《了不起的盖茨比》中的消费主义

1、北京理工大学珠海学院2020届本科生毕业论文Consumerism as Reflected in The Great GatsbyConsumerism as Reflected in The Great GatsbyAbstractThe Great Gatsby, issued in 1925, is an eminent novel in American which was written by Francis Scott Fitzgerald. The novel replicates the money-oriented society of the Jazz age and i

2、s a true portrayal of the lost generation in America. The novel is set on New York City and Long Island in the 1920s. Through the dual narrative perspective, the novels character Nick presents a dazzling but vain world to the reader. Romantic love in the novel was the product of consumerism at the j

3、azz era, so it is destined to be a tragedy. Profligate consumerism has gradually degraded peoples spiritual world. Blind pursuit of material wealth has eventually resulted in the destruction of the American dream.This paper analyzes the connotation of consumerism comprehensively, explores the associ

4、ation between consumerism and the characters in the novel, and investigates the impact of consumerism on society in order to find out the causes of American dreams disillusionment at a deeper level.Exorbitant material consumption makes people lost, and the American dream is gradually materialized. T

5、herefore, China should take it as a warning and not let consumerism overturn the foundation of the Chinese dream.Keywords: consumerism, The Great Gatsby, American dream 了不起的盖茨比中的消费主义摘 要了不起的盖茨比出版于1925年，是美国作家弗朗西斯斯科特菲茨杰拉德创作的一部中篇小说，极富盛名。该小说真实地再现了当时金钱至上的社会，是美国“迷惘一代”的真实写照。小说以20世纪20年代的美国纽约市及长岛为背景，通过双重叙事视角的

6、方式，由小说人物尼克向读者呈现一个璀璨但虚无的世界。小说中的浪漫爱情是爵士时代下消费主义的产物，所以它注定是一场悲剧。挥霍性消费主义使人们的精神世界逐渐堕落，盲目追求物质最终导致美国梦的破灭。本文通过全面分析消费主义的含义，探究消费主义与小说人物的关系，研究消费主义对社会的影响，从更深的层面探寻美国梦破灭的原因。过度的物质消费使人迷失，美国梦逐渐被物质化。对于此，我国应该引以为戒，勿让消费主义倾覆中国梦之根本。 关键词：消费主义；了不起的盖茨比；美国梦IIIContentsAbstract摘 要Introduction11 The Formation of Consumerism in Ame

7、rica 2 1.1 The Economic Prosperity after World War I2 1.2 The Enhancement of Technological Revolution22 The Connotation and Characteristics of Consumerism4 2.1 The Connotation of Consumerism4 2.2 The Basic Characteristics of Consumerism in the Jazz Age5 2.2.1 Hedonism5 2.2.2 The Rise of Symbolic Con

8、sumption63 The Embodiment of Consumerism in The Great Gatsby8 3.1 The Extravagant Consumption of Gatsby8 3.2 The Hedonism of Daisy9 3.2.1 Daisys Material Enjoyment9 3.2.2 Daisys Pursuit of Fame10 3.3 The Tragic Love between Gatsby and Daisy114 The Reflection on Consumerism12Conclusion14References15A

9、cknowledgments16 IntroductionWhen it comes to the literary classics of the 1920s, The Great Gatsby is a household fiction. The publication of this novel established Fitzgerald s literary status. He was not only the spokesman for the Jazz age but also the writers on behalf of the “lost generation”. A

10、t the end of the 20th century, the American academic authority selected one hundred best novels in English literature. The Great Gatsby ranked second and proudly ranked among the contemporary classics.Scholars at home and abroad have made significant research on this novel, such as studying the them

11、es, writing techniques and the imagery of the novel. This paper is an analysis of consumerism reflected in the novel, and explores the root causes of the disillusionment of American Dream. The Great Gatsby described Gatsbys pursuit of Daisy in a gorgeous way, showing the reader a grand love tragedy.

12、 In fact, it is tantamount to exposing readers to the most profound social problems of the society at that time. People in the Jazz Age constantly pursued the supremacy of material well-being which put the material pursuit prior to morality. Therefore, the American dream has been on the way out. Thi

13、s paper consists of four parts. The first part primarily introduces the background of the 1920s to find out what caused consumerism to prevail, and the second part will interpret the meaning and characteristics of consumerism in detail. The third part will summarize the manifestations of consumerism

14、 in the Jazz Age as embodied by the characters in the novel. The fourth part will concentrate on the consequences caused by this consumerism and the reflection on consumerism. The final is the summary of the whole paper.1 The Formation of Consumerism in America1.1 The Economic Prosperity after World

15、 War IIn the initial stage of World War I, the United States took advantage of its neutral position because of the massive demand for military supplies from the warring parties. America became the arsenal on both sides and rapidly expanded military production and heavy industry production. In additi

16、on, the United States lent money to Britain and France during the war and expanded the scale of industrial and agricultural production while the European belligerents became less competitive in the world market. Thus, the United States profited handsomely from the war and opened the world market.At

