In the 21st century, along with the dilemma that both human and the earth are suffering from the polluted environment, some responsible scientists and naturalists who are quite concerned with the safety of our living environment have carried out a series of environment-friendly movement about literature。 At the same time, ecocriticism has gained its own reputation and soon transferred to China。 In 2000, Lu Shuyuan of Suzhou University issued Ecological Literature, in which he adopted the theory of ecocriticism to analyze literature and arts。(Lu 5) He attempted to conduct a vivid discussion about the issues concerning the relationship between literature and natural ecology, the ecological implicit meaning of art, and the history of literature and art。 Through the discussion, he pointed out that ecological literature is a new academic trend in the background of the contemporary ecology。 

2。 2 Research on The Great Gatsby home and abroad文献综述

The Great Gatsby did not draw much attention by the time it was published in 1925。 Scholars home and abroad did not pay much attention to it until the death of Fitzgerald。 After that, some scholars set out to study Fitzgerald and his works, special attention was given to The Great Gatsby, the masterpiece of Fitzgerald。 At that time, some critics spoke highly of this novel for it caught the main essence and core stream of that time。 The influence of this novel on American literature is quite persistent and tremendous。 During this period, various kinds of literary critical methodologies appeared such as biogeographic criticism, formalism and feminism。 

In China, The Great Gatsby came to be accepted by the Chinese readers at the beginning of the 1980s with the publication of its Chinese translation edition by Professor Wu Ningkun。 Chinese literary circle, from then on, began to study this novel in a new way。 In the ten years from 1990 to 2000, there were a large amount of papers concerned, most of which conduct comparatively deep survey into the novel from different perspectives, such as the main characteristics of the leading roles, rhetorical devices used like metonymy and metaphor, the approaches to creation, the artistic achievement。 After the entry into the 21st century, some critics employ feminism, post-colonialism to expound this novel, and advance this novel to a new level。 In order to make some comparatively new discoveries and further interpret Francis Scott Fitzgerald's ecological consciousness, this paper is intended to have a deep analysis of the novel from the perspective of eco-criticism。 

3。 The Great Gatsby From Eco-critical Perspective

3。 1 Natural ecology in The Great Gatsby 

Natural ecology studies the relationship between man and nature。 Of course, no one can deny the fact that the relationship between human and nature is of crucial significance。 But   people are confused about it。 A friendship or a relationship between master and servant, it is hard for them to determine。 The problem how to get along well with nature has been troubled us after entering the era of industrialization。 

There is no denying that the west movement in America has greatly promoted the development of American agriculture and industry and built favorable foundation for the economy。 Besides, it opened up the territory of the United States。 However, all of these still cannot make up for the devastation on the nature。 The retaliation from the nature not only inflicted the exploiters, but also tortured their future generations, the characters in the novel。 More over, the First World War is another social outcome aroused by the explosion of human desires, which is one of the causes contributing to the falling and rising of the characters, especially the hero Gatsby。