Abstract

Francis Scott Fitzgerald is one of the most outstanding writers in the United States in 1920s. His masterpiece The Great Gatsby is widely considered as his most perfect work. This work also lays a solid position in the history of American literature for him. The paper mainly focuses on the bystander---Nick Carraway. In the text, there is much evidence that can prove Nick’s role of bystander, like his character, geographical Location of residence, behavior and so on. 

The creation of bystander in The Great Gatsby is one of the important factors that make this work stand out. The paper will discuss the significance of bystander from three perspectives: narrative point of view, character image and plot. What’s more, it is Fitzgerald’s keen insight that makes bystander meaningful not only for the story but also the society and history. 

Key Words：Nick Carraway; bystander; narrative point of view; character image; plot

Contents

Abstract

摘  要

1. Introduction-1

1.1 A Brief Introduction to the Author and the Novel-1

1.2 The Structure of the Paper-2

2. Literature Review-3

2.1 Researches at Home and Abroad on the Character---Nick Carraway-3

2.2 Originalities of the Paper-4

3. Nick---The Bystander-5

3.1 The Evidence of Nick As a Bystander-5

3.1.1 Character-5

3.1.2 The Geographical Location of residence-6

3.1.3 Other Perspectives-6

3.2 The Significance of Nick As a Bystander-7

3.2.1 Narrative Point of View-7

3.2.2 Character Image-8

3.2.3 Character Relation and Plot-8

3.3 The Bystander and the Disillusion of American Dream-9

4. The Bystander, the Society and History-11

4.1 The Historical Meaning of the Bystander-11

4.1.1 The Historical Background-11

4.1.2 The Influence of the Bystander-11

4.2 The Social Meaning of the Bystander-11

4.2.1 The Social background-11

4.2.2 The Influence on the Tradition and Culture-12

5. Conclusion-13

References-14