The-Great-Gatsby-英文读后感

BookReportofTheGreatGatsby1.Abouttheauthor.F.ScottFitzgeraldwasborninStPaul,MinnesotaofmixedSouthernandIrishdescent.HewasgiventhreenamesafterthewriterofTheStarSpangledBanner,towhomhewasdistantlyrelated.Hisfather,EdwardFitzgerald,wasasalesman,aSoutherngentleman,whosefurniturebusinesshadfailed.Hisgreaterimpacttohimwas“evenifyourbusinesshasfailed，wehavetomaintainthehabitofgenerousstyle”.MaryMcQuillan,hismother,wasthedaughterofasuccessfulwholesalegrocer,anddevotedtoheronlyson.FitzgeraldenteredPrincetonUniversityin1913,wherehespentmostofhistimedoingsocialactivities.Helefthisstudiesin1917becauseofhispooracademicrecords,andtookupacommissionintheUSArmy.HisexperiencesduringWorldWarIweremorepeacefulthanHemingway's-heneversawactionandevendidnotgotoFrance.TheturningpointinhislifewaswhenhemetZeldaSayrewhilehewasatoneofthebaseswherehetrainedin1918,herselfasthedaughterofajusticefromAlabamaSupremeCourtandanaspiringwriter.Heproposedtoherbutfailedasshethoughthewasjustapoorboy.In1920appearedFitzgerald’sfirstnovel,ThisSideofParadise.ThebookgainedasuccesswhichFitzgeraldcelebratedenergeticallyinpartiesandmarriedZeldasuccessfully.Zeldadancedonpeople'sdinnertablesinendlesspartiestocelebratetheimmediatesuccess.ButthatwasnottobetheendingfortheFitzgerald.TheylivedinNewYorkCity.Hedranktoomuch.Shespenttoomuchmoney.Hepromisedhimselftolivealesscostlylife.Always,however,hespentmorethanheearnedfromwriting.In1925,FitzgeraldpublishedTheGreatGatsby,consideredgreatwork.Althoughitinitiallymetwithlittlecommercialsuccess,thisnovelabouttheAmericandreamofmaterialsuccesshasbecomeoneofthemostpopularwidelyreadandcriticallyacclaimedworksoffictioninAmericanliterature.Thelifeofthetitlecharacter,JayGatsby,hasbeencomparedtoFitzgerald’slife.WhilelivingintheFrenchRiviera,Zelda’sillnessbecameserious.Shesuddenlybegantopracticeballet,dancingnightandday.Afterasecondnervousbreakdown,shewashospitalizedformentalillnessinCarolina.Duringthelastyearsofhislife,FitzgeraldlivedinHollywood,earninghislivingasascreenwriter.Hediedofheartattackattheageof45.In1948,thehospitalatwhichZeldawasapatientcaughtfire,causingherdeath.2.Background.ThenoveltakesplacefollowingtheFirstWorldWar.Atthattime,Americansocietyenjoyedprosperityduringtheroaring1920sastheeconomysoared.TheGreatGatsbyisFitzgerald’smostfamousnovel,iswidelyconsideredtobealiteraryclassicandacontenderforthetitleGreatAmericanNovel.ThebookisconsistentlyrankedamongthegreatestworksofAmericanliterature.“SensitiveandsymbolictreatmentofthemesofcontemporaryliferelatedwithironyandpathostothelegendryoftheAmericandream”.TheauthorshowedthedevelopmentanddisillusionofAmericandreamtopeoplebymeansofGatsby’sstory,justastheeyesofDoctorT.J.EckleburgofthevalleyofasheswitnessthecorruptionofAmericansocietyandthedisillusionofAmericandreaminthatage.ItisFitzgerald’sfirstnovel,alsoisthemostfamousone.ItisagreatnovelabouttheAmericandreamandjazzage,verythoughtful.3.Summary.TheGreatGatsbymainlytellsofGatsby’squixoticpassionforDaisyBuchanan.Theymeetfiveyearsbeforethenovelbegins,whenDaisyisalegendaryyoungLouisvillebeautyandGatsbyapoorofficer.Theyfallinlove,butwhileGatsbyservesoverseas.Daisymarriesthebrutal,humiliating,butextremelyrichTomBuchanan.NickGaraway,thenarratorofthestory,isayoungMid-westernerwhosellsbondsinNewYork.HelivesatWestEgg,LongIsland,whichisseparatedfromthecitybyanash-dump.HisneighborisJayGatsby,whoisamysteriousman,whosemansionandfabulousentertainmentsarefinancedbybootleggingandothercriminalactivities.WhenGatsbywasapoorarmyofficer,hehadfalleninlovewithDaisy,Nick’sbeautifulcousin,butlaterDaisymarriedTomBuchanan,whoiswealthybutintelligentandbrutal.Afterthewar,GatsbydevoteshimselfblindlytothepursuitofwealthbywhatevermeansavailabletohimwithaviewtoregainingDaisy’slove.However,Daisyisnotwhatsheusedtobe.Sheisinpursuitofmoneyandsocialstatus.“Hervoiceisfullofmoney”,Gatsbysaysadmiringly,inoneofthenovel’smostfamousdescriptions.Withhugewealthaccumulated,GatsbybuysmansionacrossLongIslandfromDaisy’snobleEastEggaddress.Throwsgenerousparties,andwaitsforDaisytoappear.Whenshedoes,eventscarriesupwithallthetragicinevitabilityofaGreeddream.ThenwiththehelpofNickGatsbytriestowinDaisybackwithextravagantdevotion.MeanwhileDaisy’shusbandtakesanotherwomanMyrtleWilson,ashismistress.WhenMr.Wilson,agarageman,becomesjealousandimprisonsherintheroom,Myrtleescapes,runsoutonthehighway,andaccidentlyhitbyDaisy,whodrivesthecaratthatmoment.GatsbytriestohelpDaisy,andTomtellsWilsonthatitwasGatsbywhokillshiswife.WilsonshootsGatsbyandthenhimself.Attheendofthestory,NickthinksoverGatsby’sbreamanddecidestogobackhometotheWest.4.Impressionsandcomments.ThereisnodoubtthatTheGreatGatsbyofFitzgeraldisagreatwork.ItshowsthedevelopmentanddisillusionoftheAmericandreambymeansofGatsby’sstory,poorGatsbychasedhisdreamsofwealthandromanticloveinallhislife,butfinallyfailedandlosthislife.AlthoughGatsbyfailedfinally,wehavetoadmitthatheisagreatman;NickhaseversaidtoGatsby“youareworththewholedamnbunchputtogether.”Hehadcomealongwaytothisbluelawnandhisdreammusthaveseemedsoclosethathecouldhardlyfailtograspit.