文献综述
文 献 综 述1. Introduction1.1 Introduction to DreiserTheodore Dreiser (1871-1945), one of the most outstanding American writers of the 21st century, who was born in a large, poor, immigrant family at Terre Haute, Indiana in 1871. He had his childhood in bitter poverty, lacking enough education, job skill and social status. His family moved from house to house followed closely by poverty, insecurity and internal division. He hoped to realize his dreams when he went to Chicago at the age of 15. In Chicago, he did a lot of odd jobs for a very low wage in different places, it was hard to earn a living for him. Dreiser went to all the major cities in the United States as a reporter at 23, he witnessed the hard life of people who struggled in low class, in the meantime, he saw a luxurious life of the rich. Dreisers early experiences destroyed his fantasy, he gradually realized that ethics was a luxury for the poor. Dreisers own bitter experiences of poverty as a youth and his early yearnings for wealth and success would become dominant themes in his novels. In 1900, the first novel Sister Carrie was published, followed by Jennie Gerhard in 1911. As a naturalistic writer, Dreiser stressed determinism in his characters in his novels. His characters cannot assert their will against natural and economic forces. Dreiser held that people were not entirely to blame for what they were and what they did, for they were not under the control of their own will.1.2 Introduction to Sister CarrieHis first novel Sister Carrie tells the story of two characters: Carrie Meeber, an ordinary girl who rises from a low-paid wage earner to a high-paid actress, while George Hurstwood, a member of the upper middle class who falls from his comfortable lifestyle to a life on the streets. Carrie, a pretty, poor country girl, comes to Chicago for a better life. She first stays with her sister, whose house is too poor to keep her, and she has to look for a job. The meager income of the job cannot satisfy her desire of romantic city life. Through Drouet, a traveling man, she meets Hurstwood, a manager of a well-known bar, who deserts his comfortable home and tricks her to go with him first to Canada then to New York after he has robbed his employers safe. Then he begins to disintegrate, and Carrie leaves him and goes out to find work on the stage and rises to fame gradually. Though she succeeds, she is not happy. Her fame brings her a strange, impersonal isolation. Her theatrical success does not bring her any greater access to love, friendship, or satisfaction than she has had as a lonely housewife.Yet the novels publication in 1990 provoked a strident outcry in society. Volleys of all the attacks on religion, marriage and cohabitation may be seen pungent even acrimonious form the contemporary perspective. As the publication, many of reviewers found the novel gloomy or unhealthy and, as noted earlier, unpleasant also occurs frequently, usually referring to Dreisers uncritical depiction of Carriers illicit relationships. Nevertheless, a surprisingly large number of reviewers were startled into appreciative responses, some of which still constituted basic issues in the criticism of the novel. Told with an unsparing realism and detail, the reviewer of the Newark Sunday News remarked, it has all the interest of fact; and the terrible inevitableness of fact also [] The impression is simply one of truth, and therein lies at once the strength and horror of it (James, 1986). In addition, as it has been true for the entire critical history of Sister Carrie, most reviewers found the portrait of Carrie problematical in meaning and effect, while Hurstwoods decline was almost universally praised for its grim truth. The excessive length of the novel was often remarked upon, and Dreisers annoying anachronism and blunders in English (James, 1986) were frequently cited, with several reviewers providing extensive examples. 1.3 Need of the studyThe need of analyzing Sister Carrie under the guidance of the beautiful precision is discussed as follows: First of all, this thesis has presented an overall study of Dreisers ground-breaking naturalistic approach of novel writing from the perspective of his unique writing style of beautiful precision throughout the thorough analysis of his first novel Sister Carrie. The paper sets out to discuss Dreisers unparalleled style of beautiful precision by the meticulous analysis of other two naturalistic beliefs, namely hereditary factors such as the protagonists inherent beauty and innate taste for imitation as well as unquenchable desires for money and theatrical reputation.Second, the paper sets out Dreisers unparalleled style of beautiful precision by the meticulous analysis of other two naturalistic beliefs, namely hereditary factors such as the protagonists inherent beauty and innate taste for imitation as well as unquenchable desires for money and theatrical reputation. 