Sister Carrie(英文原著)-2023修改整理

千里之行，始于足下讓知識帶有溫度。第第2頁/共2頁精品文檔推薦SisterCarrie(英文原著)SisterCarrie

TheodoreDreiserisoneofthemostinfluentialAmericanwritersofcriticalrealism,butmanyofhisworksreferredtothedescriptionofnaturalismandweakenedhiscriticalspirit.Whenmostnovelsdealonlywiththesmilingandbeautifulaspectsoflife,Dreiseradvocatestruthfulreflectionoflifeinhisfiction.ItisnotanexaggerationtosaythatDreiser'sSisterCarrieclearsthewayforthedevelopmentofAmericanfiction.InSisterCarrieDreiserdetailstherelationshipamongreason,freewillandinstinct:Whenhumans'instinctandreasonareatwar,theformerprevailsoverthelatterinmostinstances;humans'freewillismostlyanillusionandsubmitstohumans'instinct.

TheodoreDreiserisregardedasanoutstandingrepresentativeofAmericannaturalism.Inthisthesis,Dreiser’sfirstnovelSisterCarrieistakenasanexampletoanalyzethefeaturesofDreiser’snaturalism.ThethesisreferredtothreegreathistoricalandculturalbackgroundofthenovelwhichareDarwinism,Determinism.AmericanNaturalismandConsumerism.Meanwhilethethesisanalyzesthreefeaturesofnaturalism.Atlast,wecandrawtheconclusionthattheleadingcharacterofthenovel-Carrie’sdestinyhasagreatconnectionwithDreiserhimselfandthedeclineofHurstwoodisaresultofDreiser’sfearoffailure,butDreiserattributesCarrieandHurstwood’sunhappinesstotheirinsatiabledesireforlifeortheyaredoomedtobeunhappyetc,andfromwhichwecanseeDreiser’snaturalismeasily.

“Sittingintherockingchair,Carriedreamsherfuture”thisisthedeepimpressionthenovelSisterCarriegivesme,sendingmeintoamournfulandthoughtfulstate.ThoughCarrie,theheroine,apuregirlfromalittlevillage,wasborninaworkingfamilyofaflourmill.Farmoredifferentfromotherheroines,CarriewasnotaplainpureangellikeSnow-white,norwasshebraveenoughtobeaheroineofrevolutionistorevenareformer,norwasshesocleverastobeasuccessfulcareerwomanwhostartfromscratch.sheyearnsfortheluxuriouslifeinabigcity.Ambitiousasagirllikeher,shegoestoChicagowithasurgeofbeingrich.Whatattractedhermost,afterherenteringthishugemetropoliswastheincrediblefineries,fashionshoes,smarthandbagsdisplayingintheshopwindows,thejewelleryshiningbrightlybehindtheglass.Shedreamedthatoneday,shecouldwearallofthese,jogginggracefullyintothemostluxurioushotelwithfocusedsightsofadmiration.

Onthetrain,hemetaman,Derouet,whoopenedthedoortothegorgeouscitylife

forher.Underthetemptationofbeautifulclothes,magnificenthousesandrarefieddishes,shesurrendered.ShebecameDerouet’sgirlfriend.However,whenbettertemptationcame,shesurrenderedagain.SheelopedwithHurstwood,amanagerofagroggerywhojustgotalargeamountofmoney.TheydidhavesshortperiodofhappylifeinNewYork.Butlatteron,HurstwoodusedupallthemoneyandCarriebecameafamousstar.Shedidnotwantotherstoknowherpast,sothevaingirlleftHurstwood.Withnomoney,noaffectionfromhisformerlover—Carrie,Hurstwoodtotallybrokedown.Hefinallycommittedasuicide.

Tosomeextend,shehadlovedHurstwood.Butwhenlovemetherideallife,shehadtodiscardit.HerlovetoHurstwoodwasbasedonmoneyandsocialstatus.Herexperienceofstrugglingforbetterlifemadeherlosetheabilitytolove.Atlast,Carriesucceeded.Sheownedwhatshedreamedof,money,socialstatus,luxurioushousesandbeautifulclothese.Shewasthefocus.However,sheownedallthisatthecostoflosingherself.Thiswasallherlife.

Idon'tthinkitisallCarrie'sfault,becauseeveryonelovebeautifulthingsandbetterlife,especiallygirls..Allgirlshavethesamedreamofbecomingashiningprincesswithothers'adoration.Carriedidn'tdoitonpurpose.Inthepursuitofmoney,socialstatusandherdreams,shehadgiveupsomethingshehadalreadyhave.Comparedwithherdreaminglife,sheclosetoabandonhersocalled"love".Wecan'tsaythatshewascoldbloodedorhardhearted,shewasjustanordinarygirlwholostherselfunderthetemptationofgorgeousmaterialthings.HerlovetoHurstwoodwasbasedonmoneyandsocialstatus.Herexperienceofstrugglingforbetterlifemadeherlosttheabilitytoloveandthetruehappiness...Shelongforhappiness,butsherealizedthatshenevergetit,justasitreads"Inyourrockingchair,byyourwindow,shallyoudreamsuchhappinessasyoumayneverfeel".

CarrieistheembodimentofthetypicalAmericanswhoaremorallyadriftinthebrutal,unprincipledandmaterialisticworld.Losingthemselvesintheworldofbenefit-first,market-directedeconomy,mostAmericansatthatperiodrunafterfortuneandfamealltheirlives,consideringlittleabouttheirmoralones.ThecurrentsituationinChinaisthesame.Studentsstudyforthesakeofplumpwallets,doctorsworkforthepurposeof“redenvelope”givenbythehelplesspatients,andmoresimilartoCarrie,youngladies,inordertoliveasumptuouslife,dreamofmarryinghandsomeandrichmenorevenbecometheotherwomenofwealthymen.

Suchaphenomenonreflectstheprevalenceofmammonisminourmaterial

society.Dotheirpursuitsoffortunemakesense?Idon’tthinkso.LikeCarrie,whentheseworldlypeoplegetwhattheywantatlast,mostofthemcometorealizethattheirlivesareempty.AsfarasIamconcerned,whattheauthormanagestotellusisthevirtueoflife.Chasingafterhigh-qualityandhigh-standardlifeisofnoblame,butitshouldnotbetheultimategoaloflife.Oneoughttoliveameaningfullife,with