美国文学F·Scott-Fitzgerald

FScottFitzgerald•(1896–1940)•BorninSt.Paul,Minnesota•Aspokesmanfortheso-calledJazzAge,settingapersonalaswellasliteraryexampleforagenerationwhosefirstcommandmentwas:Dowhatyouwill.•HisnovelssuchasTheGreatGatsby(1925),TenderIstheNight(1934),andTheLastTycoon(1941),amplify详述themelancholyhediscoveredbeneaththeglitter灿烂ofAmerican-stylesuccess.JazzAge•AperiodofU.S.historyinthe1920snotedforgeneralprosperity,financialspeculation金融投机,Prohibition,theemergenceoforganizedcrime,thepopularityofjazzandtheopenpursuitpleasures.•Itisanepithetappliedtotheeraofthe1920sintheU.S.,whosefrenetic（狂热的）youthofthepostwarperiodwereconceivedasmorejuvenile（孩子气的）andhedonistic（享乐主义）thanthe“lostgeneration”.F.ScottFitzgerald’sTalesoftheJazzAge(1922)wasaclassicrepresentationoftheperiod.•Prohibition:Enactedin1919(andultimatelyrepealedin1933),thisamendmentmadeitillegalforanyonetomanufacture,sell,ortransportliquorofanysort.CharactersJayGatsby—rags-to-richessuccessstorymakeshimanembodimentoftheAmericandream,idealistic,naïve,DaisyBuchannanTomBuchannanNickCarrawayNarratorNickCarraway:bothasacharacterandthenarratorAsacharacter,heis“within”,involvinghimselfintheactionsofthestory.Asanarrator,heisstandingawayfromthestoryandabletogiveanobjectivepresentationtotheeventsandcharactersofthenovel.How?Questions(chapter3)HowareGatsby’sparties?Whatdotheyshow?Whoarehispartyguests?Whatdotheydoornotdointheparities?Whatdoesthisshow?WhatinformationdoyougetaboutGatsbyhimself?WhatistherelationshipbetweenGatsbyandhisguests?AretheredifferencesbetweenNickandotherguests?Whyisthemanwithowl-eyedspectaclesimpressedwiththefactthatthebooksinthelibrariesarereal?Whatdoesheexpect?Whatdoesthefactthathehasbeendrunkforoneweekindicate?Howdoyouunderstandthis?“Iwasenjoyingmyselfnow.Ihadtakentwofinger-bowlofchampagne,andthescenehadchangedbeforemyeyesintosomethingsignificant,elemental,andprofound.”•throughthehaze薄雾ofalcohol,itseemstobecomesteeped使…充满inmeaning.Fitzgeraldofferscandid率直的commentaryintolifeintheJazzAge.Heisofferingharshsocialcriticism,bysuggestingthattheonlywayinwhichasenseofmeaningistobefoundinthistimeisthroughalteringone'ssenseofconsciousness.Throughthepartying,peoplewereabletobringmeaning(regardlessofthefactitmaybefalsemeaning)intotheirotherwisemeaninglesslives.Forthem,drinkingwasanescape,allowingthemtoexitthemundane平凡的worldandtakepartinsomethingbigger,somethingmoremeaningful.“Itwasoneofthoseraresmileswithaqualityofeternalreassurance...thatyoumaycomeacrossfourorfivetimesinlife.Hissmile,Nickasserts,believedinyouasyouwouldliketobelieveinyourself,andassuredyouthatithadpreciselytheimpressionofyouthat,atyourbest,youhopedtoconvey….elaborateformalityofspeech……pickinghiswordswithcare.”Indication?awell-craftedappearance.•PartofFitzgerald'sstrengthasawritercomesfromhisimagisticstyle.Hiswritingisverysensory感观-oriented.Whatexamplesofsensory-orientedimagery(sight,taste,touch,smell,sound)canyoufindinchapter3?Whatkindofatmospheredothesedetailshelpcreate?Howdotheyaffectyouasareader?Fitzgerald,GatsbyandNick•IfGatsbyrepresentsonepartofFitzgerald’spersonality,theflashy俗丽的celebritywhopursuedandglorifiedwealthinordertoimpressthewomanheloved,thenNickrepresentsanotherpart:thequiet,reflectiveMidwesterneradriftinthelurid可怕的East.Theme—AmericandreamisanIllusionThelifeGatsbyhascreatedforhimselfisanillusion.Thename:“theGreatGatsby”suggeststhesortofvaudeville杂耍billingthatwouldhavebeengiventoanacrobat,anescapeartist,oramagician—illusion.Daisyashisdream,hissuccess—unworthy,shallow,immoral—illusion.Theaffluentpartiesareshallow,materialistic,empty—illusion•Thestoryisaboutthedecayedsocialandmoralvalues,evidencedinitsoverarching支配一切的cynicism,greed,andemptypursuitofpleasure.Therecklessjubilance欢呼thatledtodecadent颓废的partiesandwildjazzmusic—epitomized成为…的缩影inTheGreatGatsbybytheopulent奢华partiesthatGatsbythrowseverySaturdaynight—resultedultimatelyinthecorruptionoftheAmericandream,astheunrestraineddesireformoneyandpleasuresurpassedmorenoblegoals.