Tender Is The Night by F.Scott Fitzgerald portrays the fall of Dick Diver from a talented, cordial and idealistic young psychiatrist to a decadent, materialistic, and lost alcoholic. The admirable qualities that Dick possesses--diligence, persistence, hope--only accelerate his own deterioration when he attempts to fit into the upper class. The vanity and corruption of the upper class, which Dick seeks to cure and change with his innocent sincerity in the beginning, afflicts him and eventually destroys both him and his dream. The dramatic fall of Dick reveals the nature of the American Dream: a futile journey that eventually leads to self-destruction.
菲茨杰拉德的《夜色温柔》描绘了迪克·戴夫由一个有才华、热诚的、充满理想的年轻心理医生,到一个颓废的、势利的、迷失的酒鬼的坠落。勤奋、坚持、充满希望这些宝贵的品质仅仅在迪克试图融入上层社会的过程中加速了他的毁灭。迪克曾以为能用自己的真诚去治愈和改变上层社会的浮夸和腐败,却最终被这些事物深深折磨,摧毁梦想。迪克这种戏剧性的坠落揭露了美国梦的本质:一场终将带来自我毁灭的无用旅途。