《Naturalism of Dreiser in Sister Carrie论嘉莉妹妹中的自然主义.doc》由会员分享，可在线阅读，更多相关《Naturalism of Dreiser in Sister Carrie论嘉莉妹妹中的自然主义.doc（9页珍藏版）》请在taowenge.com淘文阁网|工程机械CAD图纸|机械工程制图|CAD装配图下载|SolidWorks_CaTia_CAD_UG_PROE_设计图分享下载上搜索。
1、Naturalism in Sister Carrie Abstract: Theodore Dreiser ,the writer of Sister Carrie ,is one of the most outstanding representatives of American naturalism. In this thesis, his first novel Sister Carrie is taken as an example to analyze the features of Dreisers naturalism. The thesis referred to thre
2、e great historical and cultural background of the novel which are Darwinism, Determinism, American Naturalism and Industrial Revolution .And the thesis analyzes three features of naturalism. At last, we pay attention to Dreisers exploration -human desire and revelation of the dark side of human natu
3、reKey Words: Naturalism Darwinism desire environment human natureNaturalism of Dreiser in Sister CarrieIntroductionTheodor Dreiser (1871-1945)， an American author, outstanding representative of naturalism, whose novels depict real-life subjects in a harsh light. Many of his works referred to the des
4、cription of naturalism and weakened his critical spirit. His first novel Sister Carrie published in 1990 revealed the financial disparity and the moral decline of American society and thus regarded as forbidden book. But now the book becomes one of the best-sellers of American literature because of
5、the naturalistic features in it. Then Dreiser is regarded as a pioneer of American naturalism and as a naturalist Dreiser expresses the characteristics of naturalism in most of his works. The themes of Darwinism and Determinism are the common features of Dreisers story which also characterize Sister
6、 Carrie.Dreiser chose to reflect life truthful in his works when other novels deal only with the beautiful aspects of life,. It is not an exaggeration to say that Dreisers Sister Carrie clears the way for the development of American fiction. From follow analysis of three aspects and conclusion,we ca
7、n find out the naturalism of Dreiser in Sister Carrie1. The historical and cultural background for Sister CarrieTheodore Dreisers Sister Carrie reflects the profound transformations in American life in the late nineteenth century. 1.1 Darwinism and Determinism In 1859, Darwins The Origin of Specie a
8、ppeared. It soon changed mans recognition. Before Darwin, human was separated from the animals because of its moral. However, at this time evolutionist considered human as a part of natural things and a member of the animal kingdom. American naturalists accepted “bestiality” and “ human beast” as an
9、 explanation of desire. They attempted to achieve extreme objectivity and frankness presenting characters of low social and economic classes who are determined by their environment and heredity. They dismissed the validity of comforting moral truth. Darwinism is the most important theory, which grea
10、tly affects Sister Carrie.Freuds theory gives theoretic basis to Dreisers description of mans desire. Freud considers mans natural instinct as determination. To him man is a part of nature since man is a member of animals. Human mentality and action will forever be determined by instinct. Desire is
11、just a genetic instinct in his opinion. 1.2 American naturalismSister Carrie was written and published also at the rise of American naturalism, which means a particular genre of fiction that developed in the late 19th century America, and associated principally with writers such as Jack London , Ste
12、phen Crane, Frank Norris and Theodore Dreise.At the end of nineteenth century came a generation of writers whose ideas of the working of the universe and whose perception of the societys disorder led them to naturalism. A new and harsher realism, naturalism was introduced to the United States, liter
13、ary naturalists spoke out against the ideas that literature should present what Howells called for the smiling aspects of life. Instead, they attempted to achieve extreme objectivity and frankness presenting characters of low social and economic classes who were dominated by their environment or her
14、edity in depicting the extremes of life. American naturalists emphasized that world was amoral that men and women had no free will, that their lives were controlled by heredity and the environment, that religious truths were illusory, and that the destiny of humanity was misery in life and ablivion
15、in death.1. 3 Industrial RevolutionIndustrial Revolution brought American people a value crisis. The 19th century was the time of industrialization. Serial changes made people feel they were conquering the world and obtaining their treasures. The surprising development made people feel too close to
