自然主義和德萊塞的《嘉莉妹妹》

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1、本科畢業(yè)論文 本科生畢業(yè)論文 Naturalism and Dreiser’s Sister Carrie 自然主義和德萊塞的《嘉莉妹妹》 院 系：外國語系 專 業(yè)： 英 語 學生姓名: 學 號： 指導教師： 2008年6月 Contents Contents I Acknowledgements II Abstract

2、 III 摘 要 IV 1 Introduction 1 2 The Rise of Naturalism…………………………………………………………….2 2.1 The Appearance of Naturalism ………………………………………………… …….…2 2.2 The Influence of Darwin’s Theory of Evolution……………………………………… ...3 3 Naturalism in Sister Carrie ………………………………………………………..5 3.1 A Brief Introduction to Si

3、ster Carrie………………………………………………...……5 3.2 The position of Sister Carrie in American Literature……………………………………..7 3.3 The Influence of Naturalism on Sister Carrie’s Fate……………………………….….….9 3.4 Hurstwood’s Death—A Full Display of Naturalism………………………………….….13 4 "Survival of the Fittest" in Our Society-

4、--On 2006" Supergirls" Hao Feier.16 5 Conclusion……………………… ………………………………………………...18 References… ………… …………………………………………………………… 19 . I Acknowledgements I would like to thank all those who have given me their generous helps, commitment and enthusias

5、m, which have been the major driven force to complete the paper. First, I would like to thank my supervisor Mr. Zhou for his constant encouragement and guidance. He has walked me through all the stages of the writing of thesis. Without his constant and illuminating instruction, this thesis could no

6、t have reached its present form. Second, my thanks would go to my beloved family for their loving considerations and great confidence in me all through these years. I also owe my sincere gratitude to my friends and my fellow classmates who gave me their help and time in listening to me and helping

7、me work out my problems during the difficult course of the thesis. Abstract Under the influence of Darwin’s theory of evolution, American literary naturalism emerged as an outgrowth of American realism. In literature, naturalists attempted to achieve extreme truth and frankness, by presentin

8、g characters of low social and economic classes. The naturalists believed that the human animal responded to environmental forces like any other animals. The aim was survival. Due to his strong language and writing style, Dreiser became one American writer who noticeably practiced naturalism. Dreise

9、r’s novel, Sister Carrie, brought a tremendous impact to the society of that period, which made it a representative of naturalism. In this paper, the author firstly talked about the rise of naturalism, and then gave a brief introduction of the special status of Sister Carrie in the American literatu

10、re. In Sister Carrie, Dreiser dramatized two images. One was Carrie, a figure driven by desire and instinct: the other was Hurstwood, a figure of tragedy. From the two images, we could see the law “survival of the fittest” was at its full display. Based on “Sister Carrie”, this essay would have an a

11、nalysis and appreciation of naturalism and the different fates of the two main characters. The purpose of this paper was to acquire a deeper idea of naturalism. Key words: naturalism; desire; determinism 自然主義和德萊塞的《嘉莉妹妹》 摘 要 在達爾文的進化論影響下，作為現(xiàn)實主義的延續(xù), 美國文學出現(xiàn)了自然主義。在文學領域，通過展現(xiàn)社會和經濟層次

12、較低的人物, 自然主義者致力于達到絕對真實和誠實。自然主義者相信人類對環(huán)境壓力的反應和其他動物一樣，目標只是生存。由于他的強有力的語言和寫作風格,德萊塞成為了一位展示自然主義的美國作家。德萊塞的小說《嘉莉妹妹》給那個時代的美國社會帶來了巨大沖擊,它成了美國自然主義的代表作品。本文中作者首先談論了自然主義的產生，然后簡單介紹了《嘉莉妹妹》在美國文學史上的特殊地位，在《嘉莉妹妹》中，德萊塞刻畫了兩個人物形象，一個是嘉莉，受著本能和欲望的驅使，另一個是郝思伍德，一個悲劇形象。通過這兩個角色，我們可以看到適者生存法則得到了完美體現(xiàn)。本文以《嘉莉妹妹》為范本解讀自然主義以及小說中兩個主人公的不同命運，以

13、此我們來更深刻的領悟自然主義。 關鍵詞：自然主義；欲望；決定論 I 1 Introduction With the development of industry and modern science, and under the influence of the disturbing teaching of Darwinism, some people began to see that man was no longer a free ethical being in a col

