了不起的盖茨比 原声

Americanliterature

班级：0903班

学号：2009010119

姓名：宋丹丹

AnalysisofthePersonalityoftheMajor

CharactersinTheGreatGatsby

Abstract:TheGreatGatsbyisthefinestnovelwrittenbythefamous

Americanwriter,elmirrorsthedeclineofthe

reatGatsby,

FitzgeraldlectsskillfullydifferentpeoplesuchasJayGatsby,and

DaisyBuchanantoreprenttheirdifferentstatusinsocietyand

eventuallytoreflectthecontradictionsoftheAmericanworldbytheir

saywillfocusonthediscussionofthetwomajorcharacters,

discussingtheirfatebycomparisonandtalkingabouttheinternalconflict

oftheirpersonality,tohaveafurtherunderstandingofthecorruptionof

theAmericansocietyaftertheFirstWorldWarandthecauoftheir

differentpersonality.

Keywords:TheGreatGatsbymajorcharactersanalysisofpersonality

1ABriefIntroductiontoTheGreatGatsby

FrancisScottFitzgeraldwasconsideredasoneofthemostwell

knownwritersinAmericaatanerathathenamed―theJazzAge‖.During

thetwentyyearsofhiswriting,hepublishedaboutonehundredshort

atGatsbyisoneofthegreatest

literaryworksofthisperiodandoneoftheclassicsinAmericanliterature,

whichrevealsthemoralemptinessandhypocrisyundertheprosperityof

raldushispentorevealthelifeandtheideasof

peopleaftertheFirstWorldWarandintroducesonekindofvaluable

ricandreamofhappinessandindividualismhasfalleninto

raldprentstheriandfallofJay

Gatsby,skillfullychoosingafirst-personnarrator,NickCarraway’s

perspective.

2TragicJayGatsby

JayGatsby,atypicalupstartaftertheFirstWorldWar,isansitive

sinlovewithDaisy,

whenhestationsatamilitarycampnearherhome,butlatershemarries

rchfortheAmericandreamleadshimfrompoverty

towealth,intothearmsofhisbelovedandeventually,

attractedbyDaisy’sgraceandcharm,butblindshershortcomings.

Tosomeextent,GatsbyisnaiveandstupidforheneveresDaisy

he

neverstopslovingandhastakenthehouinWestEggtobenearher,he

neverrealizesthathecan’syto

findthatthroughouthiscourtshipofDaisy,Gatsbyisalwaysinaposition

eGatsbyhasidolizedher,

dermayfind

outthecontradictioninGatsby’

onehand,Gatsbyisinnocentandnaiveinhisheartforhestickstohis

goalanddedicateshimlftoachievehisdestination,buthenever

shisloyaltytohisbelovedand

r,ontheother

hand,heownsmoneybyallmeansincludingillegalonesandheis

indifferenttothedeathofMyrtleWilson,thesuperficialwifeofagarage

thenovelmentions,―hespokeasif

Daisy’sreactionwastheonlythingthatmattered.‖Gatsbyisnimbleand

ambitiousinmakingmoney,whichshowsthe―sagacity‖ofmodern

people,buttowardslovehegivesustheimpressionof―anaiveyoung

man.‖

sby,Daisyis

ghhehas

thewealththatcanmatchwiththeleisuredclass,hedoesnothavetheir

gedyliesinhisposssionofanaiven.

Therefore,Gatsby’stragedydoesnotlieinhisdeath,butinthe

slackofreasonandjudgmentthat

troducingtheoriginationofGatsby’sname,

Fitzgeraldwrites:―ThetruewasthatJayGatsbyofWestEgg,Long

Island,Sonof

God–aphrawhich,ifitmeansanything,meansjustthatandhemustbe

aboutHisFather’sbusiness,therviceofavast,vulgar,andmeretricious

beauty‖.ThiststhetoneofGatsby’otbeenaware

ofthedifferentsocialstatusbetweenhisandTom’ral,Jay

oughhe

isabootleggerandallhismoneyisillegallymadehestillhasmore

wantspeopletobehappy,andif

theyarehappyhewillbehappy,sluxurypartiesforpeople

doeshisbesttomakeNickfeel

showsacertainamountofkindnesstoalmost

tiesareopentoanyonewhowantstoattendno

hisbesttobekindtoalmost

isaspect,heisaverydecentpersonindeed.

