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1、毕 业 论 文 The Archetypal Interpretation of The Great Gatsby07080343X35张雅新学生姓名： 学号： 信息商务学院英 语学 院： 专 业： 马 丽 指导教师： 2011年 6月 The Archetypal Interpretation of The Great GatsbyByLiu ShuxianA ThesisSubmitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirementsfor the Degree of Bachelor of Artsin the Department of Fore
2、ign Languagesof North University of ChinaUnder the Supervision of Ma LiJune 20, 2011AcknowledgementI have owned my gratitude to many people who help me a lot during my writing of these thesis, especially my supervisor Ma Li for her valuable guidance in every step of writing this thesis and her const
3、ant encouragementI also want to thank all the teachers who assisted in developing my academic competence in the four-year campus study. I have learned a lot from them, they not only teach me something about academic but also something more important about life.Besides, I also would like to thank all
4、 my friends and classmates who ever gave me a hand when it was necessary during my entire university study. Whenever I was in trouble and frustration, they always give me timely help and constant encouragement.Last but not least, thanks for my parents, who give me this opportunity to enjoy my wonder
5、ful life in this beautiful campus, and my gratitude to them is beyond words. Abstract F. Scott Fitzgerald, as one of the representative of the Jazz Age, occupies an important place in American literary world. His masterpiece The Great Gatsby, which is the classics of Christianity and also an importa
6、nt literature masterpiece in the world, through the theory of the Archetypal Criticism reveals its connection with western literary traditions and increases the profundity of this novel. Fitzgerald combines literature with the realistic life by using biblical archetypes that makes his novel surpass
7、the limitation of space and time and eternal significance. According to the studies about The Great Gatsby abroad and at home, the author finds that many scholars focused on the perspectives of structuralism, symbolism, contrast and so on. The authors thesis, taking the archetypal criticism and The
8、Bible as the theoretical basis, attempts to perform sufficient analysis on the mythological archetypes in the work about the characters to reveal the novels theme-the disillusionment of the American Dream. The thesis consists of four chapters as following: Chapter one gives the brief review of Fitzg
9、eralds literary achievements, his masterpiece The Great Gatsby, and introduces the theme of the work: the disillusionment of the American Dream. Chapter two discusses the archetypal analysis of the main characters. Chapter three analyzes the archetypes of the structure, symbols and theme. Chapter fo
10、ur concludes the whole thesis. Key words : archetypal criticism; characters; Bible 中文摘要 作为爵士时代的代表，菲茨杰拉德在美国文学世界占有很重要的地位。他的杰作了不起的盖茨比，是基督教的经典，并且也在世界享有盛誉。这部作品通过原型批判理论揭示了西方文学传统，并且增加了这部小说的深度。菲茨杰拉德通过圣经原型把文学和现实生活联系到一起，使得这部小说超越了时间和空间的限制。根据国内外对了不起的盖茨比的研究，作者发现许多学者从解构主义，象征以及对比的角度对这部小说进行分析。作者的作品以原型批判和圣经作为理论基础，试图
11、通过对小说的人物的神话原型的分析，清楚地阐述小说的主题-美国梦的破灭。 论文共有四部分组成：第一部分对该论文的研究背景和目的做了简单介绍；第二比分详细阐述了菲茨杰拉德的生平以及其巨作了不起的盖茨比；第三部分介绍了原型批判理论，并对小说中的主要人物的圣经原型进行分析；第四部分总结文章。关键词：原型批判理论；人物；圣经Table of ContentsAcknowledgements.iAbstract in English.iiAbstract in Chinese.iiiTable of Contents.ivIIntroduction .1 1.1 The background of the
12、 study 1.2 The purpose of the studyII General Introduction to F. Scott. Fitzgeralds and His Work The Great Gatsby 2.1 The summary of The Great Gatsby 2.1.1 The American dream 2.2 Fitzgeralds Background IIIThe Archetypal Analysis of the Main Characters3.1 The archetypal criticism3.2Gatsby: Adam 3.3 D
13、aisy: Eve3.4Tom: Serpent IV ConclusionBibliographyI Introduction 1.1 The background of the study Since its publication, The Great Gatsby has attracted various literary criticisms and has been interpreted from different angles by scholars, such as: the analysis of the symbolism, the structuralism, th
14、e contrast method, the theme and so on.Zhang Ruirongs article (2010) analyzes the novel through the perspective of symbolism in terms of three levels, symbolism in colors, symbolism in setting and symbolism in things. Dong Xiaoyan (2009) analyzes The Great Gatsby from structuralism perspective. Dong
15、 Xiaoyan applies by structuralism to analyze The Great Gatsby: the conflict between Gatsby and the Buchanans, which concerns the opposing attitudes and values of two groups of people-one thriving on dream, represented by Gatsby, the other living by physical pleasures, represented by the Buchanans. M
