Critics have always held different attitudes about whether Fitzgerald criticized the American dream in The Great Gatsby. By analyzing Gatsby's tragedy, we will see Fitzgerald's ambivalence towards the American dream. On the one hand, the author hates its corruption and evil, on the other hand, he is obsessed with its charm and luxury. Key words: American dream The great Gatsby tragedy The American dream refers to the pursuit of equality, freedom and material wealth. The American dream has always been one of the most popular themes in American literature. With the formation of the American spirit, the American dream has become more and more intense in the hearts of Americans. It seems that Americans can get what they want through work. This spirit has inspired generations of Americans and made the United States the most developed country in the world, with the most wealth in the world. Today, the United States is a superpower, however, with the passage of time, the American dream has more connotations. And it has different meanings in different times. 6 5438+The American Dream in the early 2008 century gives people the impression that the United States is a country with freedom and equal opportunities. At that time, immigrants were pilgrims from Europe. Among them, English Puritans and peasants are the most typical. When they arrived in the United States, their desire for political equality was strong, so their demand for democracy had been realized. Therefore, equal rights became the connotation of the American dream at that time. With the emergence of the gold rush in the late18th century and the early19th century, some lucky people made a fortune overnight. This gold rush became a legend and promoted the immigration boom. The American dream was decorated in gold. However, after the civil war, especially after11990s, the United States began to industrialize. The American dream has a new meaning. Most people think it means the pursuit of wealth and money. They succeeded through hard work. People give the United States positive meaning, wisdom and efforts. Since then, the United States has experienced a long period of rapid expansion, and more and more people go to the United States to find their dreams. However, after World War I, the connotation of the American dream changed gradually. Because of the post-war stability and prosperity, the atmosphere seemed to be harmonious. People thought that they no longer needed war, and young people became dissolute. They compensated themselves with a luxurious lifestyle. Young people no longer believe in risk and hard work, and they begin to gain a lot of wealth through promotional strategies including deception and illegal means. Most people regard wealth as the only criterion to measure a person's success. But the pursuit of wealth and ideals is unbalanced, and the disillusionment of dreams is the inevitable outcome of the American dream. Gatsby is a typical representative of success in the process of pursuing the American dream. The greatness of this novel lies in its concern for individuals in the United States and its ultimate connection with the whole United States. Fitzgerald created a classic tragedy, which is the tragedy of the American dream. Gatsby was doomed to failure and finally became a tragic figure. Because at first, Gates' love for Daisy was partly based on his charm associated with money, and he pursued her by becoming rich. His passion for Daisy was combined with his early desire for economic success, which can be traced back to his daily plans made as a child. His dream was completely misguided. When they meet again, Gatsby becomes a rich man who is still innocent, but the girl he pursues, Daisy, becomes his empty imagination, which is symbolic. So what Gatsby wants is not a real daisy, but a daisy that is depicted, decorated and beautified in his imagination. This kind of imagination is beyond Gatsby's ability and power, and also beyond reality. Gatsby's old lover became his spiritual world. In his mind, Daisy is beautiful and naive, and she represents all the advantages of American upper class. Gatsby created the perfect image of Daisy and sacrificed himself as the embodiment of his dream. Gatsby pursues money, but he doesn't take money as the ultimate goal. He just wants to use money to fulfill his love dream. But Daisy's preference for wealth is stronger than any love in her heart. Because all her feelings have turned into cold money. But it is money to dress Daisy up as a princess and keep her away from evil and unsafe life. Although Gatsby makes money by illegal means, there are still many advantages in his character. He is active in life and firm in faith. He is firmly in love with Daisy, because the romantic elements and pure love will always remain in his heart. No matter how precious Gatsby's merits are, his romantic love will still deviate from reality and eventually get lost in a dirty society. Fitzgerald reveals the fact through Gatsby's tragedy that it is not enough to create material wealth, and spiritual poverty can be occupied by moral deficiency. But some critics think that Gatsby is not a tragic figure, because his death proves his greatness, and the title of this novel has no irony at all. Therefore, the author does not criticize the American dream. On the contrary, Gatsby's advantages and spirit will never be destroyed, and they will return to the great wealth of the United States. Critics also believe that Gatsby's dream has never been shattered in the process of pursuing the American dream, and even if he eventually dies, his dream remains in his heart. When Gatsby died with his American dream, we can see that the author integrated his ambivalence into the novel. On the one hand, like Gatsby, Fitzgerald was attracted by Daisy's beauty, but on the other hand, he also realized that gorgeous appearance could not hide vulgarity and emptiness. Gatsby's Unforgetted Dream reveals that the American dream has powerful lethality and lasting attraction, which deeply affects American life. But this kind of affection is not always positive, it is full of contradictions and anxiety. The "green light" repeatedly mentioned in this novel is the symbol of the American dream that everyone wants, and it is illusion and desire. But for some people, the American dream is their belief. But one's future and destiny are closely related to the surrounding environment. Living in a world full of corruption and material wealth, Gatsby was born to realize his romantic love, and his dream was doomed to be buried in the cruel reality of jazz age and strangled in the temptation trap of American society. Facts have proved that Gatsby's advantages can't protect him from the numbness around him, and his dream can't bear the weight of reality. Gatsby is loyal to his dream about Daisy, and even her betrayal can't destroy his faith. Gatsby is the mirror of an idealist who is always loyal to his dreams. Gatsby's personality reveals the cause of his death to some extent. But the world is changing, and everyone should observe it with a developmental eye. One should live in reality, not fantasy. Gatsby, however, stood on the opposite side. Perhaps this is Gatsby's greatness, but it is also his fatal flaw. He is too romantic to find anything of value to go with him. 1920s, American society entered the stage of monopoly capitalism. American society is developing rapidly and the economy is unprecedentedly prosperous. When Americans enjoy wealth, they become greedy and enjoyable. Money is the only goal that can be achieved by any means. However, wealth has brought emptiness to people's hearts. So 1920s is an era of delicious food, an era without any faith, an era of lost generation and a tragic era. This novel is of practical significance to readers in China. Things around us show that we have similar ideas with America in 1920s, such as extreme individualism and delicious food. There seems to be nothing more provocative than this trend of arousing vanity, vanity and meaningless activities, which is nourishing all the greed in society. People began to betray and lose faith. They are all eager for more money and forget that we are all people with souls. By studying American literature, maybe we China people can find drugs to treat our sick society.