ABriefStylisticAnalysison“TheGreatGatsby”
Abstract:TheGreatGatsbyisregardedasoneofF.ScottFitzgerald’smasterpieces.TheGreatGatsbyisahighlysymbolicmeditationon1920sAmericanasawhole,inparticularthedisintegrationoftheAmericanIdealisminaneraofunprecedentedprosperityandmaterialexcess.ThispaperconcentratesonthedelusionsofAmericandreamwhichisconveyedinthisnovel,andalsoattemptstoanalyzethecharacteristicsofwritingdevicesemployedinthisnovelfromtheaspectsofstylistics.
Keywords:F.ScottFitzgeraldlinguisticpresentationmetaphorsimile
1.Introduction
1.1Abriefaccountoftheauthor
ScottFitzgeraldwasbornatthefamilyhomeonLaurelAvenueinSt.Paul,Minnesota,onSeptember24,1896.F.ScottFitzgeraldholdsthefranchise.Aglitteringsuccessasawriterwhenhewasjusttwenty-four,butFitzgeralddiedstillayoungman,atforty-four.Fitzgerald''sparentswereRomanCatholic,andhewasraisedinthechurchandsenttoaCatholicboys''schoolontheEastCoastbeforeattendingcollege.Asaboy,Fitzgeraldwasanxioustobeapopularsocialite.HisyouthfulflirtationswithSt.Paulgirls,thepartiesheattended,andtheprivateprepschoolhewasfinallysentEasttoattendarethestuffonwhichhisearlystories“BasilandJosephine”and“TheRichBoy”arefounded.Oneofhisveryfinestshortstories,“WinterDreams,”encompassesamorerealisticlookathisyearningdistancefromthecountry-club,upper-classworld,aworldtowhichhismother''sfamilyhadgivenhimentrance,butofwhichheneverfeltcomfortablypart.
Hewroteseveralplayswhenayoungteenager,andstagedthemwithclassmatesandfriendsathomeinSt.Paul.From1911to1913,atthecatholicpreparatoryNewmanSchoolinNewJersey,Fitzgeraldsawhisworkpublishedintheschoolmagazineandparticipatedintheatricals.ItwasatNewmanthatFitzgeraldmetMonsignorFrancisFay,thededicateeofThisSideofParadiseaswellasthemodelforMonsignorDarcyinthatnovel.Msgr.Fayencouragedthebrightyoungmantoenterthepriesthood,butFitzgeraldwasnevermorethanbrieflyinterested.
FitzgeraldwasoneofthebestknownAmericanauthorsofthe1920sand''30sandiscloselyassociatedwiththeoptimismandexcessesofthatera''s"JazzAge."Fitzgerald''sstoriesoftenfeaturedpeoplelikehimself:middle-Americantypesinfatuatedwiththewealthandstatusofupper-crustsociety.Inthemid-1920shelivedinPariswherehewasfriendswithErnestHemingwayandotherliteraryexpatriates.Fitzgeraldwasapopularcelebrityofthedayandheandhiswife,Zelda,becamefamousfortheirextravagantlifestyle,drinkingboutsand(eventually)erraticbehavior.HismajorpublishednovelsincludeThisSideofParadise(1920),TheGreatGatsby(1925),andTenderIstheNight(1934).
1.2Abriefaccountofthestory
GatsbyisAmericanEveryman.Hisextraordinaryenergyandwealthmakehimpursuethedream.HisdeathintheendpointsatthetruthaboutthewitheringoftheAmericanDream.ThespiritualandmoralsterilitythathasresultedfromthewitheredAmericanDreamisfullyrevealedinthearticle.However,althoughheisdefeated,thedreamhasgaveGatsbyadignityandasetofqualities.HishopeandbeliefinthepromiseoffuturemakeshimtheembodimentofthevaluesoftheincorruptibleAmericanDream.
1.3Themajorthemeofthestory
TheGreatGatsbybyScottFitzgeraldembodiesmaythemes,howeverthemostsalientonerelatestothecorruptionoftheAmericanDream.TheAmericanDreamisthateachpersonnomatterwhoheorsheiscanbecomesuccessfulinlifebyhisorherownhardwork.Thedreamalsoembodiestheideaofaself-sufficientman,anentrepreneurmakingitsuccessfulforhimself.TheGreatGatsbyisaboutwhathappenedtotheAmericandreaminthe1920s,atimeperiodwhenthedreamhadbeencorruptedbytheavariciouspursuitofwealth.TheAmericandreamissublimemotivationforaccomplishingonesgoalsandproducingachievements,howeverwhentaintedwithwealththedreambecomesdevoidandhollow.
