Literature Review With the popularity of Fitzgerald#8217;s works, most scholars have tended to analyze his works from the perspective of patriarchal views but seldom from that of female consciousness. Under such circumstances, scholars have little knowledge of Fitzgerald#8217;s feminism and female consciousness, especially the differences between his early and later works, which deserve studying. 1. Definition of female consciousness and feminism Female consciousness is a derivative of feminism. Feminism is a means of checking literary works which roles those works play in the breakdown of suppression on women, as agents or poisons (Tyson, 81). In the eyes of critics in this arena, the prime way to suppress women was to build traditional images of men and women; that is, man was rational, strong-minded, decisive and dominant while woman was on the other way round. Under the control of patriarchal society, females were just divided into the good and the bad based on males#8217; views, under which circumstances they were being under suppression (Hu Zhao, 2007). Tender is the Night does confirm to the criteria of the above-mentioned works. Critiques believe that the evils in the eyes of Fitzgerald were the representatives of modern women based on his prejudice on females and his patriarchal minds (Li, Guan Xu, 2005; Wang, 2011). Those modern women who endeavor to fight for their rights and social status are against the mainline of society and are regarded as the bad ones. Their brave endeavors had to do with their female consciousness. It is feminism that brought about female consciousness. Influenced by the times and social background, Fitzgerald was in a dilemma whether to support gender equality or not. Female characters in his works were shifted from being submissive to rebellious, a phenomenon that could be called female consciousness. 2. The emergence of female consciousness 2.1 Differences between female characters of Fitzgerald#8217;s works in early and later times Accordingly, scholars argue that behind the shadow of his prejudice and discrimination over females were Fitzgerald#8217;s subtle but ever-increasing consciousness of social equality and feminism. Some analyzed it referring to the negative description of female characters and females#8217; attempts to free themselves from suppression (Fan, 2012). And others preferred to interpret it from men#8217;s desire for dominance over rebellious women (Yang, Xia Yang, 2015). Evidently, the emergence of female consciousness is a primary difference between Fitzgerald#8217;s early and later works. Some scholars endeavored to interpret Fitzgerald#8217;s female consciousness by decoding female characters. Most of them tended to make a comparison (Li, 2006; Wang, 2010; Xiang, 2011; Zhou, 2015). In Fitzgerald#8217;s later works, whoever they are, female characters more or less have a sense of rebellion against patriarchal society. Scholars argue that although some female characters aroused female consciousness in different ways such as Nicole and Rosemary in Tender is the Night, the effects on them reached the same goal by different means (Xiang, 2011). 2.2 Symbols Symbols also lend a sense of female consciousness to Fitzgerald#8217;s works. A series of images, such as titles, incidents, colors functioned as useful agents to reveal emotions, themes, characters (Liu, 2007). Only by doing so could the author strengthen the criticism of the American Dream. In Tender is the Night, the novel is entitled with deep connotations by using the images of the characters#8217; names, the movies#8217; names, incidents, colors, and titles, leaving enough space for imagination and understanding so as to stress the themes of the work . It is added that multiform and characteristic symbols help develop the theme of American dream and female consciousness (Lei, 2010). And readers might find easier to understand the themes in Fitzgerald#8217;s works than those in others#8217; thanks to the use of symbols. 3. Limitations in the previous studies Reviewing the above-mentioned studies on female consciousness in Tender is The Night, we can find some limitations of the previous studies. First of all, seldom has someone explored female consciousness in Fitzgerald#8217;s works from the perspective of female characters#8217; psychology. Psychology plays a vital role in the portrayal of character, their features in particular. In spite of the fact that some scholars have been aware of its importance, most of them tended to decode the character#8217;s psychological minds drawing on some substances such as letters, shopping lists so as to restore her images as she gradually recovers and seeks after mental independence (Xia, 2009). The lack of directly analysis of psychological changes remains to be further elaborated on in this essay. Then, the studies on symbols up to now just analyzed symbols themselves but didn#8217;t closely connect them with female consciousness. Essays on symbols are mainly centered on different themes or the whole novel but few of them focus on symbols in portrayal of characters. Those results are not persuasive enough to be evident for showing female consciousness. Last, differences between the female characters of Fitzgerald#8217;s works in early and later times are only surrounded with the general images of female characters. The reasons for the female characters from being submissive to rebellious that showed female consciousness have not yet mentioned, which might be articulated by analyzing characters#8217; psychology and be studied in further researches.