论文《嘉莉妹妹》中文版
《嘉莉妹妹》中美国梦论文

浅谈《嘉莉妹妹》中的美国梦摘要:在德莱塞的小说《嘉莉妹妹》中,“美国梦”这个主题贯穿故事的始终:嘉莉的性格和命运,都是当时充斥于社会中的美国梦造成的。
本文通过阐述主人公对“美国梦”的追求以及现实和梦想的破灭,暗示了“美国梦”的虚幻性和幻想破灭的必然性。
关键词:《嘉莉妹妹》美国梦性格现实命运中图分类号:i106.4 文献标识码:a一美国梦的起源与发展美国梦(american dream),是美国人引以为豪的一种信念,是指在美国,无论出身、年龄、性别、种族,只要具有坚韧不拔的毅力、勤劳肯干的精神和过人的聪明才智,任何人都可能取得成功,过上舒适的生活,使自己的梦想变为现实。
这种成功,仅仅依赖于个体的勤奋,而非依赖于他人和社会的援助。
拥有美国梦的美国人认为,只要自身的努力,就可以改变自己的社会地位,就可能从一名不文的穷人变为百万富翁,从默默无闻的小人物走进白宫。
美国梦起源于17世纪,英格兰移民怀揣自由与财富的梦想乘坐“五月花号”来到荒无人烟的美洲大陆,其中很多人是清教徒,他们主张宗教自由和民主平等,宣扬梦想靠自身的努力即可实现的观点,因此,当时的美国梦的确催人奋进,起到了积极的作用。
当历史的时针走到18世纪末期,加州大量金矿的发现激起了狂热的淘金潮,人们对金钱的贪欲达到了顶峰,并且一夜暴富成为了梦想的核心。
这就成为了美国梦开始扭曲的转折点。
《嘉莉妹妹》正是在这种时代背景下应运而生的。
二《嘉莉妹妹》美国梦的时代背景《嘉莉妹妹》是美国著名的自然主义时代社会小说家西奥多·德莱塞(1871-1945)的第一部长篇小说。
在当时德莱塞生活的时代,美国正处于由农村向城市的转型历史阶段。
此时,人们追求“美国梦”达到了白热化阶段。
但是此时的美国梦已经不再具有最初的诚实劳动改变所处环境实现梦想的积极的现实意义,人们只关注自经济地位和自身利益,而无视自己的行为是否符合传统道德观。
康涅狄格州立大学历史学教授马修·渥肖尔曾评论道:“美国梦就是对财富的无限渴求和追逐”。
嘉莉妹妹论文全

广东第二师范学院本科毕业论文——嘉莉妹妹的自然主义2015-3040-045 本科毕业论文Naturalism in Sister Carrie嘉莉妹妹的自然主义学生姓名:魏会霞学号:11550401045系院:外语系专业:英语师范专业指导教师:李漫萍副教授提交日期:2015年5月7日毕业论文基本要求1.毕业论文的撰写应结合专业学习,选取具有创新价值和实践意义的论题。
2.论文篇幅一般为4000至6000字为宜。
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4.论文字体规范按《广东第二师范学院本科生毕业论文管理办法(试行)》和“论文样板”执行。
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本人完全意识到本声明的法律结果由本人承担。
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学生签名:时间:年月日AcknowledgementPrimitively, I will cherish the warmest thanks to my supervisor Li Man Ping because of her careful guidance and rewarding suggestions on my paper. Without her help, it would be impossible for me to complete this thesis. Thanks to her continuous encouragement and professional guidance, not only did I successfully accomplish my graduation task, but also learn enormous knowledge of my own major. In the process of looking up academic materials in the library, my supervisor also gave me professional proposals. Her rigorous academic spirit has deeply influenced me and motivated me to form strict attitude of my further study. In addition, I have also enriched my horizon during this process.Furthermore, my head teacher Yu Ming Shun who deserves my sincere thanks. Four years ago when I first came into this department, I don’t even have the most fundamental knowledge of English. It is the dedicated and professional teacher and their inculcation that enriched me and enabled me to make further study in this field. In addition, they have also nourished me for their warm-hearted care of my life. Without their assistance, I could not accomplish the four years’ study a nd go through various difficulties in completing this paper.Last but not least, I would like to send my gratitude to my family and friends. They have encouraged and supported me all along in these days. In the days of searching and collecting the materials of this paper, my friends and classmates gave numerous help to me. In addition, whenever I came into any trouble in the writing or thinking, they would often be there, listen to my problems and give me useful suggestions.AbstractTheodore Dreiser is considered to be a marvelous pioneer of naturalism in the USA. Sister Carrie is one of his representative naturalism masterpieces, which make people clearly see the reality of American society and still has great practical significance. In this thesis, Dreiser’s naturalistic novel Sister Carrie is picked up to depicted the characteristics of the naturalism in the view of Dreiser. This paper is centered on the human’s life which was governed by the three forces of environment, heredity and desire, forces beyond man’s control. In conclusion, we can assure the various connections between the main character of the novel-Carrie’s destiny and Dreiser himself. However, Dreiser stated that the real reason of the unhappiness of Carrie is the inexhaustible desire of their life. Moreover, to some extent, they are bound to be unhappy. In this way we can get a deeper insight of the Dreiser’s naturalism and we can assure the destiny of Carrie was determined by her environment and heredity.Key Words:Naturalism; environment; heredity; desire摘要德莱塞被公认为是美国自然主义的先锋。
《嘉莉妹妹》女性主义探析嘉莉妹妹女性主义论文

《嘉莉妹妹》女性主义探析嘉莉妹妹女性主义论文一时代背景19世纪末20世纪初,美国社会处于由传统工业向现代工业的转型期,工业化和机械化程度日益增强,传统的精神信仰受到了经济发展的冲击,新的精神信仰尚未形成,而女性在当时以男性为中心的社会中仍处于附属地位。
这一时期西方正处于第一次女权运动浪潮之中, 女性开始为争取自身的解放而奋斗,批判男权主义的女权主义应运而生。
2848年,伊丽莎口•凯蒂•斯坦顿和卢科瑞蒂亚•莫特带领女权主义改革者在塞内卡瀑布举行聚会,要求修正法典里许多对妇女不公平的待遇。
纽约州召开了妇女代表大会,争取选举权运动。
这期间,美国社会出现了成千上万的•新女性”。
一般来讲,“新女性”指两类妇女,一类是劳动阶层的年轻女工,另一类是不安于传统女性命运的中产阶级少女和少妇。
“新女性”大都具有强烈的自我意识和独立的个性,受过一定程度的教育,性观念较为开放,不为传统的家庭观念所束缚。
她们常常通过各种方式为自己争取更大的独立权利,并呼吁与男人一样享有平等的权利。
’新女性”的崛起为当时的美国文学提供了全新的素材,注入了新的活力。
大批•新女性”以•自主、独立、蔑视传统”的姿态出现在美国社会,并以否定传统婚姻和家庭观念的大胆行为来挑战男权社会。
但是仍然有许多男性作家,如杰克•伦敦、亨利•詹姆斯等为捍卫男性权威、维护传统妇道而把•新女性”刻画成性情古怪,行为异常,令读者嫌恶的角色。
当时的女性仍然受着清教主义的影响,主流女性形象是温文尔雅的淑女,是虔诚的清教徒,这也就说明,当时的女性在婚后应该全心全意相夫教子,不能毫无顾忌地放纵自我的情感,整天沉溺于男欢女爱。
女性应该是纯洁无瑕的,应该是纯洁高尚的化身,不能读任何有关性和性爱的故事。
尽管德莱塞勇于而对现实,在《嘉莉妹妹》中描绘了以嘉莉为代表的“新女性”的形象,却也未能摆脱遭致恶评的命运。
德莱塞并未像其他世俗之人一样把嘉莉描绘成一个为了虚荣和欲望出卖肉体的低级女性,而是一个•被动的奋斗者”, 属于高层次的女性。
嘉莉妹妹-中英800字-读后感,作文,读书笔记

英文“ Sister Carrie” is a remarkable novel that delves deep into the human condition, exploring themes of ambition, desire, and the pursuit of the American Dream. Theodore Dreiser's vivid portrayal of Carrie's journey from a naive country girl to a woman caught in the web of urban life is both poignant and thought-provoking.The novel's strength lies in its unflinching realism. Dreiser doesn't shy away from depicting the harsh realities of life in the city, including the poverty, the cutthroat competition, and the moral ambiguity that Carrie encounters. This authenticity makes the story all the more compelling and relatable, as it reflects the challenges and choices that many people face in their own lives.One of the most interesting aspects of the novel is the complex character of Carrie. She is a complex and multi-faceted character, driven by her desires and ambitions, yet