Abstract：Fitzgerald is one of the most important writers in the 20th century. His novels express the theme of disillusion about “American Dream”. Tender Is the Night describes the loneliness and helplessness behind prosperity. It tells the story of the protagonist Dick who was a psychiatrist with an “American Dream” but became the failure on his way pursuing it. To some extent, the novel is a semi-autobiography, shadowing the writer’s personal experiences. This thesis intends to explore the cause of Dick’s tragedy. 

This thesis consists of four parts. The first part is an introduction to Fitzgerald’s life, works, Tender Is the Night and literature reviews about the novel. The second part focuses on “American Dream” in “Jazz Age”, including its definition, its development and disillusion. The third part is the main body of this thesis, exploring the deep cause of Dick’s tragedy. The last part is a conclusion, which summarizes and interprets the main idea of this thesis.

Keywords:  Fitzgerald  American Dream  disillusion  tragedy

Contents

Abstract

中文摘要

Chapter One Introduction-1

1.1 F. Scott. Fitzgerald and Tender Is the Night-1

1.2 Literature Review-2

Chapter Two The American Dream in Jazz Age-3

2.1 The Definition and Essence of American Dream-3

2.2 The Development and Evolution of American Dream-3

2.2.1 Dream of Living on the Promising Land-3

2.2.2 The Corruption of American Dream-4

Chapter Three The Disillusionment of Dick’s American Dream-6

3.1 Dick’s Pursuing American Dream-6

3.1.1 Dream of Love-6

3.1.2 Dream of Wealth-7

3.2 Disillusionment of Dick’s Love Dream-8

3.2.1 The Divorce of Dick and Nicole-8

3.2.2 The Separation of Dick and Rosemary-9

3.3 Disillusionment of Dick’s Wealth Dream-9

3.3.1 Dick’s Misconception about the Ideal and Reality-9

3.3.2 Dick’s Misconception about the Upper Class-10

Chapter Four Conclusion-12

References-13