The-Jazz-Age(爵士时代)

TheUnderstandingoftheJazzAgeAbstractThejazzageseemstoakindofnewdreamandpursuitoflife,butwhatitactuallyexpressespeople’sgreedformoneyandenjoyment.Afterthewarittakessomeprofitsforsociety,yetbehindtheprofitstheuglinessofhumannaturemakethedreamevaporatetobeillusion.Forthenovelitself,GatsbyhasinvestedDaisywiththemeaningofbeautybymakinghertheobjectofhisdream.However,underthecoverofbeautifulappearance,greed,selfish,desire,venalityandsoongoupinsmoke.Theburstingofthehopeisasymbolofsocialdestruction.Andifpeoplealwaysthinkthatthepastbecomeathingofthepast,notlinkingwiththepresent,suchwonderfuleraislonggonenow.Soweshouldidentifytherelationshipbetweenthepresentandthepast.KeyWords:thejazzage;socialdestruction;identifytherelationshipOutlinePartIIntroductionofthejazzage1.Meaning2.Socialphenomenon3.ConnectionwithnovelPartIIAnalysisbetweenthenovelandthesocietyPartIIIConclusionPartIIntroductionofthejazzageMeaningIntheFirstWorldWarpeoplehadtheusualamountofenthusiasm,inspiredbytheidealofmakingtheworldsafefordemocracy.Itprovedprofitableaswell.TheUSAmadeagreatdealofmoneyinthewarandbecamealotricher,sothattherewasaneconomicboom,adeceptiveaffluence.SotheJazzAgedescribestheperiodofthe1920sand1930s.Thetwentiesbeganwithhighhopesandendedwithahugedropinstockmarketpricesthatbeganthegreatdepression.SocialphenomenonWealsocallitastheroaringtwenties,inwhichemphasizingthesocial,artistic,andculturaldynamism.Thatisageneralfeelingofdiscontinuityassociatedwithmodernity,abreakingwithtraditions.Everythingseemedtobefeasiblethroughmoderntechnology.Newtechnologies,especiallyautomobiles,movingpicturesandradioproliferated“modernity”toalargepartofthepopulation.Formaldecorativefrillswereshedinfavorofpracticalityinbothdailylifeandarchitecture.Atthesametime,jazzmusicanddancingroseinpopularity,inoppositiontothemoodofthespecterofWorldWarI.Thenation'svalueshadchangedinthisperiod.ManyAmericanswereconcernedmainlywithhavingagoodtimeanddoingwhatyouwill.Americansocietyenjoyedunprecedentedlevelsofprosperity.Peoplebrokethelawbydrinkingalcoholandlivedinacorruptsociety.ConnectionwithnovelThenovelchroniclestheanomieatthefollowingFirstWorldWar.Americansocietyenjoyedunprecedentedlevelsofprosperityduringthe1920sastheeconomysoared.Atthesametime,Prohibition,thebanonthesaleandmanufactureofalcoholasmandatedbytheEighteenthAmendment,mademillionairesoutofbootleggersandledtoanincreaseinorganizedcrime.AlthoughFitzgeraldidolizedtherichesandglamouroftheage,hewasuncomfortablewiththeunrestrainedmaterialismandthelackofmoralityorakindofdecadence.PartIIAnalysisbetweenthenovelandthesocietyWhenitcomestothecharactersofthenovel,wedon’tforgetthewriter’sbackground.Whenhewasyoung,Fitzgeraldfellinlovewithawildbeautifulgirl,Zelda,whodesireforwealth,fun,andleisure.Hewrotemanynovelsjustforgivinghiswifeakindofrecklessandextravagantlife.Infact,heknewthatofsomethingbad,butheonlyexpressesemotioninhisnovel.Gatsby,inthesameway,fallsinlovewithDaisyandidolizeswealthandluxury.WhathewantstogetisDaisy’slove,sohehasnotanychoicesbutusealotofmoneytogetherheart.Thisseemsasortoffault,however,ifwelivethatera,wecouldbelikethosepeoplewhowanttosomerichandpleasure.Inmyview,Daisydoesn’trepresenttheparagonofperfection.OnlyinGatsby’seyes,shehastheauraofcharm,wealth,sophistication,grace,andaristocracy.Iwanttogiveaselectiontoanalyze.Inchapter7,“DrivingbacktoLongIsland,MyrtleisbeenfatallyhitbytheautomobileofDaisyandGatsbyandtherealmurdererisDaisy.BackatTom’shouse,GatsbyhidesinthebushesandhisaimisjustinordertomakesurethatTomdoesn’thurtDaisyandheiswillingtotaketheblame.”WecanseethatbetweenthetwopeopleGatsbydoesn’twantDaisybehurt,andaslongassheissafeandhappy,hecandoanything.However,sheabandonshimforthebetterandricherlife.Thatistheuglinessofhumannature.Althoughshehasthebeautifulface,herheartisevennotasgoodasapersonwiththeuglyappearance.Sheistheoutcomeofthedepressedandevilfloodingsociety,theinterestsofthedrivencutoffherpositiveroletothesociety.Thuswecanknowthejazzagegivespeopleillusion,theynotonlyrejects,instead,morepeopleenjoythatkindofideallifestylesandthinkingmodes.Notonlyinonesideaboutpeople,butthenovelalsoexpressessocialcrimephenomenonaboutsomeorganizations.Inchapter4,“GatsbytookNicktoNewYorktohavealunchandintroducedhimtoMeyerWolfshiem,whowasresponsibleforfixingthe1919WorldSeries.Wolfshiemisashadycharacterwithundergroundbusinessconnections.HegivesNicktheimpressionthatthesourceofGatsby’swealthmightbeunsavory,andthatGatsbymayevenhavetiestothesortoforganizedcrimewithwhichWolfshiemisassociated.”Inthesettingofthenovel,weknowpeoplebrokethelawbydrinkingalcohol.Infact,inthemid-1920sofAmerica,thepervasivenessofbootleggingandorganizedcrime,combinedwiththeburgeoningstockmarketandvastincreaseinthewealthofthegeneralpublicduringthisera,contributedlargelytotheheedless,excessivepleasure-seekingandsenseofabandonthatpermeate.IthinkonlyGatsbycanhaveachancetodaretodothis,maybeforDaisy,maybeforhimself.Anyway,whathereflectedislifeyearningandvitality.Onlyinthiswayisheabletogethiswealthinthisfalseofthesociety.ThereallifeofAmericaislikethis,people’sdeg