2.Stylisticanalysisof“TheGreatGatsby”
2.1Characteristictraitsofthecharactersarerevealedindifferentways.
InFitzgerald''sTheGreatGatsby,allthecharactersare,inonewayoranother,attemptingtoachieveastateofhappinessintheirlives.Themaincharactersaredividedintotwogroups:therichupperclassandthepoorerlowerclass,whichstrugglestoattainahigherposition.Thoughthemajorplayersseekonlytochangetheirlivesforthebetter,theAmericanDreamisinevitablycrushedbeneaththeharshrealityoflife,leavingtheirliveswithoutmeaningorpurpose.
Gatsbyisgreat,becauseheisdignifiedandennobledbyhisdreamandhismythicvisionoflife.Hehasthedesiretorepeatthepast,thedesireformoney,andthedesireforincarnationofunutterablevisiononthismaterialearth.ForGatsby,Daisyisthesoulofhisdreams.HebelievehecanregainDaisyandromanticallyrebelsoftime.Althoughhehasthewealththatcanmatchwiththeleisuredclass,hedoesnothavetheirmanners.Histragedyliesinhispossessionofanaivesenseandchivalry.
TomBuchanan,Daisy''shusband,belongstothetraditionalmoneyedclass;Tomdoesnotpursueanyparticularprofession,hesimplylivesonhiswealth.Heisaformerfootball-playerandphysicallystrong.Butthesurplusofhisphysicalpowercontrastswithhislimitedintellectualcapacities.Heisarrogant,self-confidentandnotintellectual.Heisalsoaracistandatotallycarelessandbrutalperson,aheavydrinkerandhaslackofstyleandeducation.
Daisysuggeststheflowerforwhichshewasnamed.Sheisfreshandbright,yetfragile.Sheisagoldengirl,beautiful,rich,innocentandpureinherwhiteness,whichismixedwiththeyellowofgold(money).Butthisisjustheroutwardappearance.Inrealityshepromisesmorethanshegives,likemoney.Shewantstobelikedandpopularbutsheisjustdishonest,false,artificialandsuperficial.Herwholebehaviorischildishandeverythingisputonlikeafacade.
Jordan,Daisy''sfriend,JordanBaker''smoststrikingqualityisherdishonesty.Sheistoughandaggressive-agolferwhoissohardenedbycompetitionthatsheiswillingtodoanythingtowin.Jordanisthesmartnewwoman,theopportunistwhowilldowhatevershemusttobesuccessfulinherworld.InmanywaysJordanBakersymbolizesanewtypeofwomanthatwasemergingintheTwenties.Sheishardandself-sufficient,andsheadoptswhatevermoralssuithersituation.Sheishardandself-sufficientanddoeswhatshewantstodo.Hername,bodyandstyleareblunt.Sheisanopportunistwhowilldowhatevershemustdotobesuccessfulinherworld,whichistheworldoftherichandinfluentialpeople.
MyrtleWilsonisTom’smistress.Shehateshercheerlessandwretchedlifeatthegasstationinthevalleyofashesandwantstofleeintothecityfullofjollity,moneyandglamour.SheonlyisabletorealizethatwithTom''smoney.SheisaverysensuousandvitalwomanthereforeTomlovesher.
2.2Lexicalfeatures
Insection(1)andsection(2),wecanseethattherearemanydifferencesinchoosinglexicon.
2.2.1Insection(1)manymulti-syllabledadjectivesandabstractnounsareused,suchas,riotous(adj.)，excursion(n.)，privileged(adj.)，glimpse(n.)，unaffected(adj.)，sensitivity(n.).exempt，registerThereforetheusagesoflexiconinsection(1)areformalandgorgeous.
2.2.2Insection(2)therearenoothermulti-syllabledadjectivesusedexcepttheword“curious”,andtherearenoabstractnounseither.Butalotofverbsareused,suchasdecide，call，mention，do，give，stretch，swornTheusagesoflexiconinthissectionareformalandsimple.
2.2.3Fromthelexicalfeatures,insection(1)thewriterdescribesNickCarraway’spsychologybyusingalotofmulti-syllabledadjectivestomodifytheabstractnouns.Whileinsection(2)thewritermainlydescribesNickCarraway’sactions.