also vulnerable and uncertain. Her journey is a constant struggle between her longing for a better life and the moral dilemmas that come with it. As she ascends the social ladder, she must grapple with the consequences of her actions and the sacrifices she makes along the way.The character of Hurstwood is equally fascinating. His downfall is a tragic reminder of the consequences of giving in to one's desires without considering the moral implications. His actions are driven by his love for Carrie, but they also lead to his ruin. His story serves as a cautionary tale about the dangers of unchecked passion and the importance of self-control.The writing style of “Sister Carrie” is both powerful and evocative. Dreiser's prose is rich in detail, painting a vivid picture of the city and its inhabitants. His descriptions of the settings and the characters' emotions are so vivid that the reader can almost feel the bustling streets of Chicago and the turmoil in the characters' hearts.In conclusion, “Sister Carrie” is a timeless classic that offers a profound exploration of human nature and the pursuit of happiness. It forces us to question our own values and the choices we make in life. Through Carrie's story, we are reminded that the pursuit of the American Dream is not always straightforward and that the consequences of our actions can be far-reaching.中文《嘉莉妹妹》是一部引人入胜的小说,它深入探讨了人性,以及对美国梦的追求。
美国作家西奥多德莱赛的嘉莉妹妹论文

IntroductionSister Carrie is Theodore Dreiser’s first novel, it was a commercial and critical failure when first published in 1900, but was reissued in 1907 and won high praise for its grim, naturalistic portrayal of American society. Carrie Meeber is the protagonist of the the story. Penniless and “full of the illusions of ignorance and youth,”she leaves her rural home to seek work in Chicago. On the train, she becomes acquainted with Charles Drouet, a salesman. In Chicago, she lives with her sister and brother-in-law, and works for a time in a shoe factory. Meager income and terrible work condition oppress her imaginative spirit. After a period of unemployment and loneliness, she accepts Drouet and becomes his mistress. During Drouet’s absences, she falls in love with Drouet’s friend, George Hurstwood, a middle-aged, married, comparatively intelligent and cultured saloon manager. They finally elope, first to Montreal and then to New York. They live together for more than three years. Carrie becomes mature in intellect and emotion, while Hurstwood, away from the atmosphere of success on while his life has been based, and steadily declines. So their relations become strained. At last, she thinks him too great a burden and leaves him. Hurstwood sinks lower and lower. After becoming a beggar, he commits suicide, while Carrie Meeber becomes a star of musical comedies. But in spite of her success, she is lonely and dissatisfied.In the novel Sister Carrie the author tells us, to Carrie, there must always be a new world to conquer, new goals to achieve. In other words, there must be a new level that is more satisfying than any she has reached.Carrie Meeber does not wish to remain poor and comes to the city to seek whatever she can find. But she is not a simple gold digger. She is much more complex than that, because her goals are clothes, money and fame. However, she does not mind the means through which she achieves them. In the course of her pursuit, Carrie subordinates everything to her consuming ambition, but in the end, her dream is completely broken, and she finds that she can never attain what she wants. She sitslonely in her rocking chair and dreams of such happiness as she may never feel.There is a particular characteristic of the novel which is worth mentioning----much of the space is devoted to the descriptions of the terrible working condition of the factory,where workers are treated as untiring machines. Dreiser shows great sympathy with the working people with whom he is so familiar in his youth. In his novels,workers,both male and female,seem vulgar, rude and ignorant,but warm-hearted and considerate. Take the workmates of Carrie at the shoe’s factory for example. They teach her how to work,try to aid her as much as they dare by working slower, and comfort her in her desperation. So there is true friendship among the workmates. It forms a striking contrast with Carries relationship with those bourgeoisies. And the workers turn out to be of higher class of consciousness in the chapters about the strike. The strikers know how to struggle for their rights. They are not armed,but fight peacefully. They say to the scrub "you don't want to take the bread out of another's mouth,do you?" "we're all working men,like yourself. If you were regular motorman,and had. been treated as we have been, you wouldn’t want anyone to take your place,would you?" "You wouldn’t want anyone to do you out of your chance to get your rights,would you?" "Come down,pared,and be a man. Don't fight the poor. “Though not revolutionary enough,but convincing and philosophic.”I think Sister Carrie is a long but not complicated novel; it had a chronological narrative which follows a linear sequence. Its organization and structure are, as we shall see later, quite conventional and Dreiser, who had after all little knowledge of literature, made no attempt to experiment with the form. It is rather the exact character-portrayal of the novel, the relentless exposure of human motives--- materialism is the core. Man had a meaningless and endless search for satisfaction of his desires, desires for money and sex is another human desire. Sexual beauty symbolizes the social status and shocks readers in 1900 and ultimately breaks new ground. Carrie's transgression, presented unapologetically Dreiser, was scandalous to contemporary readers. According to the conventions of Victorian melodrama, a woman