The Analysis of Naturalism in Sister Carrie.docx
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The Analysis of Naturalism in Sister Carrie.docx
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TheAnalysisofNaturalisminSisterCarrie
TheAnalysisofNaturalisminSisterCarrie
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内容摘要
在美国文学史上,西奥多·德莱塞被誉为19世纪末自然主义文学的杰出代表。
《嘉莉妹妹》是德莱塞第一部,也是最著名的一部自然主义作品,深刻体现了达尔文主义和宿命论主题。
基于自然主义的相关理论,本文试图从自然主义角度解读小说《嘉莉妹妹》,主要从两个方面展开论述:
1)西奥多·德来赛的自然主义思想;2)影响嘉莉妹妹的命运的因素。
嘉莉妹妹受消费主义环境和物欲横流的社会环境的影响,在欲望中不断找寻财富和地位。
尽管她最终得到想要的一切,却难以摆脱精神上的空虚。
通过研究,可以发现德莱塞的自然主义观点:
人类受遗传和环境因素的驱使;人的自由意志改变不了人类的命运。
这体现了德莱塞的悲观意识,而他的悲观意识的形成与社会背景和自然主义不无相关。
关键词:
自然主义;环境;欲望;命运
Abstract
InthehistoryofAmericanliterature,TheodoreDreiserishailedasmostoutstandingrepresentativesofNaturalism.SisterCarrieisthefirstandthemostrenownedworksofhim.Inthenovel,DarwinismandFatalismarewellexpressed.Thepresentpaper,basedontheoriesrelevanttonaturalism,isanattempttointerpretthenovelSisterCarriefromthenaturalisticpointofviewmainlyfromtwoaspects:
1)TheodoreDreiser’snaturalisticthoughts;2)influentialfactorsonSisterCarrie’sfate.SisterCarrieisdrivenbyinsatiabledesiretopursuewealthandfameintheconsumerismculture,wherethedesireofmaterialsisrampant.Althoughshefinallygetswhatshewants,sheistrappedinthespiritualwasteland.Basedonthestudy,itiseasytofindDreiser’snaturalisticthought:
manisdrivenbyhereditaryandenvironmentalfactors;man’sfreewillcannotchangethepredestinedfate.ThatindicatesDreiser’spessimisticvision.However,socialbackgroundofhistimesandnaturalismhascontributedalottotheformationofhispessimisticvision.
Keywords:
naturalism;environment;desire;fate
Contents
AbstractinChinesei
AbstractinEnglishii
1.Introduction1
2.LiteratureReview1
2.1AnoverviewofAmericannaturalism1
2.2NaturalisminTheodoreDreiser’swritings2
3.NaturalisminSisterCarrie3
3.1ImpactofenvironmentonSisterCarrie’sfate3
3.1.1Impactofcommercialenvironment3
3.1.2Impactofsocialenvironment4
3.2ImpactofheredityonSisterCarrie’sfate5
3.3AssessmentofDreier’snaturalisminSisterCarrie6
4.Conclusion7
Bibliography7
1.Introduction
Naturalismisanaestheticmovement.Itisinspiredbyapplicationoftheprinciplesandmethodsofnaturalscience,especiallyDarwin’sviewaboutnature,toliteratureandart,roseinlate19thandearly20thcentury.TheodoreDreiserisconsideredasoneofthemostoutstandingnaturalismwritersinthehistoryofliterature(常耀兴,2002:
197).WiththepublicationofSisterCarriein1900,boththenovelandTheodoreDreiserdrawwideattentionfromcriticsathomeandabroad.SinclairLewis,thefirstAmericanNobelwinner,speakshighlyofhim,“he(TheodoreDreiser)brokethetimidandgenteeltraditionofVictoriaandHowells,andopenedadoortoanhonest,daring,andzestyfield;withouthisdeploitation,laterwriterswouldnothavedescribedlife,andhorrorastheydotoday”(qtdinHussman,1983:
96).Thepresentthesis,basedontherelevanttheorytonaturalism,attemptstoanalyzeSisterCarriefromnaturalisticperspective.Thesignificanceofthestudyliesintwoaspects:
first,itcanhelpbetterunderstandTheodoreDreiser’swritingstylesaswellasDarwinismandfatalismreflectedinthenovel.Second,itcanhelpusbetterunderstandAmericannaturalism,especiallyitsuniquetopic----therelationshipamongrationality,freewillandinstinct.
2.LiteratureReview
Asthestudyisconductedfromperspectiveofnaturalism,itisfirstessentialtotakeanin-depthlookintoAmericannaturalismandDreiser’snaturalisticthoughtsinhiswritings.
2.1AnoverviewofAmericannaturalism
Latterpartofthe19thcenturyinAmericawitnessedgreathistoricalchanges:
industrialcitiesdevelopedrapidly;corporatebusinessroselikemushrooms;immigrantlaborflockedintocitiesandfoughtforthebetterworkingconditions.Againstsuchbackdrop,undertheinfluenceofDarwin’sevolutionaltheoryandEuropeannaturalism,Americannaturalismcameintobeingattheendofthe19thcentury.WithaFrenchoriginandadeterministicideology,Americannaturalismoflate19thcenturywasbasedonabiologicalmodel.Itdependsheavilyontheevolutionarytheoryandnewscientificideas,andtakesmanasthevictimofnaturalforcesandhissocialenvironment,withthelackoffreewillandreason.