14、d and indifferent world. American naturalism emerged in the 1980s as an outgrowth of realism. It was defined as the technique of portraying a scientifically accurate, detached picture of life, including everything. The naturalists saw man’s life as governed by two forces of heredity and environment

15、that were beyond man’s control. Man was totally helpless and hopeless in the vast universe. “Naturalistic writers attempted to achieve objectivity and frankness, presenting characters of low social and economic classes who were predetermined biologically and sociologically. Naturalistic literature t

16、ended to be concerned with the less elegant aspects of life and its typical settings were the filthy slum, the sweatshop, the factory or the farm.” (Yang Xiaofeng, 2006: 203)Theodore Dreiser was one of the most important and influential naturalistic writers in American literature. Sister Carrie, a m

17、ilestone in Dreiser’s writings, was a representative of naturalism. In Sister Carrie, Dreiser dramatized two images. One was Carrie, a figure driven by desire and instinct: the other was Hurstwood, a figure of tragedy. This essay would have an analysis and appreciation of naturalism and the differ

18、ent fates of the two main characters. The author hoped that through this paper, we could acquire a deeper idea of naturalism. 2 The Rise of Naturalism 2.1 The Appearance of Naturalism At the end of the Civil War, big business boomed and there was now a preoccupation with "conspicuous cons

19、umption". Capitalism roared and consumers began to see each other for what they thought they really were: money. There came a generation of writers whose ideas of the working of the universe and whose perception of the societys disorder led them to naturalism. Under the influence of European writers

20、 such as Emile Zola, Thomas Hardy and George Eliot, American literary naturalism emerged in the 1890s as an outgrowth of American realism. The origin of the universe and all things contained there by natural processes is widely accepted and proclaimed. Many to natural processes attribute the develo

21、pment of the first living organisms and their diversification into all the plants and animals now extant. The most widely accepted explanation is usually called the theory of evolution, often taught as a law of nature based on established fact. To question its validity in the intellectual world is v

22、irtual heresy. A new and harsher realism, naturalism was introduced to the United States. 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 d

23、estiny of humanity was misery in life and oblivion in death. The pessimism and deterministic ideas of naturalism pervaded the novels of such writers as Stephen Crane, Frank Norris, Jack London and Theodore Dreiser. Naturalism in literature is a moral and spiritual absolute zero, conceivable but unat

24、tainable, and the term "naturalistic" when applied to a book or an author must be able only in a relatively sense. In literature, 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

25、objectivity and frankness presenting characters of low social and economic classes who were dominated by their environment or heredity in depicting the extremes of life. In naturalist fiction, the characters were often the lowest in the social stratum. It was believed that people in the under-class

26、es had no buffet of civilization between themselves and nature. The naturalist stories were often about these rendered helpless by uncontrollable forces. The mood was invariably dark and pessimistic. Furthermore, violence in naturalist fiction was explicit and sex broke through the taboos and decoru

27、m that bound realists. 2.2 The Influence of Darwin’s Theory of Evolution Darwinism seems to stress the animalist of man, to suggest that the irresistible forces of evolution dominated him. The Darwinist belief that humans are highly evolved animals becomes a refutation of the religious (Christian

28、creation) view that humans exist below angels. Therefore, the human animal responds to environmental forces like any other animals. The aim is survival. The existence of a human person is limited by where and when he or she is born and the social economic forces he or she has to wrestle with. Only

29、the fittest survivals in the life can live in this society. Because freedom of will dose not exist, ethical choices are illusory. Naturalism thus eliminates the ethical problem that lies at the heart of the realist novel. Since human behavior is determined, it cannot be judged in terms of right or w

30、rong, good or bad. As Dreiser entered the literary scene in the early 1900s, a conventional style of writing had already been set into tradition. The function of literature was to appeal to man’s higher nature, to inspire him through the depiction of man’s capacity to achieve the ethical life to se

31、ek such a life for him. Materialism and capitalism in a booming economy, conventional standards of men and women’s roles, and the denial of the American public in response to the novel all prove that Sister Carrie was ahead of its time in portraying the authentic and pessimistic view of real existen

32、ce. 3 Naturalism in Sister Carrie 3.1 A Brief Introduction to Sister Carrie When Carrie left her town in Wisconsin, she had nothing but a few dollars and a certain unspoiled beauty and charm. Young, inexperienced, she was going to C

