Briefly discuss F. Scott Fitzgerald' s theme of bankruptcy of the American dream, focusing on his masterpiece The Great Gatsby.
【正确答案】：(1) FITZGERALD NEVER SPARED AN INTIMATE TOUCH IN HIS FICTION TO DEAL WITH THE BANKRUPTCY OF THE AMERICAN DREAM, WHICH IS HIGHLIGHTED BY THE DISILLUSIONMENT OF THE PROTAGONISTS' PERSONAL DREAMS DUE TO THE CLASHES BETWEEN THEIR ROMANTIC VISION OF LIFE AND THE SORDID REALITY. AMERICAN DREAM IS A POPULAR BELIEF THAT PEOPLE CAN ACHIEVE SUCCESS, WHETHER IT IS WEALTH, FAME OR LOVE THROUGH HONEST HARD WORKING IN A NEW WORLD OF LIBERTY, EQUALITY, CHANCES AND PROMISES. YET IN THE 1920S, THE AMERICAN DREAM WAS BANKRUPT IN THE SENSE THAT THE WEALTHY PEOPLE WERE SPIRITUALLY DISORIENTATED AND MORALLY CORRUPTED.(2) AS HIS MASTERPIECE，THE GREAT GATSBY EVOKES A HAUNTING MOOD OF A GLAMOROUS, WILD TIME THAT SEEMINGLY WILL NEVER COME AGAIN. BESIDES THE LOSS OF AN IDEAL AND THE DISILLUSIONMENT THAT COMES WITH THE FAILURE ARE EXPLOITED FULLY IN THE PERSONAL TRAGEDY OF A YOUNG MAN WHOSE “INCORRUPTIBLE DREAM”IS“SMASHED INTO PIECES BY THE RELENTLESS REALITY.”GATSBY IS A MYTHICAL FIGURE WHOSE INTENSITY OF DREAM PARTAKES OF A STATE OF MIND THAT EMBODIES AMERICAN ITSELF; GATSBY IS THE LAST OF THE ROMANTIC HEROES, WHOSE ENERGY AND SENSE OF COMMITMENT TAKES HIM IN SEARCH OF HIS PERSONAL GRAIL; GATSBY’S FAILURE MAGNIFIES TO A GREAT EXTENT THE END OF THE AMERICAN DREAM. HOWEVER, THE AFFIRMATION OF HOPE AND EXPECTATION IS SELF-ASSERTED IN FITZGERALD’S ARTISTIC MANIPULATION OF THE CENTRAL SYMBOL IN THE NOVEL, THE GREEN LIGHT.
【题目解析】：教材580-582页。本题是一道综合性很强的试题，要求结合小说《了不起的盖茨比》分析菲兹杰拉德美国梦破灭的主题。在回答时，应该首先指出菲兹杰拉德作品中美国梦破灭的主题，然后要结合《了不起的盖茨比》这部小说深入分析美国梦的破灭这一主题。菲兹杰拉德没有回避美国梦破灭的问题，他的小说中的主人公由于浪漫生活与残酷现实的碰撞，个人梦想幻灭了。在《了不起的盖茨比》中，理想的破灭由一个年轻人个人悲剧的形式充分体现出来，盖茨比是一个神话般的人物，他的强烈的梦想是整个美国当时心态的反映。他是最后一个浪漫主义人物，盖茨比的失败表明了美国梦的破灭。
