摘 要

美国小说家西奥多·德莱赛的作品以探索一个人人都千方百计追求物质欲望的社会现实而著称。他的代表作《嘉莉妹妹》也不例外，是一部具有深刻主题意蕴的小说。该作品的现实主义风格及对细节的描写有力地烘托了主题。本文首先简要介绍了作家德莱赛以及《嘉莉妹妹》，继而从性格和思维方式的改变这两个方面分析主人公嘉莉妹妹的成长经历，最后得出结论——当代女性必须通过自己的努力获得自我实现。

关键词：西奥多·德莱赛；《嘉莉妹妹》；成长

Contents

1. Introduction----------------------------------------------------------------------------------1

2. Demonstration------------------------------------------------------------------------------2

2.1 The American society Carrie lives in ------------------------------------------------- 2

2.2 Carrie’s growth in character------------------------------------------------------------ 2

2.2.1 From dependence to independence--------------------------------------------------2

2.2.2 From obedience to self-awareness---------------------------------------------------4

2.3 Carrie’s change in mindset--------------------------------------------------------------5

2.3.1 A girl seeking material happiness--------------------------------------------------- 5

2.3.2 A woman pursuing spiritual world-------------------------------------------------- 6

1. Conclusion---------------------------------------------------------------------------------7

Works Cited-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------8

Bibliography----------------------------------------------------------------------------------9

An Analysis of Caroline in Sister Carrie

1. Introduction

Theodore Dreiser, a great American realistic writer, is famous worldwide not only as the pioneer of modern fiction but also as a naturalist. His works are close to people's lives. These novels are honest, bold and full of passion for life. Dreiser was born in a bankrupt family of small proprietor in Indiana. He had a hard life during his childhood. After graduating from high school, he went to Chicago to earn his own living. In 1889, he entered Indiana University and dropped out of school one year later. In 1892, he set out on a career in journalism and worked as a feature writer for a magazine. Theodore Dreiser published his first book Sister Carrie in 1900. It depicted a pure girl who was born in a peasant family and embarked on the tragedy of the fallen path. In 1911, he published the second novel, Jenny Girl, depicting the tragic experience of Jenny. In the following years, he published the Trilogy of Desire consisting of Financier (1912), The Giant (1914) and Stoic (1947) which profoundly exposed the evils of the American bourgeoisie. In 1925, the novel The American Tragedy came out, making Dreiser one of the most famous writers in the United States.

Sister Carrie was controversial in the early days. Some people said it was advocating freedom while others thought the traditional ethics was ignored in the novel. Carrie, living in the countryside near Chicago, was tired of monotonous rural life and determined to go to the big city--Chicago. For a country girl, the city life was not only a big attraction but also a great torture. After experiencing a host of ups and downs, Carrier finally changed from a dependent and obedient girl to an independent and courageous woman who started to earn her own living and pursue her spiritual world.

Many critics think Sister Carrie advocates free thinking and has a high artistic value because it’s a true reflection of real life. The Time Pioneer in Chicago claims that “no novel has so far described the life of the middle and lower class in Chicago as it did” (Jack Salzman 123-133). Ainclair Lewis, the first Nobel Prize winner in literature in the United States, once said with deep feeling: Sister Carrie “was like a free, strong, westerly wind blowing into the obscure and gloomy America, bringing the first fresh air from Mark Twain and Wittman to our stagnant personal world”（潘新华 3）. However, every coin has two sides; some critics think Dreiser went beyond the moral and ethical constraints and made people suspicious of traditional moral standards and even social morals since many people believe that Carrie is a “fallen” and “cold-blooded” woman who has lived in a rich material life by fair means or foul.