2. Literature review The Sister Carrie attracted considerable critical attention as soon as it was published. Scholars at home and abroad have researched its theme, creation techniques, characterization and space-time view from the perspectives of naturalism, feminism and other aspects.In China, over 195 articles have been written on the subject of Sister Carrie from different angles in terms of technique and content. Examples are as follows: Che, who believes that naturalistic theories and practices in American literature depend more on the authors understanding and feeling of life. (2007) Therefore, he tends to analyze the naturalism of the Sister Carrie by comparing Nana which is created by Emile Zola. Wangs view showed the moral decay of American society at that time and the hypocritical relationship between people under the relationship of money. (2008) Besides, Lu going further from the perspective of determinism and pessimism, compared naturalism with realism to show that Dreiser pioneered the pursuit of realism in American realism. (2008) Similarly, in abroad, Sister Carrie has also attracted the attention of many scholars. Theoretical studies abroad represented by Zhang x believed that in America naturalism had been shaped by the war, by the social upheavals that undermined the comforting faith of an earlier age, and by the disturbing teachings of Charles Darwin. Darwinism seemed to stress the animality of man, to suggest that he was dominated by the irresistible forces of evolution. The pessimism and deterministic ideas of naturalism pervaded the works of such writers as Frank Norris, jack London, Theodore Dreiser and Hemingway. Their detailed descriptions of the lives of the down-trodden and the abnormal, their frank treatment of human passion and sexuality and their portrayal of men and women overwhelmed by the blind forces of nature still exert a powerful influence on modern writer. (2021)Generally speaking, from the domestic and foreign studies on the naturalism of Siter Carrie, scholars have paid more attention to the spiritual world of the characters and the analysis of their personalities, instead of exploring the reasons for the collapse of the spiritual world. Therefore, this paper will analyze the twisted spiritual world of the Carrie and the reasons behind the whole tragedy under the society.3. Naturalism3.1 Definition and backgroundNaturalism is a kind of new critical realism developed under the war and social turmoil which affects peoples beliefs in their early ages. It is known that naturalism came from Europe, and was first put forward by the French novelist Emile Zola, who held that the purpose of a novelist was to be a scientist, to place his characters in a situation and then to watch the influences of heredity and environment on them. This idea was picked up by writers in different countries, they held that realism was too genteel in tone to reveal the harsh reality, then a literary movement called Naturalism started. Naturalism in America had been shaped by the war, by the social upheavals that undermined the comforting faith of an earlier age, and by the disturbing teachings of Charles Darwin. Darwinism seemed to stress the nature of animal in man, to suggest that man was dominated by the irresistible forces of evolution. In reflecting the reality of life, naturalistic writers tended to show the feature of sentimentalism of early romanticism. The difference between naturalism and romanticism is that naturalists take the attitude that the world is lack of morality, people have no willing of freedom, their lives are controlled by heredity and environment, people lead a miserable life when they are alive, but they are forgotten by others after they are dead. Though naturalism reveals the weakness of the world by the way of extremely strict realistic technique, it sometimes paves the way to improve the world by social reform.With the development of economy, science and culture, influenced by European naturalistic literature, American naturalistic literature emerged in the late 19th century and the major representatives were Stephen Crane, Jack London, Frank Norris and Theodore Dreiser etc. These writers detailed depiction of the lives of the miserable and the abnormal, their frank treatment of human passion and sexuality, and their portrayal of man and women overpowered by blind forces of nature still exert a powerful influence on modern American literature.The main characteristics of American naturalism can be outlined as follows: First of all, naturalists put more emphasis on details, trying to present life as real and clear as possible, keeping true and loyal to the harsh reality and even going to the extreme to show the harsh and inhuman truth. Second, the characters naturalistic writers portrayed in their novels were usually from the lower class, whose destiny was restricted by environment and heredity. The characters were driven by basic needs, such as hunger, fear and sex. Therefore, Naturalists took the moral attitude for all human behaviors, no blame and no praise. Third, naturalists made use of simple and sometimes strong words to describe the crude lives of the poor. Finally, pessimism and deterministic ideas of naturalism pervaded the works of such writers as Stephen Crane, Jack London and Frank Norris, Henry Adams and Theodore Dreiser etc., they believed that the world was amoral, that the destiny of humanity was misery in life and oblivion in death (Wu, 2005).4. ConclusionIn Carries growth from a pure country girl to a Broadway star, two groups of persons play an important part in it. One group is Mrs. Hale and Mrs. Vance, who introduced Carrie to new wealth, the other group is Drouet and Hurstwood. Mrs. Hale took Carrie to the mansions in Chicago and caused Carrie to expect something a little better than Drouet could afford. Mrs. Vance presented Carrie the Broadway fashion show, then Carrie began to be dissatisfied with her own life and would have an urge to move forward.Drouet first helped Carrie move out from her sisters home and escape from a life pressed hard by lack of money, then provided Carrie with necessities in life. More than this, Drouet bought Carrie what she was fond of and let her know what the life in Chicago was like, giving her a hope and hunger for a dreamed life in big city. Further, being young and curious, Drouet often got Carrie to start something new and encouraged her to go on with it, for example, Drouet offered Carrie an opportunity to act on the stage where she found an acting talent in herself and grew confident of herself. From then on, she believed that she could depend on herself to make money and to be in fashion if she had an opportunity.While on the other hand, Hurstwood was quite different from Drouet in manner and behaviour. Hurstwood was a man of wisdom and taste. His keen eyes, his good manner, his fine clothes and all things about him were so good in Carries eyes that she learned them to improve herself. As a matter of fact, it was through his wealth, status and influence that Carrie rose high in life and on the stage. Besides, he was strong in providing the social context in which Carrie could succeed. Both Drouet and Hurstwood had done much to contribute to Carries success as an actress.Moreover, Carries sister Minnie is another person who brings about changes in Carries attitude to life. Faced with the hardship in life, living on the bottom line of social ladder, Minnie had to save every hard-earned penny, life to her was actually a matter of endless struggle for a survival. This was a kind of life Carrie was unwilling to endure and accept, so she decided to start her journey to seek a new way of life for herself.Dreiser stated in this novel 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. (Dreiser.1991). Long exposed to and gradually affected by the cruelty of consumer society, Carrie began to care more about herself and finally decided to leave Hurstwood while he gradually sank to deprivation and suicide. Carries constant move to something better was not to be denied (Rosenblatt, Roger, 1999), her choice to leave Hurstwood was almost completely motivated by finances. Whether Carries life in the cities finally turned her for better or for worse depended much on how she took it morally, but without doubt, after living in city for many years, Carrie was no longer what she had been in the country, city life has changed her into another girl.5. ReferencesBai L. Environment and Fate: Helpless Human Beings in Sister Carrie. Theory 以《嘉莉妹妹》为例，海外英语, 2016(17):2。
张燕云，《嘉莉妹妹》中德莱塞'美丽精确性'风格赏析从自然主义视角解读，中国石油大学, 2010。
赵丽，美国自然主义的传统与发展以《嘉莉妹妹》和《他们》为例， 广西师范大学, 2008。
Outline1. Introduction 1.1. Introduction to Theodore Dreiser 1.2. Introduction to Sister Carrie1.3. Need of Study2. Literature Review3. Naturalism 4. Naturalistic Environmental Factors for Carrie 4.1. The Living Environmental FactorsLuring Metropolises 4.2. The Social Environmental FactorsAssociation with a Group of Human Tempters 5. Naturalistic Hereditary Factors for Carrie.5.1. Endowed Gift Guaranteeing Her Success on the Stage 5.2. Insatiable Desire for Pleasure Serving as a Propelling Force 6. Conclusion 7. References
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