16、iller (1964) comments Fitzgeralds art and technique in Fitzgeralds works. Liu Jiamei (2002) and Wang Jianxin (2002) discuss The Great Gatsby from the perspective of the reason that causes the disillusionment of the American Dream. Malcolm Cowley(1966) focuses on the conflict between the old world an
17、d the new world. Edmund Wilson pays attention to the contradiction between the past and the present. The Great Gatsby is a general comment of the American dream. American culture is characterized by a strong emphasis on the goal of monetary success and a weak emphasis on the importance of the legiti
18、mate means for the pursuit of success. By combining the traditional biographical and historical approaches, and the approach of cultural criticism, the author, Wang Cheng, tries to re-explore the significance dream. In a word, a large number of scholars have made great contribution to this influenti
19、al work from various perspectives. From the authors point of view, the archetypal interpretation to The Great Gatsby still need some supplement. The thesis will explore this work further more.1.2 The purpose of the study Christian culture is one of the most essential parts of human cultures and it h
20、as influenced Western literature profoundly. As a profound and mysterious book, the Bible, made up of the Old Testament and the New Testament, is not only the sacred writings of Judaism and Christianity, but also a precious gem in the treasure house of the Western Culture. It is the classics of Chri
21、stianity and also an important literaturemasterpiece in the world as well. For hundreds of years, the Bible has played an immeasurable role in the world especially in the development of western society. It plunges into peoples life influenced peoples ideas, which will surly lead to a change in the l
22、iterature. So we also consider it to be an important literature masterpiece, influencing upon the history of the American and British literature. The Holy Bible is a special theological scripture, not only a book containing some aspects of literature and theology, but also a book on which both schol
23、ars and authors concentrate most of their attention and imagination. Blake said “The Oldnew Testaments are the Great Code of Art.(Frye & Knights 1962:3). He thinks that the framework of The Holy Bible surveys a large part of human history and literary experience, and establishes the ultimate context
24、 for a lot of literary works whatever. So people think that The Holy Bible is one of the most important origins of western literature and has tremendous and far-reaching influence on it. Theres no doubt that the revealing of the written theme of the great novel- the disillusionment of the American D
25、ream through the archetypal criticism of Fitzgeralds masterpiece The Great Gatsby is the main purpose of this thesis paper. So, we should take notice of the writing resource of this novel- The Holy Bible. Archetypal criticism has always been an important branch in literary criticism. Interpreting Th
26、e Great Gatsby through the theory of the Archetypal Criticism will reveal its connection with western literary traditions and increase the profundity of this novel. Therefore, a systematic and comprehensive interpretation of the Great Gatsby covering its characters, symbols, and the themes based on
27、Northrop Fryes theory of the Archetypal Criticism is not only in need but also of great significance. Despite my limited knowledge, the author of this thesis will undertake a tentative study simply focusing the characters on the archetypal interpretation of The Great Gatsby in order to enhance the r
28、eadability, profundity and deeper meaning for his stories.II General Introduction to F. Scott. Fitzgeralds and His Work The Great Gatsby2.1 The summary of The Great Gatsby As a classic of American post-war fiction, The Great Gatsby was said to mark a striking advance in Fitzgeralds writing technique
29、, utilizing, a complex structure and a controlled narrative point of view. T S. Eliot read The Great Gatsby three times, and concluded that it was the first step that American fiction has taken since Henry James. Jay Gatsby was a mysterious man who lived in a gigantic gothic mansion in the West Egg
30、district of Long Island, a wealthy but unfashionable area populated by the new rich. Five years ago still being a penniless soldier he fell passionately in love with Daisy, a beautiful and wealthy girl. However, his brief courtship ended by his going overseas to fight the war. Instead of waiting for
31、 him Daisy married Tom Buchanan, a rich man of Chicago. However, Gatsby never stopped loving Daisy. In order to win her back, he earned a large sum of money by bootlegging and other shady activities. Five years later he bought a mansion across the bay of Daisys house and gave lavish parties to attra