who loves her virtue must be punished with death or other disastrous consequences. The sensation caused by Sister Carrie lay in the fact that, for the firsttime in American literature, a woman had a sexual relationship outside of marriage and came away unscathed. Sister Carrie shows some of the ideological doubts that Dreiser had about American society at the turn of the century. It creates a paradox in the idealism behind the novel. Carrie is to be lauded for her desire to succeed, but mercilessly slandered for her amoral ways of going about it.Though received not favorably and attacked as immoral by the public in its time, Sister Carrie best embodies Theodore Dreiser’s naturalistic belief that while men are controlled and conditioned by heredity, instinct and chance, a few extraordinary and unsophisticated human beings refuse to accept their fate wordlessly and instead strive, unsuccessfully, to find meaning and purpose for their existence. Carrie Meeber, as one of such, senses that she is merely a cipher in an uncaring world yet seeks to grasp the mysteries of life and thereby satisfies her desires for social status and material comfort.Chapter 1 A Description of Carrie Meeber’sBehaviorChangesThe protagonist in this novel is Carrie Meeber,a naive young girl who leaves home in Wisconsinite to find a job and hopes to live independently in Chicago. She is eighteen years old,"and full of illusions of ignorance and youth".And yet she was interested in her charms, quick to understand the keener pleasures of life, ambitions to gain in material things. A half-equipped little knight she was, venturing to reconnoiter the mysterious city and dreaming wild dreams of some vague, far-off supremacy, which should make it prey and subject --- the proper penitent, groveling at a woman’s slipper.②She believes that “everyone has chances to get rich” and “Chicago is paved with wealth”. Anyway she wishes to enjoy the comfort of the city and to find a betterfortune there. She is bright,timid and poverty-stricken.“When she hoarded the afternoon train for Chicago,her total outfit consisted of a small trunk,a cheap imitation alligator---skin satchel,a small lunch in paper box,and a yellow leather snap purse,containing her ticket and four dollars in money.“When she arrives,she stays together with her sister and her brother-in-law, and work in a shoe factory, but she cannot support her self and tired of her job. Meager income and terrible working condition oppress her imaginative spirit. Meanwhile, she usually complains about her dress and manner.She realized in a dim way how much the city held-wealth, fashion, ease-every adornment for women, and she longed for dress and beauty with a whole heart③But the social reality is cruel and harsh for her, instead of finding the wealth,fashion,comfort she has been longing for so long to achieve,she sees that "the walls of the rooms were discordantly papered,the floors were covered with matting and the hall laid with a thin rag carpet.,But things are getting worse for herself. She has to find a job as soon as possible, because she is so broke and penniless. But being inexperienced, and a new comer, she is helpless and how can get one job as easily as she imagines? She walks from door to door from morning till night,turning-here and there,seeing one great company after another, but in vain at first. Finally she is lucky enough to be employed at a shoe's factory for four and a half weeks. Several weeks before going to work she sits on a rocking--chair and imagines that the sum of money will "clear its way to every job and every bauble which the heart of a woman may desire”. ‘I will have a fine time” she thinks. But she has to work incessantly for more than ten hours. After the day's work,her eyes are tired,her arms aching and her limbs stiff. She feels that she can hardly endure such a life. So she gives up the job. Her little savings are soon gone. She is to pay four dollars for board and room,"and now she felt that it would be an exceedingly gloomy round,living with these people.”In her desperation,she meets again, the salesman Drouet,whom she once getsacquainted with on the train –to Chicago. She accepts his ten-dollar bills without much hesitation. She just feels the bills are “soft,green,handsome.” And she feels that “she was immensely better off for the having of them. It was something that was power in itself.” One of her order of mind would have been content to be cast away upon a desert island with a bundle of money.”She exclaims "Ah,money, money! What a thing it was to have. How plenty of it would clear away all these troubles!” So the little soldier of fortune becomes a toy, a plaything of the cynical Drouet. Just as reviewed by “She really was not enamored of Drouet. She was cleverer than he. In a dim way, she was beginning to see where he lacked.④”She can see that Drouet does not have the keenest sensibilities and does not have any intention to marry her. So when Hurstwood calls,she meets a man who is more clever than Drouet in a hundred ways. Hurstwood falls in love with Carrie,takes$10,000 from the saloon safe,and tricks her into joining him on a train. Once in New York Hurstwood is unable to find work,while Carrie gets a job as an actress and soon leaves him.She felt very much like a criminal in the matter. Each day looking at Hurstwood. She had realized that, along with the disagreeableness of his attitude, there was something Pathetic⑤After Carrie Meeber deserts Hurstwood, he is in great despair. Feeble and penniless, Hurstwood wanders in a cold winter night with nobody trying to help. Extremely hopeless and totally devastated, he turns the gas on in a cheap lodging-house and ends his life, while at the same time Carrie is rocking comfortably in her luxuriant hotel room before she boards a ship for London. Carrie Meeber's