Abstract：The Great Gatsby is a novel by the American author F. Scott Fitzgerald, which reveals the tragedy in American society in the 1920s and the disillusionment of "American dream". The author uses the symbol of golden color to highlight the theme-that American idealism and spirituality have been corrupted by material possessions and wealth. The Great Gatsby' s success, not only its profound social themes but also its artistic expression with the use of symbolism highlight the theme. This paper attempts to take the symbolism as a point to explore the symbolic meaning of golden color in The Great Gatsby. Furthermore, it displays the realistic significance of symbolic meaning of golden color and the pursuit of golden life from different aspects. Let readers have a better understanding of symbolism as a literary approach and have a better understanding of the theme. So that we can understand the author's life and his novel and the times of his as well as the reflection on the social problems.
Key words：The Great Gatsby; symbolism; golden
摘要：小说《了不起的盖茨比》是20世纪美国著名作家菲茨吉拉德的代表作,其揭示了20世纪20年代美国社会的悲剧和美国梦的幻灭。作者运用金色的象征来突出美国的理想主义跟精神主义被物质和财富而摧毁这一主题。小说《了不起的盖茨比》的成功,不仅在于它深刻的社会主题,还得益于它运用了象征主义手法来突出主题。本文从象征主义为切入点来揭示了《了不起的盖茨比》中金色的象征意义。此外，也从不同方面展现了金色的象征意义中的现实意义和对金色生活的追求，让读者更好的领会象征主义作为一种文学表现手法来表现人物性格和作品的主题,因此我们能够了解作者的人生和他的小说及其所生活的时代,进一步领会作者的写作意图及其反映的深刻社会意义。
关键词：《了不起的盖茨比》；象征主义；金色
