african美国文学选读 The Great Gatsby 分析

F. Scott Fitzgerald (1890 - 1940)

II. His masterpiece: The Great Gatsby

story summary:

The entire story takes place in one summer in 1922.

The

novel

describes

the

life

and

death

of

Jay

Gatsby,

as

seen

through

the

eyes

of

a

narrator

who

does

not

share

the

same

point

of

view

as

the

fashionable people around him.

The

narrator

learns

that

Gatsby

became

rich

by

breaking

the

law.

Gatsby

pretends

to

be

a

well-educated

war

hero,

which

he

is

not,

yet

the

narrator

portrays

（描绘）

him as being far more noble than the rich, cruel, stupid people

among whom he and Gatsby live.

Gatsby’s character is purified by a deep, unselfish love for Daisy, a beautiful,

silly woman who, earlier, married a rich husband instead of Gatsby and moved

into high society.

Gatsby has never lost his love for her and, in an era when divorce has become

easy, he tries to win her back by becoming rich himself. He does not succeed,

and in the end he is killed by accident because of his determination to shield

Daisy from disgrace.

None of Gatsby’s upper class friends come to his funeral. The narrator is so

disgusted that he leaves New York and returns to his original home.

Chapter Nine

Nick makes plans for the funeral.

Gatsby's Funeral, three people show up.

Nick returns to the west.

Nick meets with Tom Buchanan

Nick gets a last view of Gatsby's house.

小说表 面上是一个爱情故事，

但实际却是对社会现状的讽刺批判。

比如 ，

小说真实再现了盖

茨比挥霍的晚会场面，

客人们空虚元聊的生活方式，

以及盖茨比经营非法买卖敛取财富的背

景，这些都是那寻欢作乐和价值沦丧的时代的典型写照。

另一方面，自移民时期 开始，

美国

人一直梦想在这片民主、平等、自由、富饶的土地上 ，通过个人奋斗获得财富和幸福。但是

物质富裕带来的却是精神堕落和理想的破灭，

财富的增加也没有消除社会贫困和社会各阶层

的狭隘偏见。