Abstract:F. Scott. Fitzgerald, a famous novelist in 1920s, is one of the representatives of the lost generation in the Jazz Age. In the era of the economic boom, with more people hysterically pursuing money, a majority of the American people have undergone profound changes in their behavior and inner hearts: Personal consumption has expanded rapidly; People’s lifestyle has changed abruptly and their moral value has been twisted greatly. The Great Gatsby was born in this background. This literary works vividly depicts the lifestyle of the Americans during that period of time by delicately using symbolism. In addition, it also combines the personal experience of Fitzgerald on the purpose of revealing the writer’s inner feelings.

     From the perspective of symbolism, this thesis analyzes The Great Gatsby from three aspects, which are the symbolic meanings of the settings, the colors and the characters. When viewed from the other side, those symbols uncover the Americans’ rabid greed for wealth, the decadence of their social morality as well as the corruption of their idealistic American dream in the early 1920s .

     Key words:  The Great Gatsby  symbolism  the American dream

Content

摘要：

Abstract:

Introduction-5

Chapter One The Symbolic Meanings of the Settings in The Great Gatsby-8

1.1 The Valley of Ashes-8

1.2 The Eyes of Dr. T. J. Ecklegurg-10

1.3 The East Egg and West Egg-12

Chapter Two The Symbolic Meanings of the Characters in The Great Gatsby-14

2.1 Jay Gatsby-14

2.2 Daisy Buchanan and Tom Buchanan -16

2.3 Nick Carraway-17

Chapter Three The Symbolic Meanings of the Colors in The Great Gatsby-19

3.1 Green: The Symbol of Hope, Illusion and Destruction-19

3.2 White: The Symbol of Purity, Guilt and Death-21

3.3 Gold: The Symbol of Wealth, Moral Decay and Death-22

Conclusion-24

Bibliography-24

Acknowledgments -26