2.3Syntacticfeatures
2.3.1Complexsentencesareusedinsection(1),thereareonlythreesentenceswhichdescribetheinternalcomplexfeelingsandlifeexperiencesofNickCarraway.Sointhissectionalotofattributiveclausesandcoordinateclausesareusedasthemodifiedcomponents.Forexample,1)OnlyGatsby,themanwhogiveshisnametothisbook,wasexemptfrommyreaction—Gatsby,whorepresentedeverythingforwhichIhaveanunaffectedscorn.2)WhenIcameback….Ifpersonalityisanunbroken…,asifhewererelatedto….
2.3.2Insection(2)longsentencesareused,buttheyareverysimple,onlyoneobjectiveclauseandseveralcoordinatesentencesareused.Forexample,...MissBakerhadmentionedhimatdinnerandthat….…hestretchedouthisarmstowardthedarkwaterinacuriousway,and,farasIwasfromhim,…Therefore,thecomplexandsimplesentencesareusedinturn,itreflectsthewritingstyleoftheauthorandalsocanmakereaderseasytounderstandthenovel.
2.4PhonologicalfeaturesandGraphologicalfeatures
2.4.1TherearedifferentpointsofviewinTheGreatGatsby.Thefirstperson“I”isusedinsection(1)toshowthatNickCarrawayrecalledwhathadhappenedinthepastandtoexpressNickCarraway’sthoughtsandfeelings.Soitismoresubjectivetoexpresstheeffectofthenovelbyusingcomplexsentences,whilecomparedwithsection(1),insection(2)itismoreobjectivestonarrateNickCarraway’smeetingwithGatsbyfromanonlooker----NickCarrawayhimself.Inaword,somesimilarpointsofviewareusedinthewholenovel.Atthesametimeinthisnovel,therearefewdialectalspeeches,itusesmoreformalandsimplelanguage,soitcanbettercontributetorevealthemajorthemeofthenovel.
2.4.2InTheGreatGatsby,presentationalsequencingisusedtoorganizethestructureofthenovel.Forexample,insection(3),itdescribesthesituationofthefirstmeetingbetweenNickCarrawayandGatsby.Itexactlyshowsthatthewriterusespresentationalsequencingtoarrangethestory.Usingthiskindofmethodistoshowthesenseartinthenovel.
2.5Figuresofspeech
AnothersomesalientfeaturesofTheGreatGatsbyarefiguresofspeech.TheGreatGatsbyisrichinsimile.
2.5.1Insection(4)thewriterdescribesMissDaisyandMissBaker’slyingonanenormouscouchassittinguponananchoredballoon.theirdresseswereripplingandflutteringasiftheyhadjustbeenbackinafterashortflightaroundthehouse.Thissimilegivesreadersanewcuriosity,italsoreflectsthelifeoftheupperclassforthosewomenwhodidnothing.
2.5.2Insection(5),thesentence“Hervoiceisfullofmoney”isametaphor,theusageofmetaphorherecangivereadersanaestheticsense.Itlooksasifitwereanimagerypoem,anditdescribestheclearandunderstandablesoundofhersingingastheabstractidea----money.Thiscanguidereadersintotheplotsofthenovel.
2.5.3Usingthesimileinthisnovelcancreatetheunimaginableeffect.Thewriterusestheindirectmethodtomakereaderstothink,tofeelandtoappreciatetheinterestingplotsofthenovel.Therefore,itcancreateakindof“feelingofdistance”betweenthereadersandthenovel,whichmakesthetragicplotsinTheGreatGatsbymoreexciting.
