论盖茨比悲剧的必然性

On Inevitability of Gatsby’s TragedyI. IntroductionScott. Fitzgerald is a prominent novelist in the American literature, owned the title of the spokesman of the Jazz Age and the laurel of poet. From the contents and thoughts, the creative traits, his book the Great Gatsby is a real masterpiece of Fitzgerald, which made him get success in writing. As soon as it was published publicly in 1925, the Great Gatsby gained many critics’ affirmation and praise, becoming as one of the most excelle nt works in the 20th century. “The famous poet and critic Aerate said that the Great Gatsby took a great progress in American novels since Henry James.”(Donaldson, 1984: 283) In this novel, with a brief and serious style, the author vividly described a tragedy caused by American Dream, and successfully molded a suffered figure Gatsby. He was the author’s favorite character, in that they had many things in common such as many experiences and spiritual virtues that are different from the comprehension and chase to American life of common people. Gatsby owned marvelous genius, incomparable resolute romantic volition to his dream as well as his loyalty to his ideal, which won high praise of the author. The essay, on one hand, gives deep sympathy to Gatsby about his tragedy, on the other hand, it indicates that it is vain and dangerous to seek American Dream at that time.The paper is analyzing the inevitability of the hero Gatsby’s tragedy by examining the essence of Gatsby’s dream, the potential destructiveness in Gatsby’s characters and social-backgrounds that lead to Gatsby’s destruction.II. Description of Gatsby’s Dream2.1 Origin of Gatsby’s DreamGatsby’s dream originated from the American dream, and the so-called “American Dream”, in Am erican society, especially in the period of exploiting the New Continent, formed and developed a rather commonly attracting ideal. It has long history dating from the period of European emigrants exploiting the New Continent, and this dream owns tremendous enough connotations of American desire and hope to spirits and materials. Consequently, many people defined it as the synthesis of Wealthy Dream, Transcendent Dream and Love Dream.The novels describing American Dream were best-sellers, but they gave the preaching contents: As long as one person was honest, patient and independent, he would have the equality with every one to do everything, namely, it is possible for him coming from the poor family to become a rich and noble person, while Gatsby was one of the believers of it. The dream which seemed to happen in fairy tales was the endless infinite power that encouraged Gatsby struggle for it. The author contact Gatsby’s pursuit with European emigrants’ ancient desire to New Continent, and Franklin, repres enting American Dream and its invert forms later, defined Gatsby’s tragedy as huge historical background and deep typical senses. It made a point of evidence that Gatsby made a fortune, relying on personal virtues, diligence and frugality. Since his childh ood, Gatsby used to abide by Franklin’s teaching, and try to practice the main inquire of the traditional model, following his own comprehension and the background of 20-century society in U.S. By all appearances, as were same with other magnates at that time, Gatsby still understood and practiced following principles. Theoretically, borderland, (here referred to the whole American) were equal paradise to every one, and the reward completely owed to diligence, frugality and good luckiness, but in fact, the rewarding often depended on trickiness, greed and mercilessness, as well as cruel ruthlessness and completely rotten means.American dream, but it is the origin of Gatsby’s dream.2.2 Essence of Gatsby’s DreamEven if his dream originated from American dr eam, the essence of Gatsby’s dream is the essence of American dream. With his growing, Gatsby’s American Dream went by an evolution when he was young. He dreamed making a good fortune, transcending common people and getting rid of poorness as much as the heroes written by Ben Franklin and Horatio Alger. Later he met Daisy by chance and then lost his heart to her, thus Daisy became the personification of his perfect ideal and the embodiment of concentrating his entire ideal, and the he endeavored to do everything in the direction of them. Because in his mind, Daisy represented all beautiful creatures of the upper class society in America, and in his memory, the first love between Daisy and him seemed to be a human fairyland, whereas, the cruel reality was that he lacked rich family supporting him and his love. The great disparity of their status made him sense that he had no right to touch her hand.So having lost Daisy, he desperately earned much more money, and fantasized about recapturing his beloved—Daisy with money when he was rich enough, afterwards, he really made