17、the end of the war, the United States had changed from a capital importing country to a capital-exporting country before the war and from a debtor country to a creditor country. By 1924, the total amount of gold held by America had reached the half of the worlds gold reserves, controlling the intern

18、ational financial market, and the financial center of the post-war capitalist world was moved from Britain to the United States. This greatly strengthened the position of the United States in the capitalist world, which provided strong funds for updating production equipment and expanded production

19、scale. Therefore, World War I laid the foundation for Americas economic prosperityWhen US economy was booming, the government believed that excessive market intervention was not conducive to economic evolution, so a policy of hands-off was advocated to push the economy at that time. The real estate

20、trading and stock industry were more than active in this policy. Many speculators relied on stocks to get wealthy overnight. Society has formed a default rule that wealth was the standard for measuring individuals. Individuals no longer worked hard and just wanted to make quick money. In order to li

21、ve a wealthy life and meet their own material needs, they began to indulge in consumption and even began to consume ahead of time to enjoy a life of luxury. The prosperity brought about by the war and laissez-faire economic policies promoted the formation of consumerism.1.2 The Enhancement of Techno

22、logical Revolution In the course of World War I, the United States vigorously produced military supplies. After the war, the obsolete military equipment was no longer useful. The United States began a technological revolution to update production equipment and expand production scale. In the 1920s,

23、the automobile industry grew into the largest manufacturing industry and the largest industrial sector in the United States, and the development of the automobile industry has promoted the development of a series of industrial sectors such as steel, petroleum, chemical, and road construction. The el

24、ectrical industry also developed rapidly in the 1920s, which also promoted the economic prosperity of the United States during this period. In the meantime, capitalism had a mass production trend. In order to promote consumption, the working class was engaged in the mass production to create a bette

25、r environment for the rich to buy and consume. The emergence of capitalist monopolies rapidly widened the gap of wealth. As a result, the fair social mechanism no longer existed. The traditional thought during the Puritan period had fallen apart. It believes that personal efforts in this society hav

26、e no meaning. Individuals begin to aim at overnight wealth through speculation so as not to be crushed into the bottom of capitalism. The substantial increase in social production has enriched the types of consumption, and the continuous production has stimulated consumption to a great extent. Indiv

27、iduals have begun to join the army of consumption when they knew that consumption can greatly satisfy their spiritual world. Since then, consumerism has opened a door in the Jazz era. Individuals have begun to pursue material supremacy.2 The Connotation and Characteristics of Consumerism2.1 The Conn

28、otation of ConsumerismThe Great Gatsby is showing readers what consumerism is. Consumerism is a tendency of consumption that emerged in the western countries in the 20th century. It strives for conspicuous and extravagant consumption and the pursuit of unrestrained material enjoyment as the purpose

29、and value of life.Consumerism is a social phenomenon prevalent in the Jazz era, which dominated peoples consumption patterns. The consumption policy derived from this consumption mode furthered the formation of capitalism. Consumerism became an important part of capitalist morality at that time, whi

30、ch embodied the logic of capitalist existence. In the 1920s, the standard of capitalist production was to satisfy the desires of consumers. This was no longer a straightforward commodity transaction relationship; production is mainly to meet the consumer demand. The prevalence of consumerism promote

31、s capitalist monopoly, and the young generation who pursue the American dream are in an unfair competitive environment. In this system, the rich always have power and reputation. The circle of the rich people forms the upper class. There is no doubt that the upper class has absolute opportunities, w

32、hile the poor people can only exist humbly. Therefore, quite a few people started to gain wealth without any means to get the chance to enter the upper class. Gatsby is a typical example. He tried his best to earn wealth and squeezed into the high society, so he can get rid of the poor class.Consume

33、rism forms a cultural consciousness in society. That is, the group with economic ability will implement consumerist values through consumption behavior. Additionally, consumer consciousness of those who have no economic ability also has a certain consumerism tendency. The cultural consciousness exer

34、ts a subtle influence on peoples consumption concept, especially young Americans after World War I. After the war, they lost their original beliefs which began to pursue freedom and independence. Hedonism and profligate consumption are in vogue. People have not been complied with traditional puritan

35、ism like before, the American Dream is no longer their belief. To show off their wealth and status is one of the most essential things in that era. People no longer think that hard work can lead to success, but intend to get rich overnight by any means and enjoy the fun brought by wealth. As a resul

36、t, people gradually lose their spiritual motivation to realize their American dream. Consumerism is a negative consumer culture, which disrupts the development of the individual and the entire American society.2.2 The Basic Characteristics of Consumerism in the Jazz Age 2.2.1 Hedonism Hedonism was a

37、n important feature of American consumerism in the 1920s. The American economy prospered in the 1920s, and peoples living standards were effectively improved. Changes in lifestyles and consumer attitudes have made hedonism prevail. Hedonism refers to the enjoyment of fun as the fundamental desire an

38、d pursuit of life, and it can be realized and possessed by any means. (Long & Jing, 2014) People through consumption to satisfy their material desire in the jazz era. In order to gratify their multiple material desires, most people in the jazz era obtain wealth by all means, because hedonism was reg

