【正确答案】正确答案：In Theodore Dreiser"s eyes, the "American Dream" is not longer a pure concept that one starts from scratch and is well-achieved through diligence and hardworking, but a disillusioned dream dyed by the hue of Naturalism. In Sister Carrie, this perception is mainly reflected in the protagonist Carrie. As a poor countryside girl, she is driven to the city by full of the lofty dreams. She begins in poverty, works hard to succeed, faces major setbacks, and is finally rewarded with a meteoric rise to unimagined heights. In Carrie"s case, however, "work" is a very broad term, as it is her feminine charms, her ability to charm and win over men—and in turn, be won over by them—that is her main occupation. So her success brings her no comfort and peace in heart but a disturbing and empty state of mind. The controversy has been accompanying Dreiser since his first novel was published. Particularly, his naturalistic style generated great criticism from both the literary circle and the public—he and his characters simply gave no consideration of the nation"s puritanical moral traditions. In the novels, they violated the bottom line of moral stands and Dreiser even described the sex drive in the human experience, all of which were taboos of the time. However, his advocates believed his unconventional writing style gained him a legendary reputation for freedom of expression. And these judgments still remained the test of time.

【答案解析】解析：本题考查美国梦在德莱塞的小说《嘉莉妹妹》中的反映。在德莱塞的笔下，这些美国梦多是一些破裂的梦想。德莱塞的争议则由来已久，在生活中他追逐着美国梦，而在小说和作品中他却以自然主义的文笔描述着这种梦想的破灭，考生可以结合自然主义的认识对该问题进行一定的探讨，给出个人的理解与看法。天津外国语学院2007年综合试卷英美文学部分参考答案与解析