16、wealth and happiness. Then appeared small amounts of industrial giants and large number of poor people, American value materialistic to the core. Living in such a society with such a value system, the human individual is obsessed with a never end, yet meaningless search for satisfaction of his desir
17、e. 2. The typical characteristics of naturalism in Sister Carrie In Sister Carrie I find out that some of its themes differ from those of other naturalistic works. 2.1 The desire, instinct and the ifluence of environments Freuds theory gives theoretic basis to Dreisers description of mans desire. Fr
18、eud considers mans natural instinct as determination. To him man is a part of nature since man is a member of animals. Human mentality and action will forever be determined by instinct. Desire is just a genetic instinct in his opinion.This thesis covers Dreisers meaningful ideas-desire. Mans behavio
19、r is dominated by instincts (desires, needs and fear) and environments (cities and consumerism) and chances. In the process of evolution, man is not able to control instincts completely. Desire is considered hereditary and instinctive. In this novel most of the central characters are hurried by a de
20、sire of personal affirmation, a desire they can neither articulate nor suppress. And Carrie Meeber is the representative. She sufferd from a need that her lives assume the dignity of dramatic form, and they suffer terribly, because they do not really understand it.Her view to money is “Money, someth
21、ing everybody else has and I must get.” (Theodore Dreiser, 1979, P77) Drouet then becomes her first ladder. When Drouet give her money for the first time, she hesitates. She knows clearly that no deep, sinister soul with ulterior motives could have given her fifteen cents under friendship, since “na
22、ture has taught the beasts of the beats of the field to fly when some unheralded dangers threatens” (Theodore Dreiser, 1979, P79) Here in her superego, she has a feeble instinct of self-production. However, deep in her mind, there is a strong desire for better clothes, jewelry, dinning in halls and
23、plays in the theaters. Then preconscious becomes weak. Id gets upper hand. At last, id implies the superego and Carrie chooses to live with Drouet. When she knows that Drouets love is unsteady, the appearance of Hurstwood stimulates her new hope and desire. It is the new hope and desire that compels
24、 her actions. “his kind of unfulfilled dreams would beckon and lead her until death and dissolution dissolve their power and would restore her blind to natures heart” (Theodore Dreiser, 1979, P353) When Hurstwood can supply the life she dreams of, she stays with him, if not, she leaves. With the deg
25、radation of Hurstwood, Carrie would not endure losing her dreams. When she meets Mrs Vance, Carrie longs for the dainty decorated, beautiful clothes and genteel manners. “What a wonderful thing it was to be rich” (Theodore Dreiser, 1979, P385) is the powerful voice of her heart. Without money,she le
26、aves again.From the beginning to the end, Carrie is just like a machine controlled by the desires . 2.2 The influence of the environmentEnvironment is a tremendous thing often leads people to a wrong direction.Drouet tells Carrie that Chicago is a wonder, and that she will find lots to see. Even her
27、 siste tells her, “Youll want to see the city.” 1She comes there. She comes to the big web of Chicago in order to pursue a happy life. The prosperous parties, lights, dinners, theatres attract her.she chooses Drouet.As soon as she sees Hurstwood, she evaluates his worthhis wealth, position and sexua
28、lity-by his “rich” plaid vest, mother of pearl buttons and soft black shoes “polished only to a dull shine.” When she meets Mrs Vance, Carrie longs for the dainty decorated, beautiful clothes and genteel manners. “What a wonderful thing it was to be rich” (Theodore Dreiser, 1979, P385) is the powerf
29、ul voice from the bottom of her heart. She inters another pursuition.3. Dreisers exploration-human desire and revelation of the dark side of human natureFrom the first novel Sister Carrie on, Dreiser set himself to project the American values for what he had found them to be -materialistic to the co
30、re. Living in such a society with such a value system, the human individual is obsessed with a never-ending, yet meaningless search for satisfaction of his desires. One of the desires is for money which was a motivating purpose of life in the United States in the late l9th century. For example, in S
31、ister Carrie, there is not one character whose status is not determined economically. Sex is another human desire that Dreiser explored to considerab1e lengths in his novels to reveal the dark side of human nature. In Sister Carrie, Carrie climbs up the social ladder by means of her sexual appeal. A