desertion of Hurstwood can be interpreted as cold and cruel, but she stays with him until it is clear that there is nothing anyone can do to save him. At that time she cannot do anything to change their fate either. The counter point of Carrie's rise and Hurstwood's fall is the final irony of the novel..As the plot develops on,Hurstwood is forced to beg on the streets and live in Bowery flophouses where he commits suicide,unknown to Carrie,who has now become the toast of New York society. Yet Carrie learns in her own mind that this is not happiness. She,alone,sits on her rocking-chair,dreaming such happiness as she may never feel. At the beginning of the novel,Dreiser says "When a girl leaves her home at eighteen, she does one of two things. Either she falls into saving hands and becomes better-, or she rapidly assumes the cosmopolitan standard of virtue and becomes worse". But this is not completely true for Carrie. She has two persons to help her, but instead of getting better, she goes from bad to worse. Actually there is no one who can be the savior for Carrie in the society. And she comes to realize it is impossible to be a success by working bard honestly. If you want to be successful,there is no choice but to sell your flesh and soul,fame and consciousness. As a matter of fact,she is always passive,following whither her craving leads. She is as yet more drawn than she draws. She is simply "an anchorless,storm-beaten little craft which can do absolutely nothing but drift," and "but a wisp in the wind"Chapter 2 Analysis of Carrie Meeber’s Behavior ChangesA. The Necessity for SurvivalBeing one of the millions who swarmed with others into the crowded big cities, Carrie Meeber, better known as Sister Carrie, flows to Chicago, the big prosperously industrial city to seek a better life. She is bright, timid, and full of the illusions of ignorance and youth. She thought that she could find a well-paid job and live comfortably among the upper social strata.Soon she realized that she is faced with the very basic need for living. According to the humanistic theorist Abraham Maslow, human needs can be arranged in a hierarchy ranging from the most necessary requirement for survival at the bottom to the most profound expressions of human potential,self-actualization at the top. After she is settled down in her sister Minnie's house she could not enjoy the comfort of afamily. Soon she realizes that her sister's house will not be her permanent place to dwell in. and conscious of the necessity to find a job sooner to support her. This is just in conformity with Maslow’s need hierarchy, with the need for basic physiological desire for food to keep one to survive at the bottom. Unless this need is met it is hard and impossible for a person to pursue higher needs. It is unlikely for the country girl to go to cinemas, go shopping, and buy the attractive, fancy clothes at the expense of the Hanson’s. They are even thinking of having Carrie pay the expenses fo r her board and lodging in order to save some money. How ruthless and unkind the industrialization has turned people that they will ignore the passions and love among family members.After a kind of long march for looking for a job, Carrie Meeber was lucky enough and finally got a job in a shoe factory. Even though the wage is quite low and she has to pay the Hansons four dollars a week for her room and board, she still indulges in her imagination of the showy city life that she may have someday. This is understandable and logical as better life and enjoyment are above the physiological need in Maslow's need hierarchy. What bores Carrie most is that her sister and Mr. Hanson are too old and their thoughts are too conservative that they do not share much in common. After losing her job Carrie is somewhat despaired, she is lonely and helpless in this desperate situation without anybody to give her any suggestion or guide. Drouet's timely presence is like a straw in the water to save a drowning person from being swallowed by water.As a naive and young, Carrie Meeber is so imaginative and her desire for a better life and enjoyment and live among the upper-class is so strong that even if she meets difficulty and cold treatment, such thoughts are still deeply rooted in her mind. This provides a clue for the readers' understanding of her later changes in behavior. Her overwhelming drive for self-interest will motivates her in every instance. We can clearly see Carrie’s readiness to adapt to new environment when she first comes to Chicago. She is a born craver for the material things. Carrie’s curiosity arid her attention to the possibilities extended by life seem more important and significant than any cautionary training she may have received from her parents. This may serve as areason why she soon falls into affair with Drouet and becomes her mistress.B. The Lure of the Material WorldHe we may see that the acceptance of Drouet's twenty-dollar support marks Carrie Meeber’s submission to his request and her even strong desire for materials. When she stands in front of the mirror of the clothes shop to observe her beautiful image and complexion she couldn't help feeling pleased and a warm glow creeps into her cheeks. Now she also has a just and proper appreciation of her inborn beauty and couldn't bear to feel sorry for herself because she doesn’t get li fe's due rewards for the sake of her attractiveness. After a period of unemployment and loneliness, she accepts Drouet and becomes his mistress.As the theory explains, Maslow's need hierarchy denotes that a need for security is above the physiological need, Material things are big attractions to her, which exert irresistible influence on her. Having taken one step on the socioeconomic ladder Carrie Meeber is bound to climb higher as this is her natural personality to be never