A Study Of The Soundscapes In The Great Gatsby

By means of interdisciplinary study,theoretical interpretation and close reading,this thesis adopts Raymond Murray Schafer’s theory of soundscape and Pierre Bourdieu’s theory of cultural capital and cultural habitus as theoretical resources,trying to excavate the rich soundscape in The Great Gatsby and explore its cultural representations and the cultural capital and cultural habitus hidden behind it,so as to show the stereoscopic writing of the novel in the sound dimension and the spiritual culture of the Jazz Age in the soundscapes.To begin with,this thesis obtains that soundscape refers to a single sound or a combination of multiple sounds and the cultural complex presented in the social environment.Secondly,the cultural representation of the soundscapes in The Great Gatsby manifests three levels.The first level is sound perception,which is expressed as the experience of status and wealth;The second level is the sound reverberation,which shows the degradation of ideals and beliefs;The third level is sound disillusionment,which shows the loss of the Jazz Age.Thirdly,the cultural capital of the soundscapes in The Great Gatsby is embodied in the use of sound as a way of class distinction and as a power tool of information medium;Cultural habitus are reflected in the judgment of sound as cultural taste and the choice of sound as way of life.Finally,the cultural capital and cultural habitus of the soundscapes in The Great Gatsby show a coexistence relationship.They rely on and circulate with each other,and advance with the times to promote the construction and maturity of new social forms and styles.Through Fitzgerald’s detailed description of the soundscapes of American metropolises in The Great Gatsby,we can examine the imaginative practices of sound in human perception,memory,and emotions from the natural products of the era.Based on the auditory orientation and cultural imprints carried by the Jazz Age,we can also explore the spiritual qualities and aesthetic forms of human social processes.As a new attempt at the study of soundscapes in literary works,this thesis will provide reference for the future study of soundscapes on similar literary texts.