott.Fitzgerald findsa metaphorforanentireerawhenheportraysGatsby’sworldasanendless extravagantparty,inwhichflappersseekfreneticpleasure. Fitzgerald’snovelTheGreatGatsbyisaparodyoftheAmerican Dream,becauseintheexperienceofJayGatsbywehavethecorruption oftheDream itself----thatis,thetraditionaldevotionswastedon spiritualgumdropsandmaterialtrivialities. ChapterThreeAnalysisofGatsby’sTragedy BytellingthestoryofJayGatsby,apooryoungAmericanbedazzled withtheallureofwealthregardlessofthewayheachievesit,Fitzgerald epitomizestheAmerican Dream ofearlytwentieth century---- achievementasmeasuredinpossessionsandposition.ForGatsby, materialismisitselfanideal,aromanticdreamofunnamedspiritual ecstasy,aperpetualexpectationwhichsomehowturnstoasheswhenthe objectisactuallyachieved.Gatsbyiscaughtupinaself-destructive paradox----heattemptstomakespiritualaffirmationsofmaterialthings, anintheprocesshimselfwithneitherthespiritualdimensionnorthe valuesofmaterialismitself.Gatsbyattemptstomakeofhismansionand hisdreamofDaisy,anactofworship.Itisthisnon-materialmaterialism whichsetsupGatsby’sultimatedestruction. Fortheendofthedream,theparadoxisonewhichliesatthevery heartofAmericanculture----inattemptingtoachieveaGoldenDream ofIdealisticBeautythroughtheonlymeansavailabletohim,Gatsby representsaworldinwhichmeanshavebecometotallysubordinateto ends,wheretheenditself----theDream----isbythisveryfact reducedtoparodyofanypurposewhatsoever. ThatGatsby’sdreamisitselfapatheticillusion,isdramatizedby thereactionofDaisy,whosuddenlyfindsthatherFabledLover,farfrom beingabovethesordidrealityoftheworld,hasspunhisenchantment fromthemostvulgarelementoftherealityitself.AndsoDaisywithdraws from Gatsby,withdrawsfrom thesudden smash ofherromantic infatuation. Gatsby’swholelifeisdevotedtothefulfillmentofaromanticdream hecreatesataveryearlyageandbyitsverynaturehisdreamrequires anadolescentfaithamountingtoself-delusiontosustainit.Hispersonal visionisbasedontheillusorybeliefthattimecanbefixedandthepast canberepeatedforever.Themeansbywhichthisgoalistobeattainedis wealth,andsoGatsby’svisionisliketheAmericandreamitself,the delusionthatyouthandbeautycanbeperpetuallyrecapturedifonlyone canmakeenoughmoney.TheovertconnectionbetweenGatsby’svision andtheAmericanDream isintheidentificationofhisboyhood ambitions. Asaromanticdreamerwhoseekstofulfillhisidealbyamassing wealthasaracketeer,GatsbyisasymbolforthewholeAmerican experience.Thecorruptionofhisdreambyadoptingmaterialismasits meansandillusoryyouthandbeautyasitsgoalisthecorruptionof advertising----avast,vulgaruniverseofineffablegaudiness.The essentialtragedyofGatsbyis,inaprofoundsense,thetragedyof AmericanIdealismitself----thewastedofenormousenergies,evenself- sacrifice,toself-illusionandtheserviceofameretriciousbeauty.Gatsby, furthermore,hasnomeanstocommunicatehisIdealism,orfulfillit,aside fromthefalsestandardsoftheBuchananworlditself. ChapterFourConclusion WithFitzgerald’scharactersbeingtreatedaspawnsofcircumstance, hisworksthatarguetheforceofheredityandenvironmentslashatthe Americanfinancialsocietymercilessly.Thisworkismassive,detailed, andsincereintheoverallsocialconscience,andshowsdeepsympathy andunderstandingofhumanmotivations.Heanalyzeswithdramatic insightthedilemmaoftheindividualinthecontemporarysociety.One thewhole,Gatsby’spersonaldilemmaandfailureoftheAmericanDream anditisimpossibletoattainitbecauseoftheillusorynatureofthe AmericanDream. 【Bibliography】 [1]ChangYaoxin.AsurveyofAmericanLiterature.Tianjin:NankaiUniversity Press,1990. [2].C.K.Hillegass.Cliff’sNotesonFitzgerald’sTheGreatGatsby.USA:Memphis StateUniversity,1966. [3]F.Scott.Fitzgerald.TheGreatGatsby.GreatBritain:WordsworthClassics,1993. 作者简介:高慧(1980—),女,陕西延安人。郑州航空工业管理学院教师,从 事大学英语教学与研究工作。 [责任编辑:张艳芳] DoomofAmericanDream----TheSocialMeaningofTheGreatGatsby 高 慧 (郑州航空工业管理学院 河南 郑州 450015) 【Abstract】ThepaperholdsthatthepresentationofGatsbyasuniquetoAmericasignifiesthatGatsby’spersonaldilemmaandfailurearethe dilemmaandfailureofAmericannation,thussatirizingtheillusorynatureoftheAmericanDreamandtheimpossibilitytoattainit. 【Keyword】AmericanDream;disillusionment;LostGeneration ○高校讲坛○ 220