32、lso in the “Trilogy of Desire,”the possession of sexual beauty symbolizes the acquisition of some social status of great magnitude. However, Dreiser never forgot to imply that these human desires in 1ife could hardly be defined. They are there like a powerful magnetism governing human existence and
33、reducing human beings to nothing. So like all naturalists he was restrained from finding a solution to the social problems that appeared in his novels and accordingly almost all his works have tragic endings.ConclusionThis short thesis can not cover Dreisers meaningful naturalism. His greatness is i
34、n his insight, his sympathy, and his tragic view of life. Dreiser explorated human desire and revelation of the dark side of human natureReferences:1Bantam. Sister Carrie M. New York: Bantam Classics , 1992. p.61.2 Williams, M & L. B. Burden. Psychology for Language Teachers M. Beijing: Foreign lang
35、uage Teaching and Research Press/Cambridge University Press, 2000. 3 Theodore Dreiser . Sister Carrie M. Bei Jing : Foreign Language Teaching and Studing Press 1981 : 136.1 蒋道超. 德莱塞研究M . 上海: 上海外语教育出版社, 2002 : 125 .生命列车The Train Of Life1. 不久以前，我读了一本书。书中把人生比作一次旅行。2. 人生一世，就好比是一次搭车旅行，要经历无数次上车、下车; 时常有事故发
36、生; 有时是意外惊喜，有时却是刻骨铭心的悲伤 3. 降生人世，我们就坐上了生命列车。我们以为我们最先见到的那两个人-我们的父母，会在人生旅途中一直陪伴着我们。 4. 很遗憾，事实并非如此。他们会在某个车站下车，留下我们，孤独无助。他们的爱、他们的情、他们不可替代的陪伴，再也无从寻找。 5. 尽管如此，还会有其他人上车。他们当中的一些人将对我们有着特殊的意义。 6. 他们之中有我们的兄弟姐妹, 有我们的亲朋好友。我们还将会体验千古不朽的爱情故事。7. 坐同一班车的人当中，有的轻松旅行。8. 有的却带着深深的悲哀 还有的,在列车上四处奔忙，随时准备帮助有需要的人 9. 很多人下车后，其他旅客对他们
37、的回忆历久弥新 但是，也有一些人，当他们离开座位时，却没有人察觉。10. 有时候，对你来说情深义重的旅伴却坐到了另一节车厢。你只得远离他，继续你的旅程。11. 当然，在旅途中，你也可以摇摇晃晃地穿过自己的车厢，去别的车厢找他 12. 可惜，你再也无法坐在他身旁，因为这个位置已经让别人给占了 .13. 没关系。旅途充满挑战、梦想、希望、离别 就是不能回头。因此，尽量使旅途愉快吧！14. 善待旅途上遇见的所有旅客，找出人们身上的闪光点。15. 永远记住，在某一段旅程中，有人会犹豫彷徨，因为我们自己也会犹豫彷徨。16. 我们要理解他人，因为我们需要他人的理解。17. 生命之谜就是：我们在什么地方下车
38、？坐在身旁的伴侣在什么地方下车？我们的朋友在什么地方下车？我们无从知晓 18. 我时常这样想：到我该下车的时候，我会留恋吗？我想我还是会的。和我的朋友分离，我会痛苦。让我的孩子孤独地前行，我会悲伤。 我执著地希望在我们大家都要到达的那个终点站，我们还会相聚 19. 我的孩子们上车时没有什么行李，如果我能在他们的行囊中留下美好的回忆，我会感到幸福。20. 我下车后，和我同行的旅客都还能记得我，想念我，我将感到快慰。21. 献给你, 我生命列车上的同行者, 祝您旅途愉快!1. Not long ago, I read a book, in which a mans life was compare
39、d to a journey.2. The life of a man is just like a hitchhiking，during which many times we go up and down. Now and then things will happen accidently, some of which are to be unexpected excitement，while some heart-breaking sorrows. 3. When first embraced the world，we are already on the train of life.
40、 We take it for granted that the first two persons, our parents, whom we are encountered with, will accompany us all the way.4. Sadly，things do not go on as we thought.Our parents will get off the train at a certain station，leaving us, bereft and helpless.Their love and emotion to us and their irrep
41、laceable company can be found in nowhere.5. However，there will be somebody else who will get on the train. Some of them will have special meaning to us.6. Some of them may be our siblings , relatives and friends, and we will also expereince the imperishable love.7. Some of our travelling companions
42、are quite light-hearted on the way.8. While some may bear immense sorrow.Still some ,back and forth, are ready to hold out their hands for others who need help.9. Some people alight off the train, yet they are still kept in the mind of the other passengers for long;some, to the opposite, leave their
43、 seats without being noticed.10. Sometimes, the one,who is dear to your heart, has huddled into another carriage. Nothing but one you can do is just to keep on going, far away from him.11. Of course, during the journey, you may stagger to another carriage to look for him.12. Its a pity that you will
44、 never seat yourself beside him because the seat has been engaged by others. 13. Never mind. The journey is full of challenges,dreams, hopes and departures- but only one thing is that you cant turn back. So, have a good journey with heart and soul.14. Show your good-will to all the passengers you ar
45、e encountered with, and find the merits of theirs.15. Remeber that someone may oscillate just as we do in the journey.16. We should understand others just as we need others understanding.17. The enigma of life is：Where shall we get off the train of life?And how about the companions beside us?And our
46、 friends?We dont know.18. Sometimes I think：When my time comes to get off the train，shall I miss it？I think I will.It is a suffering when I part with my friends.I will be sorry for leaving my kids going alone.I firmly hold that when we get to the terminal，we will have another reunion.19. When my kid
47、s get on the train of life, they have only little luggage in their travelling bags. However,if I can leave the beautiful memory in them,I will be happy. 20. After getting off the train of life, I will be content if my fellow passengers will remember me and miss me.21. To you , the companions on my train of life.May you have a good journey!9