On Carrie’s Pursuit of Self-identity in “Sister Carrie” from the Perspective of Feminism

Abstract

  Theodor Dreiser is an outstanding writer of American literature in the 20th century.”Sister Carrier” is his first novel which is a typical naturalist representative,and is a hot topic of discussion in American literature.At present,the novel has been studied from different angles,but it is seldom  seen from the perspective of feminism.

  At the advent of American society at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries,this novel witnesses the great changes of the era.The flourishing industrialization has changed people’s way of life and thinking and ideology,especially women’s thoughts.Sister Carrie becomes a household-name star from being a little country girl.However,the commercialization of mass and patriarchal thought has a negative impact on women,but Carrie gained independence from family and lover,and realizes life and spiritual autonomy.

  For below article has two parts:

  The First part is to introduces the emergence of new women in the deep-rooted patriarchal society,analyzes Carrie’s independence to family and lovers,and explains the objective reasons for her dependence on consumerism society.

  The second part is to discusses three kinds of traditional women and their fate patterns,focusing on Carrie’s aesthetic consciousness from passivity to initiative and the gradual realization of talent consciousness and attitude towards reality.

  The significance of the study includes two aspects.One is to though analysis,the researchers hope that the readers can be more familiar with the plot and characteristics of this novel,rather than just consider it as a naturalistic work.The other is to be using concrete support theory to analyze and demonstrate.

 

Key Words:Desire;Love;Feminism;Self-identity;freedom

Content

Introduction ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 5

An introduction of Feminism ----------------------------------------------------------- 5

2.1Definition of Feminism --------------------------------------------------------------- 5

2.2The advent of Feminism--------------------------------------------------------------- 6

Carrie pursuit of self-identity ----------------------------------------------------------- 6

3.1 Real-Life need-----self-identity from family -------------------------------------- 6

3.2The love needs-----self-identity from Lovers -------------------------------------- 7

3.3An objective need-----Influence consumerism society --------------------------- 8

Conclusion ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 9

Reference -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 10