On the Causes of the Disillusion On the Causes of the Disillusion of
American Dream in The Great Gatsby
Abstract: From the great Franklin, American Dream has a deep impact on American people. With the development of America, American Dream has changed a lot. Many critics think The Great Gatsby is a significant novel about this theme. This paper analyzes the causes of the disillusion of American Dream from historical and social contents and the character of the hero. The failure of Gatsby’ pursue is not only because of the social and historical reasons, but also for his own character. Through analysis we can see the essence of his dream. The naivety in his character and the cruelty of the society determine the tragedy of Gatsby.
Keywords: American dream; disillusion; two classes; money; love
《了不起的盖茨比》中“美国梦”破灭的原因分析
摘 要: 从美国伟人富兰克林开始，美国梦就一直是美国的传统，可是在时代的变迁下，美国梦发生了很大的变化。许多评论家认为小说《了不起的盖茨比》是一部关于美国梦的经典之作。本文从社会，历史和人物性格等多方面探讨主人公盖茨比美国梦破灭的原因。盖茨比的梦毁人亡不仅有其深刻的社会历史原因，而且与其个人性格中的诸多因素也是分不开的。通过分析我们可以看出盖茨比的梦想的历史渊源与实质，盖茨比的性格中的天真单纯和不谙世故，以及美国社会的冷酷无情和道德沦丧，这些从根本上决定了盖茨比梦想的破灭。
关键词：美国梦，破灭，阶级，金钱，爱情
CONTENTS
Introduction 4
1. The Profile of American Dream 5
1.1 The Origin and Development of the American Dream 5
1.2 A Look into Gatsby's American Dream 6
1.2.1 Implication of Gatsby's Dream 7
1.2.2 Changes of Gatsby's Dream 8
2. Causes of the disillusion of Gatsby's American Dream 8
2.1 Background of the 1920s 8
2.1.1 Social Conflict 9
2.1.2 Relationship between Two Classes 10
2.1.3 Cultural Conflicts 11
2.2 Deficiency of the Hero’s Character 12
2.2.1 Naivety and Innocence in Gatsby's Character 12
2.2.2 Naive Belief in the Power of Money 12
2.2.3 Dreaming of Pure Love 13
2.2.4 Gatsby's False American Value 15
3. Conclusion 15
Bibliography 17