DespitethegreatimpactofEuropeannaturalism,accordingtoFurstandSkrine(1971),Americannaturalismhaditsowncharacteristics.Asadirectresponsetothenativesocialandeconomicproblems,Americannaturalismwellreflectedthesocialrealityatthattime.Inmostofnaturalisticwriters’works,thepoor’sstrugglewiththecapitalistswasthemostfrequenttheme.“InthiswayAmericanNaturalismowesmuchtolocalfactorsthantooutsideinfluences,anditisworthrecallingtheso-called‘localcolour’tendenciesofthe1870sand1880swhichcarriedonintoNaturalism,thoughwithcertainshiftsofemphasis’”(TFurst&Skrine,1971:
34).Besides,comparedwithEuropeannaturalism,Americannaturalismwasmuchlessofamovement,andtherewerenocleargroupsunitedbycommonaimsandmanifestos.Therefore,AmericanNaturalismextendedfromthernid-1880swellintothetwentiethcentury,enjoyingafarlongerlife-spanthanitsEuropeancounterparts.WritingofAmericannaturalistsischaracterizedwiththreetraits:
first,Americannaturalisticwritersusuallyconsiderhumanbeingsasthevictims,subjecttoheredityorbiologicalforce,andtheybelievethathumanbeingsandsocietyarecontrolledbynaturallaw,sooneofthemostadoptedthemesisthedescriptionofanimalinstinctsofhumanbeings,therepresentativeofwhichcanbefoundinFrankNorris’Mcteague.Second,Americannaturalistsconsiderhumanbeingsasthevictimsofenvironment.Environment,intheireyes,isapowerful,mysteriousandinevitableforce.Forinstance,CraneinMaggie,GirlofStreetattemptstorevealthathumanbeingsaresubjecttoenvironmentbyportrayingthefateofMaggie.Third,Americannaturalistsconsiderhumanbeingsasthevictimsofchance.Humanbeingshavenochoicebutacceptthearrangementofthemysteriousfate.
Allinall,Americannaturalismtriesitshandontheexplorationandinnovationofthesubjectmatter.Naturalistsshowgreatconcernaboutthesufferingandplightofthelowerclass,whichenlargethescopeofthesubjectmatterinAmericannovelstomaximum.Besides,Americannaturalistsendeavortoexplorethewritingskill,emphasizingtheimportanceofbeinghonesttodescribetherealityanddescribingdetails.ThatiswhymostAmericannaturalisticworksaresoauthenticandappealing.
2.2NaturalisminTheodoreDreiser’swritings
DreiserisarepresentativeofAmericaNaturalist.HeopenedanewerainAmericanliteraturewiththenaturalwritingmethods.DreiserexpressesthecorevaluableproblemsinmodernAmerica.Hetrieshisbesttodiscussthechangingwayofthecultural,socialandindividualmodesatthattime.Asamatteroffact,thenaturalcharacteristicsofthebiologyarethebasicneedofthehumanbeings.Soattheendoftheindustrialrevolutioninthe19thcentury,thenaturalismhasbecomeanimportantfactorinthesocialconstruction.
Likemostnaturalists,Dreiserinthenovelpresentshismechanisticviewoflife:
humanbeingsarethevictimsofenvironment,heredityandinstinct(蒋道超,2003).Dreiserportraystherelationshipamongreason,freewillandinstinctindetail:
whenhumans’instinctandreasonareinconflict,theformeralwaysgainsgroundonthelatterinmostcases;humans’freewillismostlyanillusionandsubjecttohumans’instinct.InalmostallofDreiser’sworks,thereisanobviousviewofwomenathistime.Hedeniedallthetraditionalrulesatthattime.Thewomeninhisworksarenotwillingtoacceptthelifethatthesocietygivesthem.Sotheyare“familyangels”apparently,whiletheyaretryingtheirbesttostruggleagainstthereality.DreiserbelievestheDarwinismandhemakesthesocietyasabigbush,inwhichallthebeingsaretryingtheirbesttosurviveintheworld.“Lookallaroundyou,’thatvoicegoeson,‘lookatthekindpeople;theylookdownuponwhatyouaredoing.Lookatthegoodgirls,theywillhidefromyou,iftheyknowthatyouareeasytobeenticed.Youhavediedwithoutstrugglingagainstthehardtimes’”(Dreiser,2008:
114).
Inadditiontowomen,Dreisershowshowthemoraldemocrathappensinhiswritings.Hehasthekeenobservationofhumandesire,especiallyaprettyeighteen-year-oldgirl’sdesireinSisterCarrie.DreiseralsoincludestheuglyviolentburstsofAmericanindustryinhiswritings.Forexample,TheTitanandTheFinancieraredocumentsofapassingAmericanera.Inthenovels,thecrudeandgreedycaptainsoffinancewiththeirwarsandtheiramoursaredisplayedtofull.Inaddition,DreisershowsgreatinterestinAmericancommonlife.HeexpresseswhatAmericaislikeintheprocessoftransformation.
ThecommoncharacteristicsinDreiser’swritingsleaveadeepimpressiononthereaders.InSisterCarrie,herevealssomeofthemesotherthanthecommoncharacteristicsinhiswritings(Doctorow,1992:
5).Man,accordingtoDreiser,is“awispinthewind”(Dreiser,2008:
85),sohisfateisoutofhisowncontrolsincehecannotactoutofhiswillbutdeterminedbyvariousforces,suchasheredity,instinctandchance.Inaddition,Dreiserclaimsthathumancivilizationisstillinthemiddlestagebetweenbeastsandhuman,sohumans’freewillcan’treplacehisinstinct.Inotherwords,humanbeingsareneither“beast”nor“human”.Asaresult,humanbeingsarenow
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