The Art Of Defamiliarization In The Great Gatsby

"Defamiliarization" or "estrangement" is one of the core concepts in Russian Formalist theory. It was proposed firstly by Victor Shklovsky, and was later accepted by the other members of Russian Formalism. They believe that by investing the familiar with strangeness via transformation in language and in writing technique, it can prolong perception, and thereby counter the deadening effect of habit and convention. In this way, a work can arouse readers' strong sensation and impress them with stronger thematic suggestiveness and aesthetic impact.F. Scott Fitzgerald 's masterpiece "The Great Gatsby" was universally acclaimed as a classic in the American Literature. Critics have carried out profound studies and analyses in respect to the theme of the work, the historical significance and the narrative techniques over the past decades. However, no systematic study of "The Great Gatsby" in terms of "defamiliarization" theory has been put forward. In view of this, this paper analyzes The Great Gatsby with Shklovsky's "defamiliarization"by investigating its narrative structure, narrative focalization, and the language, with a view to reveal "defamiliarization" in the work. The paper explores the definition of "defamiliarization" and analyzes the application of "defamiliarization" in the work of "The Great Gatsby" It pinpoints that the high aesthetic beauty of "The Great Gatsby" is, to a great extent, attributable to Fitzgerald's skillful use of "defamiliarization".