二十世纪的美国，人们的思想和行为标准都出现了极大的改变，同时人们的价值观和生活方式也都与以往不同了。通常这个历史时期被称作“爵士时代”。在这期间，出现了很多反映这个时期人们心态变化和社会状态的著名的作家和作品。其中最著名的要算作菲茨杰拉德的《了不起的盖茨比》。菲茨杰拉德既是这个金钱至上的社会的一个当局者，也是一个清醒的旁观者。在本文中，作者首先简要介绍作品情节，并勾画了二十世纪的时代背景。然后分析了小说中象征手法的运用，象征是一种非常宝贵的文学手法，小说中菲茨杰拉德用象征手法来帮助表现主题，本文尤其侧重分析颜色在小说中的象征意义，同时对小说中独特的叙事技巧也作了分析，作品采用传统的现实主义手法，同时又娴熟的融合了一些现代叙述技巧，加强了人物性格的刻画和故事情节的叙述，并且加深了作品的社会意义，使之具有永恒的艺术魅力。之后在此基础上分析男女主人公性格，并通过对比两人性格的不同揭示出他们最终不可能结合的必然性，从而指出了盖茨比的梦想破灭并不是偶然的，而是这个“爵士时代”的社会大背景所决定的。

In the 1920s of America, there was a wide range of new standards of thought and behavior; and people’s own values and life styles were often changing. That age is called “Jazz Age” during which there are a lot of works to reflect the change among the young. The most outstanding one is The Great Gatsby written by F. Scott Fitzgerald, who was the most representative novelist of the 1920s’ America. He was both a leading participant and a detached observer in the typically frivolous, carefree, moneymaking life of the decade. Inside he knew it well, outside he saw it ironically. In this thesis, the author introduces the general information of the writer F. Scott Fitzgerald and the plot of The Great Gatsby. Also, the society information in the 1920’s America is covered. In the main body part, the author analyses the special narrative techniques and some typical symbols conceived by F. Scott Fitzgerald. In addition, based on the following analysis in the main part, the author then comments on the personalities of the main character Jay Gatsby and Daisy Buchanan. Through making contrast between the hero and the heroine, the inevitability of Gatsby’s tragedy is demonstrated. The differences between them can be shown from two aspects: one is their social standard; the other is their thoughts which are absolutely different. Gatsby is poorly-born and makes his money from bootlegging. So the gate of upper class is never open to him. However, Daisy is from the noble class, who is “the princess of the castle”. Consequently, the shattering of Gatsby’s dream is not accidental. It is decided by the real society of the “Jazz Age”.