Title: The Codes of Gangster Power: Deconstruction of the Illegality Narrative in The Great Gatsby

Abstract: Through its narrative of gangster illegality, The Great Gatsby reveals the symbiotic interplay of legal and criminal orders in America during the Jazz Age. The novel demonstrates this through a triple mechanism of “space-character-violence”: the parties and cars create “extralegal spaces” that blur the line between legality and illegality; the power triangle between Gatsby, Tom, and Daisy reflects the deep texture of class stratification and capital collusion; and Gatsby’s tragic death as a “scapegoat” reveals the underlying logic by which the capital system secures legitimacy through violence. In this approach, the novel engages in a thorough critique of the ideological illusion that underpins the American Dream. Fitzgerald’s sophisticated literary writing transforms the logic of gangster capitalism into a cultural critique instrument, providing a valuable perspective on the legitimacy conundrum in capitalist modernity.

Keywords: F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby, illegality narrative, power mechanism

Authors: Jingbo Zhang, Professor, College of Foreign Languages, Shandong University of Science and Technology, Qingdao, Shandong, China; Yue Lu, College of Foreign Languages, Shandong University of Science and Technology, Qingdao, Shandong, China.

DOI: 10.19967/j.cnki.flc.2026.01.012