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1、ON THEODORE DREISERS SISTER CARRIE FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF NATURALISM从自然主义角度论德莱塞的小说嘉莉妹妹byQiu YanhongJune, 2007Xiaogan UniversityAbstractTheodore Dreiser is an outstanding writer in American literary history .Writing in naturalist style; he created a new era of American literature and influenced a go
2、od many contemporary writers as well as his followers. Sister Carrie is regarded as the masterpiece of Theodore Dreisers writing skills in naturalist style. And this thesis from the perspective of Naturalism in American literature, taking Sister Carrie as an example, attempts to study it from natura
3、listic point of view and explain how environmental factors and heredity factors influence the hero and heroines fate. Besides that, since its well understood that naturalism has several limitations, the paper aims to discuss naturalism in Sister Carrie with critical eyes, criticizing pessimistic det
4、erminism and the concept of human beast as reflected in the novel. By studying naturalism in Sister Carrie, one can criticize its limitations and find solution to those universal social problems so as to provide some valuable experience for our socialistic constructions: the youth should be self-res
5、pected, self- confident and self-dependent and try to overcome the disadvantageous environmental factors and hereditary factors being the master of ones own fate. This is the realistic significance of my paper and explains why Sister Carrie which was written over a century ago is still popularly rea
6、d by contemporary people and constantly appreciated by critics in other new perspectives and endowed with new connotations.Key Words：environmental factors; hereditary factors; naturalism摘要 西奥多德莱塞是美国史上的一个杰出作家，他用自然主义文学创作手法开拓了美国文学的一个新时代，影响了一大批同时代的人以及后来的作家，嘉莉妹妹被视为德莱塞自然主义写作手法的发刃之作。本文从美国自然主义的视角分析嘉莉妹妹，讨论环境
7、因素和遗传因素对主人公的影响。但是众所周知自然主义有很多的局限性，因此本论文旨在带着批判的眼光来讨论展现在嘉莉妹妹中的自然主义的局限性，例如：悲观决定论和人性兽化这些观点。通过研究嘉莉妹妹中的自然主义，我们可以批判自然主义的局限性，解决一些社会问题，为社会主义社会建设提供参考意见，即年轻人应该自尊、自信、自强，努力克服环境遗传的不利影响，作自己命运的主人。这是本论文的现实意义，也是嘉莉妹妹这部写于上世纪初的小说为什么到今天依然被人们广泛阅读，不断地被评论家从新的角度进行研究并赋予新的诠释的原因。关键词：环境因素； 遗传因素； 自然主义Contents1.Introduction12. Natu
8、ralistic Environmental Factors for Carrie2 2.1 The living environmental factorsluring metropolises2 2.2 The social environmental factorsassociation with a group of human tempters4 2.3 Mysterious manipulation of chances53. Naturalistic Hereditary Factors for Carrie6 3.1 Endowed gift guaranteeing her
9、success on the stage6 3.2 Insatiable desire for pleasure serving as a propelling force74. Naturalisms Limitations as Reflected in Sister Carrie8 4.1 Critique of pessimistic determinism as reflected in Sister Carrie9 4.2 Critique of concept of human beast as reflected in Sister Carrie115. Conclusion1
10、2Notes14Bibliography15Acknowledgements16On Theodore Dreisers Sister Carrie from the Perspective of Naturalism1. IntroductionAt the beginning, its of importance to define what naturalism is. As a matter of fact, thats a troublesome question, for there are various opinions and consistent debates about
11、 it. In my paper, I tend to define naturalism as a special creative current of thought which emerged in 1890s and came to a dominant position in 1900s in Europe and America. It originated in France in 1850s, represented by Zola. As the most influential naturalistic writer in Europe, Zola declared in
12、 his famous The Experimental Novel that he wrote about life as it was lived in slums, that is, he aimed to present a true-to-life picture in front of his reader. This bolder way to describe realities soon caught the attention of many young writers in America who found that Howells an realism was to
13、fennel and restrained to depict the sordid facts in America society and discovered in Zola an effective and new way to describe the hideous side of America life. Against such a literary background, naturalism came into being in America. It is characterized by its great emphasis on fidelity and truth
14、fulness in the writing process, the starkest advocating of environment and heredity as those important deterministic forces shaping the fates of individuals, the amoral attitude towards the materials, pessimistic determinism, as well as its stress on the animal side of human nature. The whole pictur
15、e depicted in naturalistic woks is dark and solemn, and the general tone is helpless and pessimistic. Writers belongs to this genre, like Stephen Crane, Frank Norris, and Theodore Dreiser, tend to depict with faithfulness and objectivity the insignificance of human beings in a cold, indifferent jung
16、le-like circumstance, the inscrutable chances imposed upon mans fate, the brutalizing and crushing forces of environment and heredity. The characters in their writing are insect-like animals, devoid of moral consciousness, which are subjected to the mighty and inscrutable forcesespecially these of c