a fortune. Luxurious life could not bring Gatsby a little happiness, since in essence; he was different from those who sought for benefits and fames. In Jazz Age, wealth was not the most significant to Gatsby, while what he only recalled was to repeat the past with Daisy day and night and to get the lost pure love. After he got rich, he bought a luxurious mansion in front of Daisy’s house across the bay. Almost five years, Gatsby never stopped recalling his first lover Daisy.As a result, the more perfect his ideal became, the more far away reality was.2.3 Symbol of Gatsby’s DreamIn the novel, the green light represented that innocent Gatsby looked forward to the future, and at the same time longed for the history, namely, the green light represents his dream.American Dream actually originated from the past, and made him sincerely persist in the traditional ideal foundation; however, when he was borne back ceaselessly into the past, he made efforts for exploring various possibility in the future. To some extent, Gatsby’s love to Daisy reflected his wonderful memory of the past. The distinction between ideal and reality was huge.The author gave highly emphasis to the figure of Gatsby, as if American Dream between golden past and golden future always suffered from the realistic betrayal and crush—the realistic world appearing in front of people was bleakness and dejection. Gatsby could not build his hope future on the basis of cruel reality. He could not face squarely the reality of uniting the past with the future in the realistic environment. These reflect the essence of Gatsby’s dream.III. Potential Destructiveness in Gatsby’s CharactersThe inevitability of Gatsby’s tragedy was related to the potential destructiveness in his character, namely, some factors in his character caused his life and ideals destroyed.3.1Obstinate CharacterGatsby was the believer and follower of American Dream who thought the opportunity was equal to everyone in the society and fantasized to prompt into upper class society like Daisy. Nevertheless, the upper class society which represented by Daisy and Tom never put up with Gatsby as well as his being. Tom was very proudselfish and cruel, lacking essential virtues and moralities. However rich he was, however his name and luxurious cars he exchanged, he was still an unimportant person who came from the low class society, consequently, he was always attacked and squeezed out. Doubtlessly, it is inevitable that his American Dream was disillusioned.3.2 Foolish CharacterActually, Gatsby is a real foolish gentleman, because he fantasized about getting a pure love, and thought of a worldly beauty as the symbol of perfect ideal. In order to get his ideal love, Gatsby struggled his feet from the low class society and devoted himself to Daisy. Different from other people in Jazz Age, Gatsby was a pure romantic gentleman. Although Daisy once returned to his body, he could not satisfy it. However, the essence o f Daisy decided that the dream of Gatsby’s pure love was inevitably disillusioned.3.3 IgnoranceIn fact, Gatsby was serious ignorance of the upper class society for he did not recognize the essence of the upper class society clearly. For Gatsby, the realistic background of Daisy’s family and her social intercourse actually became a kind of ideal symbol that is beyond reality and agreement with the myth circumstances. After he was dead, no telephone message arrived, but the butler went without his sleep and waited for it until four o’clock—until ling after there was any one to give it to if it came. On Gatsby’s funeral ceremony,Gatsby’s funeral ceremony was rather lonely. Perhaps, it was the essential face of upper class society. Gatsby was so lack of mind and discerning power that he was fatally destroyed. His destruction was not only in physic but in spirit or morality; unfortunately he did not realize it when he was died.3.4 InnocenceThe most obvious destructiveness in his characters is that Gatsby was very innocent. It is a poetic and romantic scene that hid serious facts. Under the wasted and luxurious surface hidden, Gatsby’s inner heart went by cruelty—he must think and build desire for reality of ideals in the fantasy and impractical scene, and finally find someplace beneficial for him to become practical possibility. It was the focus of the question that all his efforts were to attract a his original lover Daisy’s attention and to make her return to his body, but Gatsby made an ostentations show of one’s wealth withbeyond words describing and the ostentation contained fatal factors, so luxurious party made the focus of the question ambiguous.In this novel, using a superb metaphor, the author shows to readers that the most suitable place to record t hese guests’ names was on the empty spaces of an old and broken timetable, because these guests the world their embodying were