Allinall,altyto

hisloveandidealandthecontradictionsofhisdreamsleadtothe

th,inan,rvesasa

warning,butitalsoennobleshim.

3VanityandSelfishDaisyBuchanan

Asabeautifulandcharminggirlintheupperclass,Daisyisquiet

someextent,hermothernotonlypreventsDaisy’sstupidideabutalso

hat,Daisy

time,themost

importantthingforaladywastofindarichhusbandwithdecentstatus,

soDaisymakesgooduofherbeautytodealwithalotofyoungmen.

Hervanityiscompletelydisclodwhenshecontactswiththomen.

Shehasbrighteyesandabrightpassionatemouthandherbestfeature

uicklymarriesTomjustbecauheis

richer.

ComparedwithGatsby,Daisyissuperficial,shallow,and

lf-centeredforsheeverythingfromtheperspectiveofherown

zgerald,womenlikeDaisyreprentthedeepest

ductivepoweroftheAmericandreamaswellasitsgreatestdangers.

Daisy’e

drivesoverMyrtleandshedoesn'tevenstop,whichshowswhat

Fitzgeraldwantstorevealinthewholebook—therichhavenoconceptof

,her

vesherreal

naturewhenshechoosTomoverGatsby,andallowsGatsbytotakethe

blameforkillingMyrtleWilsoneventhoughsheherlfisthemurderer.

Finally,DaisyandTommoveawayratherthanattendGatsby’sfuneral,

matteroffact,he

accident,sheandTomconspiretogetherandfollowsherhusband’s

suggestiontoletGatsbytaketheresponsibility.

WhyDaisyisunwillingtoleaveTomandcometogetherwith

Gatsbyafterhebecomesrich?Infact,therearealsosomecontradictions

and,sheismovedbyGatsby’sloyaltyand

stubbornness,whichisfullyembodiedinthereunionbetweenGatsbyand

tion,sheisalsoattractedbyGatsby’swealthanddisappointed

atTom’therhand,shedonothavethepowerto

’t

lothecomfortableandluxurylifewithTom.―Thislifeisboringbut

givesherafeelingofsafety.‖DuringtheFirstWorldWar,Gatsbyisonly

ore,thoughDaisyloveshim,sheisunwillingto

atsbyleavestofightinthewar,shemarriesBuchanan,

ayoungmanfromanaristocraticfamilywhopromisherawealthy

gathersgreatfortuneandbecomesthenewrich,but

DaisyismarriedtoTomBuchananwhoisthe―theveryrich‖andthe

DaisyisunsatisfiedwithTom’sbehavior

andneverforgetsGatsby,thewealthmakesDaisyandhiminvulnerable.

Sointheend,’sdreamstillhasnotcometrueandDaisydoes

notbreakupwithTomtogowithGatsby.

Asareprentativeladyoftheupperclassattheparticulartime,

Daisyenjoysvanity,lfishnessandsophisticationthatayoungwoman

’shervanityandlfishnessthatcauthedeath

ofGatsby.

Conclusion:

Tosumup,TheGreatGatsbyisanelegyofthecorruptionofthe

elclearlyshowsthatthereisnowayfrom

moneytolove,horcriticizestheAmerican

raldusthecharacterstoshowthedestructionof

ractersinthisnovel,manyofthemlotheir

extent,

t

isnotonlythetragedyoflovebetweenDaisyandGatsbybutalsoshows

thetragedyoftheAmericandream.

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