39、arded as the goal of life. During this process, excessive pursuit of hedonism boosted the prevalence of consumerism. The novel also describes much about hedonism, such as high society dignitaries who attended parties at the Gatsby mansion every night, they indulged in singing and dancing, and drank

40、themselves into a stupor at the party. The heroine Daisy is the representative of hedonism. She pursues expensive and beautiful clothes, likes luxury jewelry, and lives in a castle-like mansion. She is a typical hedonist.Moreover the promulgation of the prohibition of alcohol in the American Jazz er

41、a has brought hedonism to a climax. According to the provisions of the prohibition of alcohol, it is illegal to make and sell alcoholic beverages, and it is not permitted to drink with friends or hold a banquet. The prohibition of alcohol in the United States is due to drink is contrary to the tradi

42、tional ideas advocated by the Puritans. They believed that drinking alcohol will harm peoples physical and mental health, and prohibit alcohol can purify the moral sentiment of Americans. Nevertheless, in the 1920s, the prohibition of alcoholism had become a decoration. Its useless. The law didnt pe

43、rmit the existence of alcohol. In order to seek spiritual indulgence, America youth continues holding banquets and binge drink to against the prohibition. The ban on alcohol has achieved the adverse effect and brought about severe social issues. To satisfy the desire and demand for drinking, people

44、began to buy and sell alcoholic products through improper means. As a result, the underground black market has developed rapidly, and the huge profits brought by the smuggling of alcoholic products have attracted more liquor dealers, who used improper ways to trade. Gatsby is one of them. He became

45、wealthy by smuggling alcohol and successfully joined the rank of the upper class. Consumption activities are associated with the development and the order of society. The flourishing of the economy has facilitated the development of hedonism. This consumption ethos is under the circumstance of restr

46、iction. When the restriction is more strict, hedonism is more common which formed a variety of consumption. People usually achieve spiritual pursuit through material pursuit, and this consumption method accords with social reality. Peoples material desires will never be satisfied, and can only be ac

47、hieved through continuous consumption. Thus, hedonism forms a deformed consumerism.2.2.2 The Rise of Symbolic ConsumptionThe rise of symbolic consumption in the jazz age is the main embodiment of consumerism. When the value of the commodity itself is more than the value of consumption, it has symbol

48、ic value. Symbolic value means that a different definition is given to goods, which is consumed as a symbol. Then the value of the symbol is estimated by representing social status and rights in addition to the value of the commodity itself. For example, the value of a banquet held in Gatsby s mansi

49、on is very different from that in Nicks small house. Apparently, the symbolic value of Gatsby s mansion is more valuable than Nicks. Gatsbys grand mansion is a representational symbol that symbolizes his wealth and status. Symbolic consumption is to consume the meaning of the wealth symbol attached

50、to this mansion. Consumerism believes that the value of the commodity itself is not important, what is important is the meaning of the commodity. The symbolic meaning attached to a commodity represents the value of the symbol. When the symbolic value of goods is exaggerated, people use this to show

51、status and wealth commonly in order to satisfy their vanity. In other words, the symbol has become the pursuit of consumers. (Yang, 2004) For example, Gatsbys car in the novel is to show off his wealth to everyone. Gatsby demonstrates his economic strength through the symbolic value of cars. Cars we

52、re regarded as specific commodities that only the rich could own at that time.The popularity of symbolic consumption makes people no longer consider its quality when choosing goods, but chooses by its symbolic value. For example, after the technological revolution, cars became a symbol of American p

53、rosperity. People buy car not because it convenient to travel, but for it symbolizes wealth and status. Therefore, peoples worship of material pursuits makes the value of symbols expand and stimulates peoples incessant consumption of symbols.3 The Embodiment of Consumerism in The Great Gatsby3.1 The

54、 Extravagant Consumption of Gatsby Gatsby, the protagonist from a poor family, is a typical representative of the American dream. He once had an unforgettable love with Daisy, but they had to separate because of the disparity of status. So he realized that only money and status could bring Daisy bac

55、k to him. Under the influence of the prevailing consumerism at that time, the dream of hard work was no longer existed. In order to obtain the wealth, he began to accumulate wealth through unscrupulous means and obtained huge wealth by selling alcohol illegally. However, Gatsby was not content to be

56、 rich and his purpose is to enter the upper class. Because the status of the upstart from the civilian class prevented him from entering the circle of nobility. Therefore, so as to enter the upper class, he did not hesitate to abandon his original identity and changed his name to Jay Gatsby, intendi

57、ng to compare himself to the Son of God to imply his noble status. In the meantime, he fabricated his aristocratic identity in an attempt to conceal his humble origins. He told Nick that he was the son of some rich mid-western man, but they were dead and he grew up in America. Education in Oxford is

58、 his family tradition. (Fitzgerald, 1992, p.70) Gatsby concealed his humble identity with this clumsy lie in the novel.After successfully getting into the upper rank in the society, Gatsby began to show off his wealth and socialize with various dignitaries. His huge palace-like mansion, countless servants, and several cars he owned were all symbols of his wealth and status.“The one on my right was a colossal affair by any standardit was a fac