Abstract

American dream is a certain image at a certain period of time of the faith of America. At first, the American dream focuses both on material and spirit, and all the people want to acquire wealth through their hardworking and have the potential to live a happy and successful life. But with the development of the industrialization, the pace of life becomes faster and faster, meanwhile people’s mind become vacant. At last the American dream has turn to the pursuit of money and capital. But no matter how it changes, the essence of the American Dream should always be spiritual and faithful. The American Dream in The Great Gatsby is an eternal subject while mentioning this novel. The disillusionment of Gatsby’s American Dream is doomed for his personal experience and morality, his social circle and the whole social environment. The thesis will discuss the inevitability of the disillusionment of Gatsby’s American Dream from these three perspectives and all relate to the faith.

Keyword: The Great Gatsby；American Dream; Crisis of Faith

Contents

Abstract

摘  要

Chapter1 Introduction

    1.1 F. Scott Fitzgerald and The Great Gatsby

    1.2 Literature Review

    1.3 Thesis Structure

Chapter2 Personal Factors--Gatsby’s American Dream             

    2.1 The Formation of Gatsby’s American Dream 

        2.2 The Distortion of Gatsby’s American Dream--Misguided Faith

        2.3 The Disillusionment of Gatsby’s American Dream--Absent Faith 

Chapter3 Interpersonal Factors--Other Characters in The Great Gatsby

        3.1 Daisy Fay and Tom Buchanan

        3.2 Myrtle Wilson and George B. Wilson 

Chapter4 Social Factors--the Doomed Disillusionment of Gatsby’s American Dream 

    4.1 The Material Factors

      4.1.1 The Hierarchy System

      4.2.2 Economy and Consumerism

      4.2.3 Science

    4.2 The Spiritual Factors

Chapter 5 Conclusion

Bibliography