3.Conclusion
TheGreatGatsbywaspublishedin1925,itreflectstherealworldintheJazzAge.ItdescribesthehollownessoftheUpperClassatthattime.Atthesametime,ittellsusthatTheGreatGatsbyisaboutwhathappenedtotheAmericandreaminthe1920s,atimeperiodwhenthedreamhadbeencorruptedbytheavariciouspursuitofwealth.InTheGreatGatsby,FitgeraldappliedimagismandsymbolismtopresentmoralhistoryofhiscontemporarytimesfromtheviewofNick.Theapplicationofsymbolismmadehisworksurpassthenarrowindividualworld,connectthesubjectivewiththeobjective,andamplifyaswelltypifiesindividualexperiences.Asmanycriticshavepointedout,themethodFitzgeraldadoptsinTheGreatGatsbyisabrilliantone.Hestartsthenovelinthepresentinthefirstthreechapters,Havingestablishedthecharactersandsettinginthefirstthreechapters,hethennarratesthemaineventsofthestoryinChaptersIVtoIX,usingChaptersIV,VI,andVIItograduallyrevealthestoryofGatsby''spast.ThepastandpresentcometogetherattheendofthenovelinChapterIX.Asthestorymovestowarditsclimax,wefindoutmoreandmoreaboutthecentralfigurefromNickuntilwe,too,areinaprivilegedpositionandcanunderstandwhyGatsbybehavesashedoes.Thusthekeytothestructureofthenovelisthecombinationofthefirstpersonnarrativeandthegradualrevelationofthepastasthenarratorfindsoutmoreandmore.Thetwodevicesworkextremelyeffectivelytogether,butneitherwouldworkverywellalone.
References:
1.?Carter,Ronald,1997,InvestigatingEnglishDiscourse,NewYork:Routledge.
2.?Garrett,George,1985,“FireandFreshness:AMatterofStyleinTheGreatGatsby”.In?MatthewJ.Broccoli(ed.).NewEssaysOnTheGreatGatsby,NewYork:CambridgeUniversityPress.
3.?Leech,GeoffreyN.&ShortMichaelH.,1981,StyleinFiction,NewYork:Longman.
4.?郭鸿，1998，《英语文体分析》，北京：军事谊文出版社。.?秦秀白，1986，《文体学概论》，长沙：湖南教育出版社。.?申丹，《文学文体学的分析模式及其面临的挑战》，北京：《外语教学与研究》1994年第三期，7-13页。Appendix:
Section(1)
WhenIcamebackfromtheEastlastautumnIfeltthatIwantedtheworldtobeinuniformandatasortofmoralattentionforever;Iwantednomoreriotousexcursionswithprivilegedglimpsesintothehumanheart.OnlyGatsby,themanwhogiveshisnametothisbook,wasexemptfrommyreaction—Gatsby,whorepresentedeverythingforwhichIhaveanunaffectedscorn.Ifpersonalityisanunbrokenseriesofsuccessfulgestures,thentherewassomethinggorgeousabouthim,someheightenedsensitivitytothepromisesoflife,asifhewererelatedtooneofthoseintricatemachinesthatregisterearthquakestenthousandmilesaway.…(P2-3,TheGreatGatsby,上海译文出版社,1994)
Section(2)
Idecidedtocalltohim.MissBakerhadmentionedhimatdinnerandthatwoulddoforanintroduction.ButIdidn’tcalltohim,forhegaveasuddenintimationthathewascontenttobealone—hestretchedouthisarmstowardthedarkwaterinacuriousway,and,farasIwasfromhim,Icouldhaveswornhewastrembling.
Section(3)
Hesmiledunderstandingly—muchmorethanunderstandingly.Itwasoneofthoseraresmileswithaqualityofeternalreassuranceinit,thatyoumaycomeacrossfourorfivetimesinlife.Itfaced—orseemedtoface—thewholeexternalworldforaninstant,andthenconcentratedonyouwithanirresistibleprejudiceinyourfavor.Itunderstoodyoujustasfarasyouwantedtobeunderstood,believedinyouasyouwouldliketobelieveinyourself,andassuredyouthatithadpreciselytheimpressionoyouthat,atyourbest,youhopedtoconvey.…
AlmostatthemomentwhenMr.Gatsbyidentifiedhimself,abutlerhurriedtowardhimwiththeinformationthatChicagowascallinghimonthewire.Heexcusedhimselfwithasmallbowthatincludedeachofusinturn.(P75-76,同上)
Section(4)
Theonlycompletelystationaryobjectintheroomwasanenormouscouchonwhichtwoyoungwomenwerebuoyedupasthoughuponananchoredballoon.Theywerebothinwhite,andtheirdresseswereripplingandflutteringasiftheyhadjustbeenbackinafterashortflightaroundthehouse.(P12-13,同上)
Section(5)
“Hervoiceisfullofmoney,”hesaidsuddenly.Thatwasit.I’dneverunderstoodbefore.Itwasfullofmoney—thatwastheinexhaustiblecharmthatroseandfellinit,thejingleofit,thecymbals’songofit…Highinawhitepalacetheking’sdaughter,thegoldengirl.…(P182,同上)
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