发布时间 : 星期三 文章了不起的盖茨比The Great Gatsby更新完毕开始阅读0ea777ad28ea81c758f57899
2. The Development
American dream was first formed when the early European Puritans stepped on the new continent. And in the middle of the 17th century, more and more people immigrated to this new land, where full of hopes and wishes. Some people immigrated for money, some for freedom and equality, and some for new life.
After the establishment of this new country, more and more people from different places in the world came to it, with new hope and enthusiasm. The elements of American dream were better life and more money.
After the civil war, the Westward Movement took place in this new country. At that times, cowboys were the heroes of the country. the American dream turned again. The dream elements contained adventure, self-accomplishment, and better life. The jazz age, in 1920s, America dream....
After two world wars, America met its cold war with the Soviet Union, In fact, America had benefited a lot from the two world wars, and it benefited the most to some extend. So after this two wars, America quickly recovered itself. And American dream turned to establish American order in the world, which means all the countries live under the order of America. And it seem this dream is on its way. 3. The Corruption
It is true that the American Dream has played a positive role in the advancement of the nation and individuals in the American history. However, when it came to the twentieth century, some changes happened to the American Dream and make it both corrupt and corruptive.
First, the economic boom after the First World War offers the soil for materialism and hedonism, both of which draw people’s attention away from the early Puritans’ emphasis on spiritual and material improvement into merely desperate pursuit of material success. Because of the war, America has risen up as the wealthiest country in the world with no obvious rival. People just overspend their money and enjoy physical pleasure. The whole Americans go into a mad whirl of the unlimited
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materialism and the immediate hedonism.
Secondly, the faith crisis after the War causes grave moral decadence of the general society, which corrupts the moral basis of the American Dream. The faith crisis directly results from the tremendous impact that the First World War has imposed on people’s thought and feelings, in particular on the youth. At the very beginning, the young people are inspired to join into the war enthusiastically hoping to make the world more safe and democracy. But when they return from the war, it is disappointing that “the Great War” has brought the world nothing but grief and death. Then the faith crisis arises. It unavoidably invites emotions of despair and insecurity among the young generation. (里昂, 24) Nick’s account of one of Gatsby’s lavish parties in Chapter III shows a way of getting close to an accurate picture of the time: Gatsby’s vulgar ostentation of his incredible wealth, the wild jazz music, the careless crazy youth, the new daring dances and the chaos abounding at and after the party. With the effect of the strong wine and the Jazz music, both of which seem to give way to freedom, the young people are seen to go crazy for fun. As Fitzgerald pointes out through Nick’s voice in The Great Gatsby, the majority of the 1920s are “careless people” (Fitzgerald 1992: 158). They feel no shame at being “a bad driver” (Fitzgerald 1992: 157). Following the above analysis, we can see that it is the impact of the First World War and the economic doom following it that have changed Americans’ idea of life, which subsequently shakes the fundamental of the American Dream.
B. The Disillusion of Gatsby’s Dream 1. The Fortune Dream
Gatsby dreams to become a great man influencing by American culture. (Brain, 37) Since he is a boy, Gatsby has high aspirations and is not content with the reality. In the last chapter of the novel, Gatsby’s father proudly showed Gatsby’s schedule and general resolves written in 1906 on the last fly-leaf of the “ragged” copy book called Hopalong Cassidy (Fitzgerald 110) to Nick. It tells how deeply young Gatsby has
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absorbed the ideas of Benjamin Franklin through his autobiography into his ambition to be successful, believing that a man can be what he want to be by hard working. In the schedule, we discover the roots of Gatsby’s transcendental vision and it shows that Gatsby’s dream is deep-rooted in the American dream. (Donaldson 187)
When he is seventeen, Gatsby meets Dan Cody on the Lake Superior . Dan Cody, an old man, who is very rich from his many gold and silver mines in Mexico, actually is a typical playboy. Under the influence of Cody, who Gatsby admires him very much, Gatsby’s early thoughts and pure dream begin to change. (Lehan, 102) Then Gatsby falls in love with wealthy Daisy, Who eventually marries Tom Buchanan because of his status and money. However, the love failure does not let him frustrated and depressed. On the contrary, it stimulates his fighting spirit. He finds out what he wants to be. His ideals include money, a good job, a beautiful car, a mansion, an ideal wife and so on, among which money is the material base. As everyone knows, one can do nothing without money. Then Gatsby’s dream has material change and at that time, he is extremely hollow and depraved. In order to make more money, Gatsby connives with gangland and tries all dirty means.
In a few years, he changes from riches to rags through bootlegging. Then he spends the bulk of his energy acquiring wealth and appearing wealthy to prove that his dream has come true. First, Gatsby changes his name when he gets rich, for he does not want others to know his hard experience in the past and he is afraid that people like Tom may look down upon him. Then he moves into Long Island where can show off his social status. One of the most fantastic descriptions in the novel is about his luxurious mansion which is also another way to appear wealthy. In order to show off his great fortune Gatsby builds a house by imitating the old aristocratic style. Besides the colossal mansion Gatsby is also noted for his most fabulous parties held in his mansion every weekend night. Every time when Gatsby holds the party he would ask the servants to make up his mansion for the party and hire a big group of musicians to play music for dancing which makes his parties decent and attractive.
With all of these, Gatsby thinks his fortune dream has come true. But he is wrong. He never succeeds through his own hard work, courage, creativity and determination.
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On one hand, Gatsby deliberately hides himself from the crowded guests. He has no interest in getting involved in the party. He needs to hide his real identity and carefully plays the role as a rich nobleman. On the other hand, the guests come to the party only for the sake of reveling and merry-making. What’s more, the rumors from the guests about Gatsby are also wild, glittering and chaotic that he is a German spy and a murderer. So he is not respected by people from their hearts, and his dreams have never come true. It is a big satire that nearly no friends or guests go to his funeral, which also reviews the failure of his fortune dream. 2. The Love Dream
Gatsby’s another dream is love dream which seems to be more important than money. (赵峰 83) He falls in love with the daughter of a man of wealth, a pretty girl named Daisy when young. But when Gatsby goes overseas, Daisy marries Tom Buchanan whom she does not love and then live a luxurious and dissipated life. So Gatsby believes that he could regain Daisy through money, with which can do nearly everything. And he keep the belief that he can realize his dream of love for getting Daisy from Tom. And Gatsby is sure that Daisy loves him as the same as he loves her all the time.
In order to achieve his dream, he first buys a huge house near Daisy. Then he often holds gleaming and dazzling parties at summer nights in order to attract Daisy. (徐大文95) However Daisy has never been to. So Gatsby asked Nick to help him invite Daisy to his house for tea. At last he has a chance to express his love to Daisy, and regain Daisy from Tom.
In the novel, we can find his love to Daisy is true, pure, passionate, concentrated and steadfast. (徐大文,97) When he saw Daisy again, he could not speak, and “he was simply amazed that Daisy was real and she was really standing so close to him. He had been dreaming of her for so many years(113).” He is so excited to see Daisy again. He dares to say to Tom frankly that he loves Daisy and Daisy also loves him. “She’s never loved you. She loves me,” says Gatsby, “She only married you because I was
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