Abstract

In 1920s, Fitzgerald finishes his most famous novel The Great Gatsby, which is hailed as one of the foremost pieces of American fiction of its time. The author brilliantly and succinctly explores the tensions and contradictions of the period. This paper aims to study “the American Dream” according to the social background in 1920s and show people the vanity and illusion in “the American Dream”. The general introduction to the origin and the transformation of “the American Dream” set a comprehensive foundation. Moreover, this paper will attempt to explore how the main roles of this book represent “the American Dream” with its specific characteristics. After the analysis on different characters’ American dreams, the paper arrives at the enlightens which derived from the illusion of “the American Dream”.

Key words: “the American Dream”; F.scott Fitzgerald; The Great Gatsby; vanity and illusion 

Contents

Abstract

摘要

1 Introduction..1

2 The Origin and Transformation of “the American Dream”.2

2.1 The origin of the American Dream3

2.2 The Transformation of the American Dream4

3 “The American Dream” in The Great Gatsby.5

3.1 Gatsby’s American Dream5

3.2 Daisy Buchanan’s American Dream.8

3.3 Nick Carraway’s American Dream9

3.4 Tom Buchanan’s American Dream.11

3.5 Mrytle Wilson’s American Dream..12

4 The Enlightenments..13

4.1 The “Greatness” in “the American Dream”13

4.2 The Illusion of “the American Dream”14

5 Conclusion.15

References..16