fantasizing as short as time, a flash in the pan, and they would never came back with time passing at last, as a piece of overdue train timetable left people a little dim memory. What they represented was only some misshapen scraps crushed by reality of American Dream. It was a fact that Gatsby needed them to decorate mansion for his face and in turn they needed Gatsby’s hospitality to raise their status. So their mutual needs made them go together, nevertheless, their own goals were completely different, and their life experiences were also more different.The obstinate, foolish, ignorant and innocent characters are destructive characters, and they make Gatsby’s tragedy become more possible.IV. The Decadent and Ruthless Social RealitySuperficially, Gatsby was only the sacrifice of a tri-angle love, nonetheless, the author did not only describe fate that a young and penniless man spent all his energy earning enough money and then won the lost real love, but what’s more important, deeply reacted to the social reality the author lived in, and revealed American complex modern experience and sharp social contradiction, namely, it was the struggle between the New Bourgeoisie and the old bourgeoisie whose statuses were stable. American people living in Jazz Age looked down on the traditional faiths and revealed against the moralities and customs that their ancestors used to abide by.4.1 Cruel social Society of U.S.AIn the society of the lost ideals, Gatsby was a hot and romantic idealist, and his marvelous genius to the hope and romance made him turn a blind eye to American cruel social reality and desperately sought after impractical romantic love, even tried redeeming his lost pleasure together with Daisy in the past by a plenty of money; besides, he still obstinately believed that one person could fulfill the dream through his own ideal by hook or by crook, and even if he met huge trouble or problem, he would take his heart to fulfill his own dream with all his efforts, whereas, the power of opposing Gatsby was bourgeoisie groups represented by Tom and Daisy. The novelreally responded to the struggle for statuses between the new noble men and the old groups. Gatsby wan the absolute victory when he competed with Tom to gain Daisy’s love, but Tom was not willing to give it up, furthermore, he took mean measures and decided to kill Gatsby to death.It was like this, becau se of Tom’s conspiracy and betrayal, Gatsby was tragic death. At last, the symbol meaning of Gatsby’s experiences and his broken dream is very clear.Therefore, he could not see through the cruel society in America at that tim e.4.2 Social Value TrendAt that time, people abandoned the traditional industriousness and thrift and began to enjoy life. Common people’s social value trend was the hedonism that money is first and materials are supreme; however, Gatsby, different from them, attached more importance to enjoy life in spirit than in material. What he always sought for is romantic and perfect ideal, i.e. repeat the past with Daisy and live a happy life with her. Owing to lack of self-comprehension, Gatsby innocently comprehended the social value and greatness, and desired for the future; Gatsby unconsciously fell into the tragic consequence that the social evil power trapped for him. At the end of the novel, Gatsby’s lonely funeral ceremony and people’s indifference completely reflected the American soci ety’s coolness and ugliness in 1920’s. In this society, Gatsby was destined to be isolated helpless and to fail in all.Gatsby was one of typical representatives of American Dream that all generations of American people pursued. People could learn somethin g from the Gatsby’s tragedy that the upper class society in America was affected by American rotten life for pleasure, the world was the place where rich men could share life, and that was a daydream for any one who wanted to seek for the pure love and sincere happiness there. Because Gatsby held different social value from common American people, the tragedy of believer and follower —Gatsby persistently seeking for American Dream asserted the bankruptcy of American Dream.V.ConclusionGat sby’s final destructiveness was the consequence of Tom’s plotting and framing. It was superficial phenomenon that Tom, the real murderer of murdering Gatsby, represented the upper class society and committed the crime, but the deep connotation was that upp er class society ruined Gatsby’s dream in spirit. Gatsby’s falsity was that hewas too innocent to see through that his beloved Daisy was as dishonest and unconscientiously as Tom, and they unique possessed selfish, cruelness, falsity, deceit as well as narrowness.The description of American Dream was perfect, but the realistic world represented by Tom and Daisy was too absurd to withstand a single blow. 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