satisfied with the present. After met Drouet’s friend Fitzgerald Hurstwood—a big manager, she is fascinated again, for an even luxurious and affluent life will be revealed in front of the eighteen-year-old country girl.As she has Drouet’s financial support, Carrie Meeber has now been at the second ladder of the need hierarchy. She is no longer worried about safety which she seeks from Drouet. But comparison with others shakes her already vulnerable mind and inspires her greater demand for the need. Carrie has usually tended to form her judgment from the material appearance, which is her instinct.” Carrie’s mind is flooded by sensory impression of the city’s material things and it succumbs.”Hurstwood invites Drouet and Carrie to see the famous actor Joseph Jefferson perform in Rip Van Winkle by Washington Irving, and in the expensive box, surrounded by people of means; Carrie's mind is filled with such thoughts that Hurstwood is the stronger and higher. The acquaintance with Hurstwood and the further development in their relationship will guarantee Carrie a safer need for survival both physiologically and socially. Since Carrie is such a person motivated bydesire, she will of course shift her attention from Drouet to Hurstwood who will bring her more luxurious pleasure and enjoyment.C. The Pursuit of Self-ActualizationIn the story, From Chicago to New York, Carrie Meeber's life undergoes some changes. She is married to Hurstwood under the new name of Wheeler and settles down in a common flat in New York City. In Maslow's motivational hierarchy, he believes that most people are blocked from progressing smoothly up this need ladder. Some people have to spend their entire lives working very hard just to satisfy the lower-level deficiency needs, while others never succeed in achieving the belongingness and love that they desire from others. Even people who have reached the higher levels can quickly tumble back down the hierarchy if circumstances change and their lower-level needs are no longer being met.We can identify that in the case of Hurstwood, he just belongs to the third kind of people who can no longer retain his original fame and position once the situation changes. But for Carrie, it is quite the different case. She is an adaptable lady, making herself suit the situation soon. Besides, she is sensitive and often has her own opinions. Observing that Hurstwood has always been wearing the same dress and careful with the money, such a change is too obvious to escape Carrie's detection. Carrie still loves Hurstwood but only has a little satisfaction because she no longer can spend money on anything she likes, she can not go with her lover to wherever they used to. Hurstwood is no longer respected and honored as he was in Chicago. That means several needs are deprived of her“need hierarchy”, which makes her uneasy and disappointed. Her innate desire for material things is hard to satisfy, which causes her displeasure.Carrie Meeber had lived in her private life and never compared with those who enjoy a higher social status and life standard, Carrie's desire for "more" might be suppressed and not to be evoked. But Carrie is not born to be a person like this. She hopes to socialize, get acquainted with others, thus the outside world excellences hold an irresistible force on her.As a matter of fact Carrie Meeber tries every means to avail herself of getting in touch with Mrs. Vance. ---her neighbor, who is not only refined in her manner, but also can play the piano fairly well. Frequent exposure to the refinement and delicate manners displayed by those rich ladies like Mrs. Vance makes Carrie pick up these behaviors quickly and the dissatisfaction with her state increases as time passes by. This point is best illustrated by a visit to the theatre to which Carrie is invited by the Vance’s. Together with them are Mrs. Vance's cousin Ames. In the street, which they are following, coaches are numerous, pedestrians are many and streetcars are crowded. Pitiful is Carrie that she has never had the chance to be taken to a theatre dining-hall ever since they move to New York. Hurstwood's modified state could not permit his bringing her to places like this. She is by now totally overwhelmed by the splendid scene that wealth can bring, her strong desire is aroused and she sees the tokens of property and richness which are the true embodiment of self-actualization.In the story another balancing power on Carrie Meeber comes from Mrs. Vance's cousin, Mr. Ames. During the dinner, they talk about the way rich people indulge in showing off. Ames' words come to Carrie as a shock. “I shouldn't care to be rich, not rich enough to spend my money this way.”And “What good would it do? A man doesn't need this sort of thing t o be happy.” Even though Carrie thought of his words doubtfully, she believed they had weight with her because the word came from him. Although Carrie has such a short contact and exchanges few words with this young gentleman, she is greatly impressed by his words and manners. His ideology seems reasonable, noble, far above the reach of those showy rich people. This is an invisible influence upon Carrie's heart that she might be thinking as to what is the real meaning of success at the end of the novel. After seeing the play, Carrie asks Ames his opinion about being an actor. Ames gives her affirmation that to be a good one, the theatre is a great thing. Ames' little approval sets Carrie's heart bounding.In her conscious mind, Carrie is clear that she couldn't develop any close relationship with this young man, but unconsciously she feels attracted by him. After all, Ames' objective comment on being a good actor sets the tone for Carrie's later achievement in stage. His ideals burn in Carrie's heart. Though they have met justonce or twice, he could have had such