Research On Ethical Orientation Of Fitzgerald's Novels In Four Novel

Francis Scott Key Fitzgerald(1896-1940)is one of the most significant classical writers in the history of American literature.Although his life was short,it was as glorious as an epic.He shares the reputation with Hemingway and is a member of the “Lost Generation”.The 1920 s and 1930 s were the golden age of concentrated authorship,during which he published five novels,four short stories,a collection of essays,and many poems,scripts and letters.His works deeply reflect the overall outlook and spirit of the American society from the late 19 th to early 20 th centuries.Therefore,It is fair to say that he can be called a representative of that particular historical period.“American Dream” and “American Dreamer”have always been the theme of Fitzgerald's life creation.As the theme of his lifelong creation,it shows the psychological and behavioral changes of people in the early 20 th century,and presents it in the form of novel.As a result,he was later dubbed “ Jazz Age” poet laureate and excellent “chronicle” title.The study of Fitzgerald's works in oversea has been carried out as early as his own creation.With the deepening of the study of Fitzgerald in foreign scholars,they have expanded their research perspectives and scope.Compared with them,the study of Fitzgerald's literary works in China started relatively late,mainly focus on the American Dream,tragic consciousness and symbolism.While some other aspects have been relatively less discussed,such as the artistic style and narrative techniques of his works,and even less attention to ethics and morality.Especially in the works related to wealth,social customs,ethics,morality,religious beliefs,vanity,sex,marriage and other related content,which are reflected the writer's concern and thinking on ethics and morality.Fitzgerald has made a lot of revelation of American social ethics and cultural practices in his works,showing the writer's deep thinking about the value conflict between individuals and society,between individuals and nature,and between individuals and self.We have seen that Fitzgerald has turned his personal experience into a source of creation,constantly nourished his inspiration,not simply recording the phenomenon of American society after the First World War,but also reflecting the society's Zeitgeist.Based on this,this thesis will use the method of text close reading and literary ethics criticism to conduct internal research on Fitzgerald's concept of creation and novel works,many characteristics of the period of transformation are studied externally combining with the social and historical environment,cultural customs,spiritual values,etc.of the United States,and probes into Fitzgerald's ethical orientation and ideological connotation,and then reveals the spiritual and moral alienation of people in the early 20 th century and the distorting effect of material on human nature under the erosion of capitalist civilization.After the First World War,the United States entered an unprecedented period of economic prosperity,but at the same time,this era has undergone dramatic changes,and traditional cultural values have been shaken and impacted in an all-round way.The novel This Side of Paradise is Fitzgerald's debut,and he is also an outstanding representative for his generation.In this novel,Fitzgerald explores the concern about the growth of the younger generation after the war.The works show the rebellious spirit of the young generation and have a strong resonance among junior readers.Through the analysis of the confusion in the process of Emory's growth,the intention is to show how the young generation can avoid illusory fantasy and become mature in the path of life.The Beautiful and Damned is the second masterpiece of the writer.The publication of this novel has further improved Fitzgerald's popularity as well as economic income.Although Fitzgerald was still enjoying the joy of success,he knew that he would not be happy anymore.He began to realize that behind such splendor lay a series of disasters.Therefore,from this work on,Fitzgerald began to examine life with a serious moral norm and ethical standards,and to analyze the distorting effect of money and wealth on the human spirit.The work shows Fitzgerald's understanding of failure,tragedy,and the sense of urgency about the upcoming economic collapse,while calling on people not to give up the positive pursuit of moral ideals and moral examples.The Great Gatsby has been noted as the best novel of Fitzgerald,and it is also a typical symbol of his creative thinking and artistic style.The novel uses the narrative technique in the first person to deeply criticize the essence of the “American Dream” and condemns the American society in which moral decay and corruption are prevalent.It reflects Fitzgerald's concern about the imbalance of American social ethics.Through the elaboration and evaluation of Gatsby's ethical dislocation,the expression of ethical confusion,the choice of ethical dilemmas and the causes of the dilemma,he tries to explain the ethical crisis behind the works and awaken the return of moral power and call for ethical order.The Novel Tender Is the Night is the last novel written by Fitzgerald and a more in-depth and historical significance after The Great Gatsby.In this work,Fitzgerald's main topic is still an analysis of the essence of the “American dream”,but compared to Gatsby,Dick's ideal is more real and specific,and his environment is more complex and dangerous,so the ending is even more tragic.Through the analysis of the ethical dilemma behind the family conflict and its emotional entanglement,it reflects the concern of Fitzgerald on love,marriage and family during this period,as well as providing a reference for the harmony and balance of intergenerational relations.In addition to the analysis of the works above,we should also see the interaction between narrative and ethics in Fitzgerald's works,as well as the expression of Impressionism in his works.At the same time,we use the constantly changing focusing mode to express the ethical standpoint and orientation of the characters,so as to deepen the effect of the characters' impression.This study makes a thorough study of Fitzgerald's ethical thoughts and connotations based on structural and content.Fitzgerald is a writer with a serious sense of morality and ethical standards.Every work of Fitzgerald implies his ethical consciousness and ethical appeal to the characters.That is why the characters in his novels have been noted as vivid and touching.Considering the development space of serious literature and literary criticism,Fitzgerald's publications are still worth learning and studying.