33、hicago to live with her sister and to find work. While on the train, she met Charles Drouet, a genial, flashy traveling salesman. Before the train pulled into the station, they had exchanged stresses, and Drouet promised to call on Carrie at the sister’s house. When she arrived at her sister’s home

34、, Carrie discovered that her life there would be far from the happy, carefree existence of which she had dreamed. Then Carrie went job-hunting and finally found work in a small shoe factory. Of her first wages, all but fifty cents went to her sister. Then she fell ill and lost her job. Once again

35、she had to look for work. Day after day she trudged the streets, without success. It seemed as if she would have to go back to Wisconsin, and the Hansons encouraged her to do so. If she could not bring in money, they did not want her. One day, while Carrie was looking for work, she met Drouet and t

36、old him her troubles. He offered her money, which, with reluctance, she finally accepted. A few days later Carrie went to live with Drouet, who had promised to marry her as soon as he had completed a business deal. In the meantime, Drouet introduced her to a friend, G. W. Hurstwood. Hurstwood had a

37、 good job as the manager of a saloon, a comfortable home, a wife, and two grown children. More than twice Carrie’s age, he nevertheless accepted Drouet’ s suggestion that he look in on her while the salesman was out of town on one of his trips. Before long, Hurstwood fell in love with her. Carrie wa

38、s furious when Drouet told her that Hurstwood was already married. Meanwhile, Mrs. Hurstwood had become suspicious of her husband. Drouet had secured for Carrie a part in a theatrical entertainment, which a local lodge was presenting. Hurstwood, hearing that Carrie was to appear, persuaded many of

39、his friends to go with him to the show. Mrs. Hurstwood learned of the affair and heard, too, that her husband had been seen riding with an unknown woman. She confronted Hurstwood and told him that she intended to sue for divorce. Faced with social and financial ruin, Hurstwood was in despair. One ni

40、ght he discovered that his employer’s safe was open. He robbed it of several thousand dollars and went to Carrie’s apartment. Drouet has just deserted her. Pretending that Drouet had been hurt, Hurstwood succeeded in getting Carrie on a train bound for Montreal. In Montreal Hurstwood was approached

41、by an agent of his former employer, who urged him to return the money and to settle the issue quietly. Hurstwood returned all but a relatively small sum. Under the name of wheeler, he and Carrie were married. Then they left for New York. There Hurstwood looked for work, but with no success. Gradual

42、ly he grew less eager for a job, and began staying at home all day. When bills piled up, he and Carrie moved to a new apartment to escape their creditors. Carrie set out to find work and was lucky enough to get a job as a chorus girl. With a friend, she took an apartment and left Hurstwood to himse

43、lf. Soon Carrie became a well-known actress, and a local hotel invited her to become a guest there, at a nominal expense. Carrie had many friends and admirers. She had money and all the comforts and luxuries, which appealed to a small-town girl. Hurstwood had not fared so well. He could find no wor

44、k. One day he went to see Carrie. She gave him some money, largely because she had seen Drouet and had learned for the first time of Hurstwood’s theft in Chicago. She believed that Hurstwood had kept his disgrace a secret in order to spare her feeling. Although Carrie was a toast of the town, she w

45、as not happy in spite of her success. She was invited to give performances abroad. In the meantime Hurstwood died and, unknown to Carrie, was buried in the potter’s field. As Carrie was sailing for London, Hurstwood’s ex-wife, daughter, and prospective son-in-law were coming into the city, eager for

46、 pleasure and social success, a success made possible by the daughter’s coming marriage and by Hurstwood’s divorce settlement, which had given the family all of property. 3.2 The Position of Sister Carrie in American Literature As a guide and pioneer of American naturalism, Theodore Dreiser devote

47、d his whole life in story writing and in presenting the true nature of American life with relentless honesty. The author dramatized the image of Sister Carrie--the representative of American bourgeoisie who was a famous actress before being a childlike and happy village girl. Sister Carrie fell into

48、 emptiness after her accomplishment. The author explored the way of personality liberation through the dramatization of the image of Sister Carrie. At the same time, the author exposed the corruption and attacked the capitalism. To this day, Sister Carrie remains one of the most controversial nove

49、ls of its time. The remarkably realistic characters and contentious situations created by Theodore Dreiser illustrate the double standards within a growing American society at the turn of the twentieth century. Naturalism plays a large part in the development of each character and their pathetic ina