strong impression on her, which can guide Carrie in her future development----self-actualization.Carrie Meeber is successful in her later career, after her success of being an actress, she is deeply absorbed in the profession she is engaged in the showy world in which her interest lies completely absorbs her. She now turns her material desire to her yearning for celebrity and reputation, which is of course at the top part of her need hierarchy as far as Carrie is concerned. As time goes by, Carrie has been evoked the even stronger desire to realize herself-fulfillment. In Ames's eyes, this should mean the full development of leer natural talent to enable her success in serious plays, but to Carrie Meeber her understanding is her stronger desires will be met---another meaning of self-actualization. So sitting in her rocking chair, Carrie couldn't help. Remembering the past and what she really wants in life. Chicago, New York; Drouet, Hurstwood; the world of fashion and the world of stage-these are just incidents. Not them, but that which they represent, she longs for.Carrie Meeber is always wanting for more, she has made great success, but she is still lonely and dissatisfied. It was forever to be the pursuit of that radiance of delight, which tints the distant hilltops of the world. So do we see Carrie feels happiness even though she is successful in her profession? Hardly. Her addiction to even greater fame and thus even more desires will keep her from being satisfied with life and become a tremendous force to pursue her next great goal or desire. "Wanting more, Carrie goes on living, dreaming of happiness that, fortunately perhaps, she will never know.”Chapter 3 Theodore Dreiser’s Moral and Naturalistic IdeasWith the publication of Sister Carrie, Theodore Dreiser was launching himself upon a long career that would ultimately make him one of the most significant American writers of the school later known as literary naturalism, in fact he is one of the representative writers of American naturalism, Theodore Dreiser’s style has been a point of heated discussion. The consensus that has been reached so far seems to bethat, although Theodore Dreiser’s novels are formless at times and awkwardly written, and his characterization is found deficient and his prose pedestrian is dull, yet his every energy proves to be more than compensation. Dreiser’s stories are always solid and intensely interesting with their simple but highly moving characters. Theodore Dreiser is good at employing the journalistic method of reiteration to burn a central impression into the reader’s mind. His interest in painting is reflected in his taste for word-pictures, sharp contrast, and truth in color, and movement in outline. The pessimistic and deterministic ideas of American naturalism are clearly showed in Dreiser’s works as he is one of the representative writers of this school.Theodore Dreiser is half socialist and half cosmological pessimist, he was left-oriented in his views. The first chapter of Sister Carrie almost parodies this stock figure. Carrie does not have a thought for her hometown and feels no nostalgia for it or for her family, even when circumstances are hardest for her in Chicago. No wealthy, handsome young man crosses her path. Her "savior" is a drummer, who has no intention of marrying her and whom she will discard with scarcely an afterthought. Carrie becomes a kept woman, but neither she nor Dreiser makes a fuss about it. She will rise through luck, cunning, and an almost total lack of scruples. In the traditional popular fiction of the time, she should be driven to dishonor, prostitution, or suicide. Interestingly, the perhaps in order to make sure that his readers got his point, Dreiser contrasts Carrie with a character that is her exact counterpoint: Minnie, her sister, is virtuous, hard-working, and married. She is not rewarded in the least. Marriage has simply led her into a life of poverty and drab monotony, and Dreiser gives no hint that there is the slightest chance that Minnie's lot might improve some day. Carrie does revive in the American Dream and in the values offered by American society at the end of the nineteenth century: comfort, opulence, status, and security. He would agree with Dreiser who once wrote in one of his pulp migraines that success is what counts in the world, and it is little matter how success is won. This lonely, tossing, thoughtless sea in which Carrie is swimming as she concludes her entrance into Chicago is Dreiser's metaphor for what the German sociologist "George Simmel"⑥identified shortly after the publication of Sister Carrie as "the mental life of themetropolis," which, Simmel might have been describing the state in which Carrie repeatedly finds herself through the rest of her urban career, during the course of which her mood shifts again and again between exhilaration and confusion. The overture to that career, full of the swift and continuous shift of external stimuli so familiar to her and other Chicagoans, is her journey into the city on the train.But while debunking the myths of popular fiction, Dreiser does not extol a sort of immoral cynicism, a total law of the jungle. The morality of Carrie is rather a peculiar sort of amorality, a moral innocence that does not make her guilty of any sin. Dreiser may therefore be viewed as a writer who has no moral preconceptions and who confronts life, in particular life in the American city, for what it is. He explains the insignificance of life and attacks the conventional moral standards. Not only does he look it in the face, but he also refuses to condemn. There is no denying that Dreiser evinced an honesty to his material and to what he knew about life that few, if any, of his predecessors or contemporaries had. Nor does he waste time regretting that life is not what it should