ABSTRACT

F. Scott Fitzgerald, a famous representative of the American novelists of the 20th century and a member of the “Lost Generation” of the 1920s, is known as the spokesman of the “Jazz Age”. The Great Gatsby stands for his masterpiece, which describes a picture of the 1920s America. This thesis mainly researches on the symbolism in this novel.

This thesis introduces Fitzgerald and his works as well as the definition and the function of symbolism. It presents different opinions on the symbolism in The Great Gatsby from domestic and foreign scholars. On the basis of former researches, the thesis makes a thorough analysis of the symbolic images in The Great Gatsby, including colors, geographic places, objects and characters, to reflect the ideal of pursuing the “American Dream”. Actually, this thesis analyzes the artistic value of symbolism. Through these analyses, this thesis aims at having a better understanding of social development and seeking the development regularity, and making an updated summary. 

The author widely uses the symbolism in the novel, making the novel full of tension, more connotative, intelligent and useful. This thesis focuses on explaining the different meanings of the symbols so that readers can get a further understanding of The Great Gatsby.

Key words: Fitzgerald; The Great Gatsby; symbolism

CONTENTS

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

ABSTRACT

摘要

Chapter One INTRODUCTION-1

Chapter Two LITERATURE REVIEW-

Chapter Three SYMBOLISM-5

3.1 Features of Symbolism-5

3.2 Symbolism in Literature-5

Chapter Four SYMBOLISM EMPLOYED IN THE GREAT GATSBY-7

4.1 Colors-7

4.1.1 White-8

4.1.2 Green-8

4.1.3 Yellow-9

4.1.4 Blue-10

4.2 Geographic Places-11

4.2.1 East Egg and West Egg-11

4.2.2The Valley of Ashes-12

4.2.3 New York-12

4.3 Objects-13

4.3.1 Books-13

4.3.2 The eyes of Dr. T. J. Eckleburg-13

4.3.3 Car-14

4.4 Characters-14

4.4.1 Gatsby-14

4.4.2 Daisy-15

4.4.3 Tom-15

4.5 The American Dream-15

4.5.1 Gatsby’s American Dream-16

4.5.2 Daisy's American Dream-16

4.5.3 Nick's American Dream-17

Chapter Five CONCLUSION-18

REFERENCES-19