50、bility to evade their trivial fates. The perverse fascination and distaste surrounding this incapability mirrors a societys hypocrisy of its own social standards. For his first novel, Dreiser opted to paint a realistic portrait of America for what it really was materialistic. "The money ideal woul

51、d be exposed as the great motivating purpose of life in the United States: ones relative affluence at any level of society determining the degree creature comfort one might enjoy, the measure of prestige one might own, and the extent of social power one might command". Sister Carrie completely reite

52、rates Americas obsession with money because there is not one character whose own status symbol isnt determined economically. Dreisers approach of retelling life how it really was created a great deal of unexpected controversy. "The sum and substance of literary as well as social morality may be exp

53、ressed in three words---tell the truth". This statement made by Dreiser himself was in response to critics against the publication of Sister Carrie. The depiction of a "fallen" woman in a success story was considered completely immoral. Basically, the didactic method of literature was there to crea

54、te an ideal society. When Sister Carrie came along, most reviewers held upon the fundamental circumstances of the novel---a young woman has two forbidden sexual affairs without experiencing either “material loss or moral degeneration”. Also, since God was not mentioned once in the novel, Sister Carr

55、ie was considered immediate grounds for dismissal. Such debate surrounding a novel can really only prove one point---It is a story of real life, of their lives. All of these situations, “materialism, seduction adultery, bigamy, and theft”, were actually occurring in real life. This denial of Ameri

56、can’s own lives further reiterates the hypocrisy in a growing capitalist society. In a brief essay entitled “True Art Speaks Plainly”, Dreiser concluded “a true picture of life, honestly and reverentially set down, is both moral and artistic whether it offends the conventions or not”. Dreiser’s Sis

57、ter Carrie dealt with the sordid side of everyday life. Although his characters were mixture of moral and corrupt, “unable to assert their will against natural and economic forces”, he rarely passed judgment on them. These extraordinarily convincing individuals and the circumstances created by Theod

58、ore Dreiser demonstrated the ironies within an emergent American culture after the civil war No body could deny his importance. He and his books were like a huge mountain. Dreiser’ novel was always intensely interesting with its simple but highly moving characters. He was good at employing the jour

59、nalistic method of re iteration to burn a central impression into the reader’s mind. On the whole, with its warm-hearted representation of the essential worth and dignity of people of lower orders, the novel was generally regarded as a landmark novel of timeless significance. 3.3 The Influence of N

60、aturalism on Sister Carrie’s Fate Dreisers Sister Carrie was a novel, which broke the conservation and noble tradition of the Victorian period, opened the road to the life of reality and passion. The creation of naturalism literature was mainly caused by desire, consumption and determinism. Dreise

61、r was a preacher of Darwinism; the author regarded the society as sea, and the people as the fishes in the sea. People all had desires, so we were bound not to be free. In Sister Carrie, Dreiser presented us various kind of psychologies and fates of different people driven by desire. From the begin

62、ning to the end of the story, the heroine—Carrie, could not free herself from desires, no matter in the village or city, in Chicago or New York. For we have already know that at the beginning of this novel, Carrie was eighteen years of age, bright, timid, and full of illusions of ignorance and yout

63、h. “In 1889 Chicago had the peculiar qualification of growth which made such adventuresome pilgrimages even on the part of young girls plausible. Its many and growing commercial opportunities gave it widespread fame, which made of it a giant magnet, drawing to itself, from all quarters, the hopeful

64、and the hopeless---those who had their fortune yet to make and those whose fortunes and affairs had reached a disastrous climax elsewhere. It was a city of over 500,000, with the ambition, the daring, the activity of a metropolis of a million”. (Dreiser, 2001:17) This was the description of Chicago

65、 written by the author. In such a condition, Carrie came to Chicago. She was longing for the luxurious life of the city people. But when she arrived at her sister’s house, she felt the drag of a lean and narrow life. The next problem was hunting for a job. After many setbacks, the beautiful woman,

66、Carrie, loafed in the city. When Carrie wandering around the store amid the fine displays, her woman heart was warm with desire for them. What would she not have given if she could have them all. Every article in the window woke up her desire, while she approached the door; she found that she did not have the key to the door--money. The real life made Carrie realize that illusions and desires cannot satisfy her real need. From this point, Dreiser symbolized the heroine’s desire for the m