or could be; he was not interested in ideals, only in reality as he saw it. But Dreiser stopped at that: he knew how brutal society could be and gives plenty of evidence in Sister Carrie that it is, yet nowhere does he lament the situation or show any interest whatever in political or social reform. Nor is it his intention to move the reader in that direction. The Chicago sweatshops and the strike incident are cases in point. They are described in detail, but Dreiser does not take sides, presenting the worker's and the management's points of view neutrally. Describing the strike, he simply gives us a picture of conditions; he does not explore the problem of social justice or the social and political implications. The sweatshops and the strike are episodes in Carrie's and Hurstwood's lives, nothing more. But the reader feels uninvolved because Dreiser doe snot manages to enlarge his vistas to encompass a more human view of social phenomena. The novel has two stories that counterpoint each other nicely: Carrie's rise and her lover is a study of the mechanical process of unrelated to morality as a chemical experiment. But inscrutable laws, some fall, some rise. Success and failure are both aspects of a morally process.。
英语论文从女性主义角度解读《嘉莉妹妹》

XXXX大学本科毕业论文(设计)任务书编号:论文(设计)题目:从女性主义角度解读《嘉莉妹妹》学院: XXX学院专业:英语教育班级: XXXX级英语教育X班学生姓名:XXX 学号: XXXXXXXX 指导教师: XX 职称:XX1、论文(设计)研究目标及主要任务本论文的研究目标是从女性主义角度解读女主人公嘉莉.米贝的新女性形象。
2、论文(设计)的主要内容本论文分为两章,第一章介绍嘉莉从依附家庭成员和情人到实现独立,并分析其依赖的客观社会原因。
第二章讨论了嘉莉自我意识的觉醒。
3、论文(设计)的基础条件及研究路线本论文的基础条件是不同的研究者对文章的不同解读。
研究路线是对嘉莉.米贝在男权社会的新女性形象进行具体的阐释和解读。
4、主要参考文献E.L. Doctorow. 1958. An Introduction to Sister Carrie. New York: A Bantam Book, Inc.Abrham H. Maslow , G.N. 1970. a theory of human motivation. New York: Harper & RowCharvetr, J. 1982. Feminism. London: J.M. Dent& Sons Ltd.,蒋道超,1999,《德莱赛研究》,上海:上海外语教育出版社。
朱达,1989,《论德莱赛的〈嘉莉妹妹〉》,外国文学研究。
教师:年月日教研室主任:年月注:一式三份,学院(系)、指导教师、学生各一份XXXX大学本科生毕业论文(设计)开题报告书XXXX大学本科生毕业论文(设计)评议书XXXX大学本科生毕业论文(设计)文献综述本科生毕业论文设计从女性主义角度解读《嘉莉妹妹》作者姓名XXX指导教师XX所在学院 XXX学院专业(系)英语教育班级(届) XXXX级英教X班完成日期 XXXX 年 5 月 8 日Feminist reading onSister CarrieByXXXXProf. XX, TutorA Thesis Submitted to Department of EnglishLanguage and Literature in PartialFulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of B.A in EnglishAt XXXX UniversityMay 8, XXXXAbstractTheodor Dreiser is a distinguished writer in American literature in twentieth century. He boasts readers all over the world. In the meantime, Dreiser is widely discussed in critical filed. His first novel, Sister Carrie is his first novel and typical representative of naturalism and has remained a hot topic in American literature.By now, this novel has been researched from various perspectives, but few from feministic aspects systematically.With American society at the turn of the 19th and 20th century, the novel witnesses great transformation of that era. The booming industrialization changes people’s life style as well as their way of thinking and ideology, especially female’s thoughts. Sister Carrie juxtaposes rise to become a celebrity of a country girl and degradation of an affluent manager to a homeless beggar and finally resorts to suicidal. However, popularized commercialism and patriarchal thoughts imposes negative influence on woman, despite of which, Carrie achieves independence from family and lover and realizes talent and beauty awareness.The thesis is composed of two chapters.Chapter one introduces the emergence of new woman in the deeply-rooted patriarchal society, analyzes Carrie’s independence from family and lovers and explains the objective reason for her dependence- consumerist society.Chapter two discusses three kinds of traditional woman and their fate pattern and concentrates on Carrie’s gradual achievement of beauty awareness and talent awareness and her attitude to reality from passiveness to activeness.The significance of the study includes two aspects. Firstly, through the analysis, the researcher wants readers to be more familiar with plot and characters of this novel, not merely regards it as a naturalistic work. Secondly, the research tries to employ concrete supporting theories to analyzeKey words independence self-consciousness freedom摘要西奥多.德莱赛是二十世纪美国文学史上的一名著名作家。
《嘉莉妹妹》:自由女性的勇气与困境

《嘉莉妹妹》:自由女性的勇气与困境1. 引言1.1 概述:嘉莉妹妹是一位充满勇气和坚持的自由女性形象,她以其敢于追求自主权和平等的积极行动而深受读者喜爱。
在她的背后,有着一个充满挑战和困境的现实社会。
本文将探讨嘉莉妹妹所面临的社会压力和困境,并分析她所展现的勇气与坚持。
1.2 文章结构:本文分为五个主题来探讨嘉莉妹妹的形象、困境以及她所展示出来的勇气与坚持。
引言部分将简要介绍文章观点,并概述文章结构。
1.3 目的:本文旨在通过揭示嘉莉妹妹作为自由女性形象所面临的困境和挑战,探讨女性在当代社会中仍然存在的不平等问题。
我们将评估并赞赏嘉莉对抗这些问题所展现出来的勇气,并展望女性在未来可能面临的发展前景。
请记住,政策、约定或实践可能已经发生变化,本文的观点和结论仅基于作者对嘉莉妹妹形象的解读。
2. 主题一: 嘉莉妹妹的自由女性形象2.1 嘉莉妹妹的背景和故事情节:嘉莉妹妹是一位年轻有志向的女性,在故事中展现出强烈的个人主义精神和追求自由的意愿。
她来自一个传统保守的家庭,但她渴望走出自己的舒适区,寻找属于自己的道路。
通过离开乡村生活到城市寻求个人发展,她成为了一个独立思考并勇于追求梦想的年轻女性。
2.2 嘉莉妹妹对传统女性角色的抗拒与突破:在以男权社会为主导的环境中,传统女性通常被期望扮演被动、从属和顺从的角色。
然而,嘉莉妹妹对这种约束不满,并努力突破传统角色模式。
她没有接受作为女性在社会中被限制和贬低的命运,而是选择追求知识、独立、职业发展和个人成就。
2.3 嘉莉妹妹所面临的社会困境和挑战:嘉莉妹妹在追求自由女性形象过程中遇到了许多困境和挑战。
社会对于独立女性的偏见和歧视使她经常面临质疑、嘲笑和不公正对待。
传统观念中根深蒂固的性别角色刻板印象也给她的自由发展设下了障碍。
此外,家庭及亲朋好友的期望与限制也对她的选择产生了阻碍。
以上就是文章“2. 主题一: 嘉莉妹妹的自由女性形象”部分的内容,描述了嘉莉妹妹作为一个反传统女性角色的背景和故事情节,以及她对传统角色模式抗拒并努力突破的态度。
小说《嘉莉妹妹》读后感范文

