时间：2022-10-15 02:45:24
中图分类号：G0文献标识码：A文章编号：1008-925X(2011)04-0252-01
Abstract：In the American literary history , Sister Carrie has been a controversial figure all along. The critics regard Carrie either as a "fallen woman" or as a "new woman". The thesis aims to explore the nature of Carrie's image as a "new woman" from the perspective of feminism and the way that Carrie develops into "new woman". And the external factor that influence Carrie especially the Darwinism and Social Darwinism.
Key words: Carrie "New Woman" Self-realization Darwinism
1、Introduction:
Sister Carrie is one of major works as well as the most controversial one of Theodore Dreiser. Troubles come along with the novel since its publication due to its overwhelming accumulation of factual details as well as its conflict with tradition.
Sister Carrie is the first novel of Theodore Dreiser which is full of thoughts and artistic connotations. With the development of the society, Sister Carrie draws more and more attention from critics. They begin to realize its profound connotations in thought and society and start to analyze the novel from different perspectives, such as structuralism, psychoanalysis and so on. With the second surge of women liberation movement in the 60s of the 20th century, many feminists further expand their territory in literary field. Sister Carrie is regarded as "value book" by them and is given a feministic analysis.
2、Darwinism and Spencer’ Social Darwinism
In 1859, Darwin’s The origin of specie appeared. It changes people’s mind. They believe human as part of natural thing and a member of animal. Those writers attempted to achieve objectivity and frankness by presenting characters of low Social and economic classes who are determined by their environment and heredity. American writer Theodore, as a naturalist believed that only the fittest survived. Under the influence of Darwinism and naturalism, Dreiser publishes his first novel, Sister Carrie.
3、The definition of “new woman”
The new woman was the term used at the end of the nineteenth century to describe women who were pushing against the limits which society imposed on women. The new woman typically values self-fulfillment and independence rather than the stereotypically feminine ideal of self-sacrifice. They believe in legal and sexual equality. They are more open about her sexuality than the “old woman”.
The group of new woman was part of a free-ranging spirit of rebellion at the turn of the century. It severed the woman's movement from Christianity and conventional respectability. “It was part of the broader "revolt against formalism" in American culture. These new women tended to romanticize working-class woman who they saw as economically independent and self-reliant.
4、Analyzing Carrie ’ s “new woman” image
In the nineteenth century, man’s “sphere” was in the public world, particularly the market place, where his competitive tendencies could be channeled to benefit his family and society as a whole, whereas woman’s proper “sphere” was at home to develop her innate nurturing tendencies. The new woman, typically possessing strong self-consciousness and relatively independent personality, had a career and was economically independent. Dreiser’s heroine, Carrie, a competing model for femininity, is a transitional figure moving from the Victorian model of true woman towards recognizable modern “new woman”. In order to truly become part of the city dweller, Carrie begins to shape the ideal life for herself. In this process, Carrie‘s self-awareness awakened.
5、Conclusion:
Sister Carrie is by far one of the most widely known novels. It has been translated into twenty languages and is available in more than ten paperback editions in America.
In the novel, Theodore Dreiser explores a woman character that actualizes herself through catching any opportunities for a better existence: opportunities as offered first by Drouet, and then by Hurstwood. She makes herself a sort of rebellion towards male-dominated society. She conquers the world as well as satisfies her all kinds of desires. It is also worthy of mentioning that her desire to be economically independent can be regarded as the key step on her process of self-actualization. There is no doubt that Carrie is a “new woman” in male-dominated society. She sets good example for women living in misery .Sister Carrie is an excellent book which appears at the turn of the 19th and the 20th century. It is a significant works which beyond the age of book writer. It breaks the grace and timidness of Victorian literary form. Sister Carrie is the strong west wind that blows the boring, blocking land of America.
References:
[1] Dreiser, Theodore. Sister Carrie [M].Yili people’s press and Kewen press, 2001. [2] E. E. Sloane, David. Theodore Dreiser's Sociological Tragedy. New York: Frayne Publishers, 1992,
[3] Zhao Yina .The Nature of Carries Image of “new woman” [J] Hebei Normal University, Hebei, 2005