American-Dream具体分析-美国文学选读

AmericanDreamWhat’sthatIsmellintheair?TheAmericandreamSweetasanewmillionaireTheAmericandreamPre-packedready-to-wearTheAmericandreamBus-boyscanbuythehotelTheAmericandreamWallStreetisreadytosellTheAmericandreamCometomakealifefromthinairTheAmericandreamComeandgetmorethanyourshareTheAmericandreamDefinitionOriginsAmericanDreamsinliteratureSuccessfulexamplesTheAmericanDreamisanationalethos(社会的精神特质)oftheUnitedStatesinwhichfreedomincludesapromiseofthepossibilityofprosperityandsuccess.Theso-calledAmericanDreamisabeliefthatahardstrugglewillbeabletoachievetheidealofabetterlife,thatis,peoplehavetoworkthroughtheirownhardwork,courage,creativityanddeterminationtomovetowardsprosperity,ratherthanrelyonspecificsocialclassesandotherassistances.DefinitionThreebasicideasIndividualFreedomandSelf-Reliance〔个人自由和自立〕EqualityofOpportunityandCompetition〔时机均等与时机并存〕MaterialWealthandHardWork〔物质富有和勤奋工作〕

AmericanDreamwasfirstexpressedbyJamesTruslowAdamsin1931,"lifeshouldbebetterandricherandfullerforeveryone,withopportunityforeachaccordingtoabilityorachievement"regardlessofsocialclassorcircumstancesofbirth.OriginsMayfloweristhefirstEnglishsettlersboundforNorthAmericanships.300yearsago,whenEnglandimmigrantsinthemayfloweracrosstheAtlantictoMarylandtofinding"pureland"foraPuritan,"theAmericanDream"alreadybeganquietlyasDream.TheUnitedStatesgaveopportunitiestoeveryone.

Formanyimmigrants,theStatueofLibertywastheirfirstviewoftheUnitedStates,signifyingfreedomandpersonalliberty.ThestatueisaniconicsymboloftheUnitedStatesandoftheAmericanDream.TheideaoftheAmericanDreamisrootedinthesecondsentenceoftheDeclarationofIndependencewhichstatesthat"allmenarecreatedequal"andthattheyare"endowedbytheirCreatorwithcertaininalienableRights"including"Life,LibertyandthepursuitofHappiness."AmericanDreaminliteratureMartinEden

SisterCarrieTheGreatGatsby

Theplot

MartinEdenisasoonreach21-year-oldsailor,duetoanaccidentalopportunity,heknowsRuthMorse----abeautyfromupperclassandfallsinlovewithher.ButEdenisasailorfromaworkingclassbackground,andtheMorsesisabourgeoisfamily,hesensesthatarelationshipbetweenthemwouldbeimpossibleuntilhereachestheirlevelofwealthandperceivedculturalrefinement.SoheworksandreadshardsoastobecomerichandfamousandbreakintothepolitesocietyandmarryRuth.Martinwrites40draftsunceasinglycirclethroughoutinvariousmagazinecompanies.Hecouldn’tunderstandwhyhisworksarerefusedwhilethosespiritlessthingsarealwaysbeingpublished.MartincomesacrossBrissenden----asocialistandliteraturegeniuswhoishighlycriticalofthesociety.Onceatime,theyparticipatedasocialistsassembleandweremistakenlyreportedastheleaderofanarchy.Consequently,theywereisolatedandbesieged,andforRuth,shebrokeupwithMartin.Brissendenisdead.WiththelossofRuthandBrissenden,Martinfallsintodesperatedespair.Nonetheless,itisatthisverymomentwhenMartinisatendofhisropethathisbookwaspublished,whichmakeshimrichandfamousovernight.TheneveryonechangetheirattitudestowardsMartin,includingRuth.Thereupon,hefindsthehypocrisyoftheupperclassandthathisdreamhasnotbeenworthofrealizingatall.MartinEdenTheburstofMartinEden’sDreamOnceinMartin’smind,hehadadream(AmericanDream)thatthroughhishardwork,courage,creativityanddetermination,hewouldonedayfulfillhisdream:climbintotheuppersocietyandmarryRose.However,hisdreamcompletelyburstedafterRosebrokeupwithhim(whileinformedofhisso-calledrelationshipwiththesocialistparty)andagainwantedtobewithhim(whileinformedofhisfameandwealth).Heunveiledthehypocrisiesofthebourgeoisieandfeltnopossibilityofreturningback(sowithoutasenseofbelonging).Sodespairanddepressed,hefinallychosesuicidetoendhislifeandfreehimselffromeverythingonearth.SisterCarrieHeroine:CarolineMeeber,knownasCarriePlot:Chicago,Drouet,Hurstwood,NewYorkCity,actressCarriehopestoliveagoodcitylife.ThiscanberegardedasherAmericanDream.SherealizesherAmericanDreamatlast.Butbehindallthegloriesshe’sgot,she’sverylonelyactually.Goodappearanceisheronlycapital.SherealizesherAmericanDreamatthecostofheryouthandlove.AmericanDreamisnotonlyaboutmoneyandfamebutalsoaboutmentality.SoherDreamisillusoryatfact.TheGreatGatsbyHero:

JayGatsbyNarrator:

NickCarraway

Plot:

GatsbyandDaisy,TomandDaisy,Myrtle,George,killedGatsbyInthenovel,Gatsby’sAmericanDreamisnotmaterialpossession.Heonlycomesintorichessothathecanfulfillhistruedream----toreunitewithDaisy.However,hispursuitforloveeventuallyturnsouttobeirony,makinghimlosingeverythingevenatthecostofhislife.Therearemanyreasonsresultinginhisdestiny,mainlythesocialfactorandhehimselfFirst,thesocialfactor.ThenovelhasdeeplyexposedAmericanpeople’stotaldepravityaswellascrueltyinthematerialismsocietyof1920s.Second,selffactor.Gatsbylivedinaworldwheremoneytookpriorityovermoralintegrity,whichimpactednegativelyonGatsby.SuccessfulexamplesBenjaminFranklinAutobiographyGeorgeWashingtonNinety-ninepercentofthefailurescomefrompeoplewhohavethehabitofmakingexcuses.Nothingcanstopthemanwiththerightmentalattitudefromachievinghisgoal;nothingonearthcanhelpthemanwiththewrongmentalattitude.----ThomasJeffersonYoucanhaveanythingyouwanti