小说《嘉莉妹妹》读后感范文篇一、小说《嘉莉妹妹》读后感范文Carrie was such an ordinary rural girl at the beginning of the story. Sitting on the seat of a bus, she couldn’t help feeling exciting at the sight of the metropolis’ spectacle. She was impressed deeply by large crowd on the avenue, the spacious square or tall buildings.Far more different from other heroines, Carrie was not a plain pure angel like Snow-white, nor was she brave enough to be a heroine of revolutionist or even a reformer, nor was she so clever as to be a successful career woman who start from scratch.What attracted her most, after her entering this huge metropolis was the incredible fineries, fashion shoes, smart handbags displaying in the shop windows, the jewellerys shining brightly behind the glass. She dreamed that one day, she could wear all of these, jogging gracefully into the most luxurious hotel with focused sights of admiration.And this was not merely a dream. Because she had large eyes which can earn others’ sympathy, even love. She had wonderful figure which can win others’ hearts. However, anything she got, anywhere she reached, had not come from her ambition. Things happened, and then she accepted. That’s what she had just done — just to accept willingly from the bottom of her heart. She was not at all an evil woman who would give anything for the fortune or fame. However, she would give uo something for a better life when her instinct defeated her intellect.That was Carrie, a girl had her own desire, a human being just like many others in the realistic world.There’s one sentence written in chapter VIII:” When thisjangle of free-will instinct shall have been adjusted, when perfect understanding has given the former the power to replace the latter entirely, man will no longer vary.” However, how many people can go that further.And I want to quote another sentence to wind up my essay:“In Carrie — as in how many of our wordings do they not? — instinct and reason, desire and understanding, were at war for the mastery.”篇二、小说《嘉莉妹妹》读后感范文《嘉莉妹妹》的作者是美国社会小说家西奥多·德莱塞。
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迷失在欲望中———《嘉莉妹妹》中的欲望解析摘要: 《嘉莉妹妹》是德莱塞的杰出代表作之一, 作品深刻地反映了当时的美国现实。
嘉莉对物的欲望, 赫斯特伍德对权力的欲望, 杜洛埃对性的欲望, 三位主公全都迷失在欲望中。
关键词: 德莱赛; 嘉莉; 欲望; 迷失西奥多·德莱塞( Theodore Herman AlberDreiser, 187118127—1945112128) 是20 世纪美国著名的现实主义作家。
他的小说形象生动地刻画了19世纪末, 20世纪初资本主义迅速发展中的美国现实社会。
在美国文学史上他第一次广泛真实地描写了美国多阶层的社会生活, 为美国现实主义文学开辟了新领域。
《嘉莉妹妹》是德莱塞第一部长名作, 揭露了当时的社会现实, 展现了在物欲横流的资本主义社会里, 人们迷失在自己的欲望中,展现了美国生活中没有上帝的一面”。
故事讲述的是嘉罗琳·米蓓(嘉莉妹妹) , 一个俊俏的农村姑娘, 她羡慕大都市的物质生活来到了芝加哥谋生。
严酷的现实破碎了她的美梦, 迎接她的是失业和疾病。
在走投无路时, 她做了推销员杜洛埃的情妇, 后来由于更大的欲望又做了酒店经理赫斯特伍德的情妇。
与赫斯特伍德私奔后, 在纽约由于偶然的机会她成了走红一时的演员, 挤上了上流社会,实现了她的梦想。
并抛弃了逐渐贫困的赫斯特伍德, 以不自觉的残忍将他推上了绝望之路。
然而,所谓的“上流社会生活”又给她带来了什么呢?她感到空虚, 找不到真正生活的意义, 在寂寞和凄凉中, 她坐在摇椅里梦想着那终不可得的幸福。
一、嘉莉的欲望———对物的欲望在小说中, 嘉莉的欲望是作者着重刻画的。
嘉莉本身就是一个充满欲望的人, 充满对物和金钱的欲望, 这一部分源于她的本性, “小时候, 她梦过童话里的宫殿和各种豪华气派的地方”。
嘉莉从哥伦比亚城来到芝加哥那一刻起就开始了对金钱的追求, 嘉莉在火车上看到杜洛埃的时髦打扮便意识到自己穿着寒酸, “突然间觉得自己像是穿了一身破烂儿。
她觉得脚上那双鞋也破旧的不成样子了”。
而杜洛埃对芝加哥大都市里的剧院, 漂亮的房子等描绘更“使她着了迷”, “可她心里又隐隐作痛”, 因为“在那富丽堂皇的都会面前, 她显得太微不足道了”。
而到了芝加哥, 她面对的现实让她发现自己不仅根本就无法享受她梦想的生活, 她更要努力工作为一日三餐, 为了一件外套, 为了不受姐姐的白眼, 这就更让她意识到金钱的力量。
此时的她, 只能为了满足自己最基本的需要而努力工作, 直到再次遇到杜洛埃。
这时的她, 处境十分艰难, 失去了工作, 杜洛埃给了她两张“软软的,漂亮的十元美钞”, 这使得嘉莉抛弃了传统的道德观念, 跟杜洛埃同居了。
为了得到美丽的衣服, 也为了满足她基本的生存需要, 与杜洛埃生活在一起后, 杜洛埃对她很好, 领她去餐馆吃饭, 给她买漂亮的衣服, 但渐渐的她发现杜洛埃只是虚有其表,肤浅, 缺乏情趣。
她渐渐不满足于只是吃饱穿暖了, 她需要一个更有内涵, 有品味, 能够与她有共同语言的人, 此时赫斯特伍德出现了, 他在当时满足了嘉莉的所有要求。
他成熟, 稳重, 富有魅力,嘉莉被他吸引了, 并频频幽会, 这时她忘记了杜洛埃是如何帮助她的, 她背叛了杜洛埃, 为了满足自己对爱的渴求, 背叛了之前帮助过她的人, 相信这也是评论家认为嘉莉道德沦丧的理由之一。
跟赫斯特伍德移居到纽约之后, 纽约比芝加哥更加繁华,邻居万思太太是一个善于打扮的女人, 穿着新潮的裙子, 戴着漂亮的帽子, 嘉莉跟她出去逛街后便知道自己要什么, 她想要最新款的裙子, 带羽毛的帽子, 她要像万斯太太一样能吸引男人的目光, 在她看来这才是她现在最需要的。
赫斯特伍德的生意失败后, 他们没有了收入, 坐吃山空, 嘉莉渐渐对赫斯特伍德开始不满, 迫于无奈嘉莉出去谋得了一份演员的工作, 并意外地成名了。
赫斯特伍德成了嘉莉的累赘, 嘉莉决定不再管他, 独自搬走了。
此时的嘉莉已经拥有了梦想中的一切, 结尾她仍然在摇椅中希翼着什么, 她的欲望仍然没有被满足, 究其原因, 嘉莉一直将金钱与物质等同于幸福。
还在芝加哥时, 她与海尔太太一起出游, 看到了芝加哥北区“一座座房子里淡淡的灯光, 照着室内豪华的陈设”, 这时, 孩童的梦想重新占据了她的心。
“她幻想着, 假如走过那雕刻华丽的门墙, 走过门口明亮的球形灯, 走进灯下那嵌着雕花玻璃的门, 里面便是没有忧愁, 没有失意的世界了。
她相信, 这便是幸福。
”正是由于这种错误的理解, 使得嘉莉每当追求到一定阶段时便感到无名的失望与痛苦, 并再次对现状不满, 然后又将自己的欲望定在更高的层面上。
欲望实际是纯精神上的, 所以物质上的富有并不能满足人的欲望。
二、赫斯特伍德———对权力的欲望人对物的渴望导致了对权力的欲望。
赫斯特伍德迷失在追寻权力的欲望中, 长期不如意的家庭生活, 以及他在家庭中家主地位的丧失, 妻子一心只想进入上流社会, 喜欢出风头, 女儿杰西卡17岁,正在上高中, 喜欢享乐, “她满脑子装的只是谈情说爱和优雅的宅院”, 他的儿子小赫斯特伍德已经20岁, 他也喜欢享乐。
这个家庭整天谈的尽是谁家买了蒸汽艇, 谁家发了财, 谁家又买了大楼, 赫斯特伍德在家里仅仅是家人的收入来源。
家庭生活的失意虽然令他不满, “偶尔也会碰到年轻活泼、幽默风趣的女士”, 但是他要顾忌到自己的社会地位, 考虑自己的利害得失。
然而, 嘉莉的出现打破了这种平衡, 嘉莉与妻子形成了强烈的对比。
嘉莉就像“天边升起了一道新的亮光, 那旧的便成了失去光彩的夕阳”。
尤其吸引他的是嘉莉的顺从:举止上没有任何大胆的表现, 生活还没有教会她统治。
嘉莉的顺从满足了赫斯特伍德对权力的欲望,我们可以把他对嘉莉的感情堪称是对他失去家庭权威的补偿。
他本来是并没有打算跟嘉莉结婚的, 他希望能和嘉莉保持情人的关系。
此时, 妻子发现了他的私情, 要起诉离婚, 嘉莉又知道了他是有妇之夫, 环境又给他提供了一个得到大笔金钱的机会,在诱惑面前, 赫斯特伍德迷失了, 最终他拿了这笔钱, 渴望得到嘉莉的强烈欲望让他迷失了。
之后他的日子急转直下, 渐渐没落, 最后自杀。
三、杜洛埃的欲望———对性的欲望如果说嘉莉充满了对物的欲望, 赫斯特伍德是对权力的欲望, 那么杜洛埃则是对性充满了欲望,把对漂亮女性的征服看成是自己力量的表现。
他见到漂亮单纯的嘉莉后, 就被她吸引而不能自拔。
他被自己那与生俱来的欲望牵引着, 又扮起了追逐女人的老角色。
他需要嘉莉来满足自己的欲望, 就好像他每天需要吃一顿丰盛的早餐一样。
征服嘉莉意味着他的胜利, 显示了他的魅力。
所以, 嘉莉最终住进了他为她租的房子后, 他激动万分, 特地去邀请朋友赫斯特伍德来家里看嘉莉以此炫耀自己的能力。
他感叹道: “征服的果实是多么甜美啊! ”出于同样的道理, 当赫斯特伍德利用嘉莉的空虚慢慢占据了她的心后, 杜洛埃所受到的打击也是难以忍受的, 致使他决定离开嘉莉。
这一切并非是他多么爱嘉莉, 而主要是因为他感觉自己失去了面子, 感觉自己的魅力不如赫斯特伍德。
然而, 作者借叙述者之口为杜洛埃的行为辩护, 指出杜洛埃追女人并非“出于冷酷、邪恶而狡诈的心思, 而是受了自己天生的欲望的驱使, 把追女人当作一种乐趣”。
而在叙述者看来, 杜洛埃追女人的欲望就像他同情穷人那样自然, 因为“他这人有一种与生俱来的欲望”, “即使有个乞丐引起了他的注意, 对他说:‘先生, 我就要饿死了。
’他也会爽快地掏出一点小钱给他。
”以传统的道德观念来看, 嘉莉妹妹中的三位主角的行为绝对是为社会所不容的, 嘉莉为了钱而当别人的情妇, 赫斯特伍德偷酒吧的钱, 杜洛埃四处追求女人。
德莱塞受斯宾塞的影响, 导致小说中环境因素起到很大作用, 嘉莉因为寒冷的天气生病失去了工作, 尤其是赫斯特伍德拿酒吧钱的时候也是因为一阵风吹上了保险柜的门, 即使是杜洛埃追逐女人的行为也以天生的欲望为他开脱。
正是由于这点, 导致了一些批评家对小说进行了抨击, 因为没有加入理想主义的说教和教化作用, “现实的太过了”。
德莱塞真实地展现了当时的社会, 嘉莉、赫斯特伍德、杜洛埃只是当时社会上某一类人的缩影。
事实上这些人都是在追求心灵的满足和幸福,只是他们不知道该追求的是什么, 嘉莉将幸福等同于物质, 赫斯特伍德将其等同于权力, 而杜洛埃将其等同于性, 他们在追求幸福的路上越走越远, 嘉莉追求错了目标, 赫斯特伍德用了错误的方法追求错误的东西, 而杜洛埃脑袋空空, 只是虚度人生。
人人都在追求幸福, 却在追求幸福的路上越走越远, 幸福究竟是什么呢, 德莱塞也没有给出答案,事实上他也是迷失在欲望中的芸芸众生中的一员,他作品中的人物身上都有他的影子。
对德莱塞本人来说,他的思想一生经历了许多变化。
早年深受机械论和达尔文适者生存进化论影响,认为残酷的命运主宰着人们,强者向前,弱者落后。
人是毫无价值,随时会遇到障碍,抑或被它们毁灭,抑或侥幸碰上好运,得以实现自己的目的,这与他苦难的家庭生活和生活经历密切相关。
因此塑造的人物现象颠覆了传统道德倾向,与社会传统道德格格不入。
在30年代资本主义世界发生经济危机的年代里,德莱塞的思想发生进一步的深刻变化。
帝国主义世界大战的战祸,资本主义世界的经济危机,以及煤矿工人的反抗,都震撼着他的心灵,动摇了他的思想,使他认识到人类要摆脱灾祸,社会要取得进步,必须起来斗争。
同时,也使他认识到,文学的价值不在于忠实地表现客观,乃在于文以载道。
因此,毫无顾惜地抛开生物社会学观点。
1930年夏,他公开声明支持美国共产党。
并毅然放下文学创作,深入厂矿进行调查,并积极参加了矿工的罢工斗争。
调查报告《哈尔兰矿工的话》(1932)就是他和同伴们在哈尔兰进行社会调查的实录,是一部关于30年代美国工人阶级状况的文献。
在《悲剧的美国》(1932) 、《向艺术家呼吁》(1933)和《美国是值得拯救的》( 1941)等政论作品里,援引大量事实材料来揭露和批判美国统治阶级在政治、经济、司法、文化、外交等领域犯下的罪行,得出资本主义必然灭亡的结论。
同时,肯定人民的历史作用,号召艺术家代表人民群众立即行动起来,参加到战士的行列中。
他身体力行,积极参加国内外的反法西斯斗争,赢得世界进步人民的尊敬。
德莱塞的思想在中年和晚年发生了巨大的变化。
转向了东方神秘主义并参加宗教仪式和活动,改良的思想比较明显。
后期作品就明显表现了这种改良和神秘主义的思想。
在长达50年的创作生涯里,德莱塞经历了不同的历史时期和不尽相同的资本主义形态,每一个时期他都会有新的体验和反应。
德莱塞本人也曾明确否认自己是自然主义者,他的作品中一般也没有自然主义那种病态与色情的描写。
德莱塞的小说创作对于美国现实主义文学的发展作出了杰出的贡献,表明了现实主义在美国的胜利。