17、ircumstance and innate temperament.1 Among those naturalistic works, Dreisers Sister Carrie is well known as the one in which naturalism attained maturity in America. This thesis taking Sister Carrie as an example, attempts to study it from naturalistic point of view and explain how environmental fa
18、ctors and heredity factors influence the hero and heroines fate. Besides that, since its well understood that naturalism has several limitations, the thesis aims to discuss naturalism in Sister Carrie with critical eyes, criticizing pessimistic determinism and the concept of human beast as reflected
19、 in the novel. And states briefly the realistic significance of the paper that is under nowadays market economic opportunities and fashionable, glamorous urban life, they move from the underdeveloped regions to the prosperous metropolis. Some of them are led by their insatiable desir for material go
20、ods on turn to dishonest, illegl ways. They pessimistically complain about the deterministic effect of degrading environmental and humiliating hereditary factors upon their fates, and blam the amoral, indifferent attitude the society takes on their moral degradation. In fact one should not be so pes
21、simistic: all of people must dignity and self-confidence and fight against for changing the adverse environmental factors and hereditary factors. Therefore, everybody can be a new man and the master of ones fate.2. Naturalistic Environmental Factor for CarrieOne outstanding feature of naturalism is
22、its stress on the influence of environment upon mans fate. According to naturalism, man is a helpless pawn, at the mercy of the surrounding. For instance, in Janie Gerhardt, a novel written in 1911 and wildly considered as the twin sister of Sister Carrie, Dreiser has his wealthy and seemingly impre
23、gnable heroLester declare those words, “all of us are more or less pawns. Were moved about like chessman by circumstance over which we have no control”. 2 This famous pronouncement is often regarded as the philosophical center of naturalism, describing the deterministic effect of environmental facto
24、rs. Most naturalistic novels depict in detail the crushing effect of environment upon individuals. However, in Sister Carrie, the environment, instead of crushing Carrie down, even contributes to her rise.2.1 The Living Environmental FactorsLuring MetropolisesNaturalism attaches great emphasis on on
25、es living environment, believing that ones living environment influences ones fate enormously. Therefore, the paper starts with discussing the crucial role played by metropolis in Carries rising journey.Metropolises, with their glittering theatres, imposing hotels and sumptuous restaurants, together
26、 with the wealthy in their fashionable apparel, represent the walled and glided city to which Carrie seeks entrance. Described as the “Elf-land”, “dream land”, or “the kingdom of greatness”3 in the novel, they have been luring a huge number of dreammakers to pour in by promising to satisfy those dre
27、amers, every desire for wealth, for status, for influence. Carrie is just one of them. Living in the entrancing city, a materialist in the core, she cant escape the consistent seduction from the superhuman tempter, and is lead in consistent pursuit of her unquenchable desire for perfect happiness. O
28、n the other hand, metropolises are indeed the natural and idealized habitats for Carrie, for only in those amusing and magnetizing critics can she satisfy at least temporarily her insatiable desire for pleasure and display her special theatrical talent. To be sure, big cities, such as Chicago and Ne
29、w York, offer the needed environment for Carries rise.Chicago is the first city that forms a suitable living environment, necessary for Carries rise. At the time when the novel was written, it was the vibrant center of business, where the promise of fortunes to be made hung in the air. To these gree
30、n hands and the rustic, the big city is a shimmering mirage of, promising not only economic opportunities but also a glamorous, exciting, and comfortable social life. However, this is just one side of the city. The other side of it is a rather and indifferent place, a merciless jungle-like industria
31、l society. Carrie is a bright and beautiful girl of eighteen years old. She is eager to enjoy various pleasures in the life, especially ambitious to gain material well being. She looks forward to Chicago with mixed feelings of ignorance and youthful expectancy. Dreiser depicts her as “a half-equippe
32、d little knight ”,4 who ventures to reconnoiter the mysterious city and dreams “wild dreams of some vague, far-off supremacy, which should make it prey and subjectthe proper penitent, groveling at a womans slipper”5. At the very beginning, Carrie dreams wildly that she can again fame and fortune and
33、 take the big city in her control. But the reality turns out to be quite the contrary. Instead of playing the role of the conqueror of the city, man has been moving about in the jungle-like city like driftwood caught in the oceans side. The imagery of the over whelming sea, another important symbol,
