细微之处见伟大–谈《了不起的盖茨比》文献综述

PurposeandSignificanceoftheStudy

Asoneofthemostrepresentativewritersoflostgeneration,FitzgeraldoccupysafairlyhighstatusintheAmericanliteraryworld.However,hisearlyworksarecriticizedtobeemptyandspecious.Incontract,TheGreatGatsbyexquisitelyandaccuratelydescribesthesocialfeaturesofthe1920sAmerica,whichdeservinglydefinesitselfasthemasterworkofFitzgerald.Thestoryofthisbookisintertwinedwithambitionandreality,successandfailure,brillianceandfrustration,indulgenceanddecadence,lovestruckandlovelorn，andwhich,isactuallytheshadowofFitzgeraldsownlifeexperience.

AsagatheringofFitzgeraldsintelligence,thisbookhasbeenattractingtoomanyscholarsforstudyandanalysis,especiallyinthefieldofwritingskills.However,ihavefoundthattherangeofstudyistoonarrow.Inthefirst50essayssearchedonline,11usewordscolorsymbolsastitlesdirectly,11centeringonthebackgrounddescriptionskillsattachimportancetothecolorusage,8takecolorsasthecarriersofinterpretationincharacterization,6moresetsthecolorskillasthemajormethodofsymbolism.Atleasttwoproblemsarebroughtout:1:littlespaceforimaginationforfurtherdiggingincolorartsforthisparticularbook;2:toomuchspaceisunexploredinotherregionscateringtowritingskills.Consequently,newspectrumsneededtobemirrored.

Inthisessay,detailsandexampleswillbepresentedtorevealfourotheruniquewritingskills.Brively,theyare:crossuseovertragedyandcomedy;convertionofthequalityofsoundintovisualimages,uncertainboundariesoftheanimateandinaniate;motioncapture;roundechoes.Thisessayhopestounfoldamorecomprehensivemasterofwritingbeforereaderseyes.

LiteratureReview

ScholarshasdecipheredplentylinesoftheartsconcerningthewritingskillsintheGreatGatsbywhiletheuseofcolorismostlydiscussed.Colorsofgreen,white,black,gold,yellow,red,rose-colored,blue,gray,pinkareinlarge-scaleadoptions.However,onlythecolorofgreen,gray,andwhitewillbeelaboratedonthischapter.

1.TheUseofColor

FeaturingcharactersandplacesthroughtheextensiveuseofcolorsisoneofthemostsuccessfulmeansofartisticexpressionintheGreatGatsby.Fitzgeraldcolorshismaincharacters----Gatsby,Tom,Daisy----andfourplacesthestorytakesplace----valleyofashes,NewyorkCity,EastEggandWestEgg----inthelightoftheirpersonalities,fates,dreams,endings;theirresidents,locationsandprosperous.

1.1Green

performanceofvibrance,greenfitstheimageofGatsby,whoactuallyisunrealisticthatintheotherhandisinlinewiththehiddenmeaningofgreen(Wang,75).Twoplacesofthedescriptionsofgreenarediscussedinmostessaysrelatedtocolorportraytechniques:thethree-time-mentionedgreenlight(Fitzgerald,14)andthejerseyGatsbywearsinhisyoungerandpoorages.

greenlightisfirstmentionedintheendingofchapter1whenNickcamebackhomeseesGatsbystandingalonestretchingouthisarmstowardsthegreenlight.Asreadingon,wegraduallyrealizethatthegreenlight(Fitzgerald,14)embodiesDaisy.Wordsofsingle(Fitzgerald,14),minuteandfaraway(Fitzgerald,14)areusedtodescribethebrightness,whichindicatesGatsbysdeterminationtochasingDaisybackisfiercewhilethechancehegetsthewholethingsbackisforlorn.Insecondtime,thegreenlightshowsupwhenGatsbyfinallywinsbackDaisy.Henowownsstaggeringwealthandcherishedbeauty,bothusedtobeathimdown.Atthismoment,themagicgreenlightpowerenchantsandmotivatesGatsbydiminished.Thewords:nowitwasagainagreenlightonadock(Fitzgerald,58)indicatesthatgreenlightisonlythelightafterallandtoomuchfantasyandbubblesareimposeduponit,soisGatsbysdream(Li,79).Attheendofthestory,thegreenlightismentionedforthelasttimewhenGatsbydiesforhisdreams.Gatsbybelievedinthegreenlight,theorgasticfuturethatyearbyyearrecedesbeforeus(Fitzgerald,113)deservespondering.ThegreenlightthatbringshopetoGatsbyfinallyfailshim.Themoresufferingtolose,themoreattemptingtore-hold.Likewise,thedarkerthenight,thebrighterthenight.Unfortunately,Gatsbyonlyseesthesuperficialglory,whileoverlooksthedarknesssurroundinghimandhisdreams(Li,Yang170).