32、ct her in. Yet at last it was through his neighbor, Nicks help that he reunited with her and began an affair again as he wished. Soon Daisy invited Gatsby and Nick to a dinner, at which she made it plain to all the present that she was in love with Gatsby. Tom felt furious at this. In the Plaza Hote
33、l he challenged Gatsby and laid his inglorious business bare to Daisy. On hearing this Daisy withdrew from Gatsby immediately. On the way back to East Egg, Daisy drove Gatsbys car and unluckily it stuck and killed Myrtle, Toms lover. But Gatsby intended to take the blame. Daisy and tom conspired to
34、together and finally made Gatsby the scapegoat, leaving him murdered by Wilson, Myrtles husband. 2.1.1 The American dream The term “the American Dream” was first introduced into contemporary social analysis in 1931 by James Truslow Adams，the American historian and quickly accepted by the American pu
35、blic. In its broad sense, the American Dream refers to “a broad cultural echo that entails a commitment to the goal of material success”(Messner Rosenfeld 1997:61) or the ideal of a nation such as democracy, equality and freedom; in its original sense, the American Dream is the ideal of opportunitie
36、s for all, the advancement in a career or the society without regard to their origins; in its most popular sense, the American Dream is the search for materialistic success and it refers to the pursuit of individuals to obtain success of life on their own initiative. American culture is characterize
37、d by a strong emphasis on the goal of monetary success and a weak emphasis on the importance of the legitimate means for the pursuit of success. So the implication of the American Dream is closely relevant to such American culture. It is well-known that the 1920s were a ten-year binge during which e
38、verybody got rich and danced the Charleston in speakeasies while drinking bootleg hooch. Or we have the reaction to the social reality-the sharpening social conflicts, the degradation of morality, the collapse of ideal and hedonism during the period of Americas participation in World War 1, which en
39、ded on 11 November, 1918. The Great Gatsby strikes the readers with not only its large assimilation of that era but also its sharpness with which Fitzgerald seized upon the nature of the nineteen twenties. What arouses more attention is the fact that “his evocation of that age carries with its omino
40、us tones of impending disaster” (Eble 1973:67). The Great Gatsby is a novel about what happens to the American Dream in the 1920s-the periods in which the old values that gave substance to the dream have been corrupted by vulgar pursuit of wealth. The Great Gatsby is a novel that not only examines a
41、nd records what has happened in the frivolous, carefree and money-making life of that decade, but also predicts the impending doom of a nation grown corrupt without achieving maturity in a particular period of time, the doom of a nation that lost sight of the dream which has created it. So The Great
42、 Gatsby is one of the representatives works that reflect the illusionary nature of the American Dream.2.2 Fitzgeralds Background Francis Scott Fitzgerald was born in St. Paul Minnesota on September 24, 1896. He was the only son of Edward Fitzgerald, an unsuccessful upper class man. Fitzgerald grew u
43、p in a solidly Catholic and up-middle class environment. The factor that his family was socially prominent and genteelly poor has a great impact upon his personality and his writing. In 1908, the young man attended the St. Paul Academy and demonstrated a growing affinity for literature. When he was
44、thirteen, his first writing-a detective story appeared in print in the school newspaper. During 1911-1913 he attended the Newman School, a Catholic prepschool in New Jersey. Then he received future education at Princeton University. Fitzgerald failed his examinations and left Princeton without gradu
45、ation in 1917. He joined the army as a second lieutenant in October,1917. Later, he met and fell violently in love with a golden girl-Zelda Sayre, and engaged with her. They got married on April 3, 1920. His life with Zelda supplied him greatest happiness as well as greatest misery and pain. On one
46、hand, in order to support an extravagant life that he and Zelda adopted, Fitzgerald continually wrote commercial short stories for magazines. On the other hand, he kept creating novels with his increasing insight into the society. In 1930, Zelda was struck by the schizophrenia that made her emotional health fragile for the rest of her life. She moved into a sanitarium in 1932. Being discouraged by the failure of his third novel Tender is the Night and troubled by the financial difficulty, Fitzgerald addicted himself to alcohol