34、 serves as an indispensable part of the jungle picture ,and like the symbol of the prairie, reminds us of the cruel jungle struggle for existence. According to principles in naturalism, man is subject to the environment he lives in. Under the pervasive influence of the citys hypnotic power, its natu
35、ral for one to fall as an easy prey to the captivating night in the city. Its in the metropolis, with its unbounded material commodities and numerous entertaining ways that the desire for material goods, for immediate pleasure provides man with the strongest impulse to act, as Carrie does in the nov
36、el. New York is another important living environment which is instrumental in Carrie material rise. As an imperial metropolis, it is the origin of all wealth, power and fame, where the mysteries and possibilities of mystification are infinite. Dreiser opens Chapter30. “The kingdom of Greatness.the P
37、ilgrim a Dream” 6 with a brief discussion of the specific atmosphere created by the ultimate metropolis. The high and mighty atmosphere in New York is like a chemical substance: staying in the atmosphere for one day will completely affect and discolor ones point of view and ones desire which will th
38、ereafter remain forever dyed. One day of it to the never tried mind is equated with opium to the non-smoker. As a more powerful superhuman tempter, New Yorks dreams are more destructive because they are more remote and unattainable than Chicagos. New York is a place which seems to promise wealth and
39、 fame for those fortunate new comers, like Carrie. This side of the city is irresistible, while the other side of the city is rather sordid place which bases everything on money, appearance, and reputation. Its in such a mighty atmosphere that provides the proper environment for Carries success.Taki
40、ng two great metropolises for example, this part discuss the effect of Chicagos hypnotic power and entrancing night and New Yorks mighty atmosphere upon Carrie fate: they incessantly lure her and awake her unquenchable urban life. Whats more, the showy theater, as the most irresistible attraction fo
41、r her in the city, not only symbolizes her dreamland and serves as a source of her happiness but also provides her with an excellent place to display her talent and makes her rise to material well being. In a word, the luring metropolis provides Carrie with a suitable living environment, for only in
42、 metropolis can she satisfy at least temporarily her unquenchable desire for material goods and entertainment, as well as display her performing talent.2.2 The Social Environmental FactorsAssociation with a Group of Human TemptersEnvironmental factors also contain influence from ones social associat
43、ion. Zola has pointed out that man is not an isolated creature; he lives in a society, thus the social environment, like the living environment, also plays decisive role in ones fate. In other words, the omnipresent social environment definitely influences ones value system and stimulates one to pur
44、sue a certain kind of success. For instance, Carries association with a group of materialists helps her to adapt to the cosmopolitan environment quickly and has her unquenchable desire for wealth, for fame further stirred up.First, instructions on clothes and manners acquired from of a traveling sal
45、esman, arousing Carries desire by whispering besides her ear like the evil serpent in the Garden of Eden. He describes the big city as a vast department store with numerous fascinating goods, and his own appearance affects Carrie as a kind of advertisement: the swollen purse, the shiny tan shoes, th
46、e smart suit, and the air with which he does things, build up for her a dim world of wealth, of which he is the center. On the train to Chicago, Carrie is immediately attracted by the drummers dashing attire and elegant appearance, which causes her to study her own and is acutely conscious of the de
47、ficiency of her own clothes: the shabbiness of the dress and the worn state of her shoes. Bear in mind, Carries keen interest in attractive clothes and the deficiency of her own is an integral and indispensable part of the future outcome of the novel. Much of her story is presented in terms of the c
48、lothes she acquires. Clothes, usually considered as an index of taste and social position, for Carrie, have turned into a naive but urging desire for that which is elegant and pleasing in life. They also constitute a well-understand language of society, which indicates clearly ones status and wealth
49、. To learn this language well, she becomes a willing student of her lover Drouet. As a dandy salesman alert to any distinctions in dress, Drouet regards good clothes as the first essential thing, things without which he is nothing. Living together influenced by Drouets philosophy about clothes. Besides instructing Carrie in te
