The Carnivalesque Spirit In The Great Gatsby

F. Scott Fitzgerald is called "the angel of the Jazz Age". In his short and frustrated life, he wrote five novels and 178 short stories. In his works, he unmasks the hypocrisy and emptiness of America in the 1920s under the superficial uproar and vanity. Many characters in his works, like the author himself, pursue a life of luxury and dissipation, dreaming of realizing their personal ideals, but their dreams are inevitably smashed by the relentless reality.His masterpiece The Great Gatsby is regarded as a classic in American literature. T. S. Eliot gives it the warmest praise by claiming that The Great Gatsby is the "first step that American fiction has taken since Henry James". (常耀信, 1990: 292) Ever since its publication the novel has been adapted into a play and performed on the stage and screen constantly. Critics have done intensive researches on its theme, way of narration, techniques, and so on. In recent years, we can find further research on this novel in feminist and cultural aspects.The thesis tries a new interpretation with Bakhtin's theory of carnivalesque to uncover the profound carnivalesque spirit in the novel. It consists of an introduction, three chapters and the conclusion. In the very beginning of the thesis, the author gives a brief introduction to Fitzgerald and current studies on him. It comes to a conclusion that the interpretation in the light of carnivalesque is a field that few people have touched, so it is quite necessary and worth such attempt.Chapter One briefly explains Bakhtin's theory on carnival. Section One is the definition, content, collection and distinction of three key terms: carnival, a carnival sense of the world and carnivalization. Section Two introduces Socratic dialogue and Menippean Satire - two representative genres of serio-comical, which is one of the major resources of many carnivalized works.Chapter Two explores the possible factors that influence Fitzgerald'scarnivalesque spirit employed in his creation of the novel.Chapter Three expounds and analyzes in detail the carnivalesque spirit in The Great Gatsby.Through the comprehensive analysis from the theme to techniques, the thesis comes to its conclusion. The parties and gatherings Fitzgerald built are very similar to the carnival square in ancient times. We cannot find usual rut, limitation and hierarchy on this square. Dialogue between different values can be heard here and there. With the help of dialogue, of laughter and roaring echoing on the square, a vivid picture of the 20s America is unfolded before us.