The Comparative Study Of The Great Gatsby And Norwegian Wood

Francis Scott Key Fitzgerald, the most famous chronicler and novelist of1920s America, was known as the Poet Laureate and the representative figure of the "Lost Generation" and "Jazz Age", which named because of him. His works give us a complete and accurate scene of the social status in the1920s of American after World War I For a long time, The Great Gatsby is classified as "a book about roaring Twenties"(Brouccoli,1985:6). In the20th century, the academic authority of United States had chosen out one hundred best novels from hundreds novels in American Literature. The Great Gatsby was the second top of them, ranked in the contemporary classical masterpieces. There are also movies and games that had been adapted according to The Great Gatsby.60years later in1987, a Japanese writer named Haruki Murakami had released his fifth novel, Norwegian Wood, which has been sold four million copies and caused the "Murakami phenomenon" in Japan. Norwegian Wood is also widely read and praised by the literature lovers from all around the world and is generally considered The Great Gatsby of Japan. The writing style of Haruki Murakami is deeply influenced by the European and American writers. Its writing tone is light and the narrative tone is bland. This is quite different from the contemporary post-war works in Japan that are gloomy and heavy. Haruki Murakami is called the first pure "Post World War period writer", and the pioneer of Japanese literature of80s. It is amazing that these two writers in different period with different nationalities and life experiences could write something alike. In fact, they have something in common. The similarities and differences would be discussed in this thesis.Most Haruki Murakami fans are also fascinated by Fitzgerald. The similarities of their writing styles are the reason why people love them at the same time. This thesis means to study The Great Gatsby and Norwegian Wood through the theory of Comparative Study. The main content of this thesis is to compare these two writers and their works, and then find out the similarities and differences. By studying these two works together, it may give our young generation an answer of what social values should the young generation hold.