IfthegreenlightcharacterizesGatsbysdream,thenthegreenjerseyisoneofthehintsofGatsbysvibrance.AtwhenhewasstillnamedJamesGatz,heborrowedarowboatinatorngreenjersey(Fitzgerald,61)andrideonthewindandwavestorescueCody---themanwhowasthewinnerofsilverfieldsandbecameGatsbysbigboss.Evenbeforethat,Gatzhadfiguredoutanewnameforhimself,regardedhimselfasthesonofGod(Fitzgerald,61),beenbeatinghiswayalongtheshoreofLakeSuperior,becamecontemptuousofcommongirlsandwomen,hauntedinsidegrotesqueandfantasticconceits(Fitzgerald,61),beenatlibertytogoorstayguidedbyinstinctandsolutions......Gatsbyneveracceptshisnatalbirthandthustirelesslytorealizehisextravagantambitions(Meng,177)

1.2Gray

Anothermostimportantcolorisgray.Generally,itsymbolizesadeclineonbothmoralsadwealth.Fitzgeraldusesthiscolorinmanyplaces,oneofthemostobviousoneisthevalleyofashes(Fitzgerald,14).Everythinginthisvalleyisgray:thesmoke,thegardens,thehills,thefarms,thehouses,thechimneys,thecars,theairandeventhemenandchildren.OneoftheexamplesisMr.Wilson,wholivesinthevalleyofashes,whominglesimmediatelywiththecementcolorofthewalls(Fitzgerald,16).awhiteashendustveiledhisdarksuitandhispalehairasitveiledeverythinginthevicinity(Fitzgerald,16).Thewritherusesthisspecificexampletocastthelightuponthevastlivesandconditionsinthisgrayzone.ItisthisgrayzonethatpolesapartfromNewYorkCityandEastegg;thatwitnessestheaffairbetweentomandMrs.Wilson;thatinsightsintotheintriguebehindthedeathofMrs.Wilson(Meng,178).

Thecolorgrayalsoemergesinotherplaces.Examplesareasgraynames(Fitzgerald,37)inanoldtimetablewhereNickwrotedownthenameswhoevercametoGatsbyshouseforpartybutnevershowsupinGatsbysfuneral;everythingintomsflatinNewYorkwheretomandhismistressdatedisfullofsmokethathasadim,hazycastoverit(Fitzgerald,18).Soitiseasyforustofigureoutthattheworldreflectedbygrayisoutofplacewiththeluxuryanddissipationjazzage(Li,96):thehugegapbetweenthewealthyandthepoor,andincoordinationbetweenspiritsandmaterials.

1.3White

Daisy,wholivesinawhitepalace,hasapreferenceforcolorwhite.Whennicksawdaisyforthefirsttime,shewasinwhitewithherfriendandtheirdresswereripplingandflutteringasiftheyhadjustbeenblownblackinafterashortflightaroundthehouse(Fitzgerald,5).Itisinthiswhitepalacethatdaisytalkedaboutherwhitegrilhood(Fitzgerald,12).WhensheandGatsbyfirstmet,shewasinawhitedressdrivingawhitecar.ItfeelslikethatdaisyisaprincesswhoistoohightoreachforGatsby.(Li,97)sheisjustlikethewhitecloudshighabovetheground:beautiful,capricious,feignedandunobtainable.Howeveraftermarriage,daisyseemslivinginalifefullofemptiness.Inchapter1,sheaskednickhelplesslywhatllweplan?whatdopeopleplan(Fitzgerald,8).

WhitealsomeansalottoGatsby.Thestagesinfrontofhistremendouspalaceiswhite;whenhefinallymeetsdaisyafteryears,heisinwhiteflannelsuit.Atthismoment,onlytwothingsexistsinGatsbyslife:wealthanddaisy.Gatsbyspreferencetowardswhiteindicateshisprettifiedfantasytowardsdaisyandthewholesociety.