Abstract

     Though American Dream is an old topic, it continuously renews itself across time. Sister Carrie, written by Theodore Dreiser, is a representative masterpiece successfully depicting the disillusionment of American Dream. The heroine finally achieved great material success after becoming a Broadway star from nothing, but at the end of the novel, what she felt in her rocking-chair was endless emptiness and eventually her dream was disillusioned. This thesis describes and analyzes Dreiser’s disillusioned American Dream from three parts. First it introduces the cultural background of American Dream to show that the connotation of it has changed by looking at its origin and analyzing the dynamic procedures of the transition of it. Then based on the central image of the rocking-chair, it focuses on the thematic study following the line of pursuing the dream---temporary success---spiritual disillusionment with more attention to the causes of the disillusionment. At the end of this thesis the conclusion is drawn that American society at the end of 19th century and the beginning of 20th century experienced rapid changes, during which money became the foremost standard of value and the American Dream was distorted into a dream of money. That is the very reason why pursuers got spiritual disillusionment after their material success.

 Key words: Theodore Dreiser; Sister Carrie; American Dream; spiritual disillusionment

Contents

Abstract

摘要

Introduction-1

Chapter One The Cultural Background of American Dream-3

1.1 The Origin of American Dream-3

1.2 The Transmutation of American Dream-5

1.2.1 Material Prosperity as the Core of American Dream-6

1.2.2 Self-realization as an Important Part of American Dream-7

1.2.3 The Way to Achieve American Dream-8

Chapter Two The Embodiment of American Dream in Carrie-9

2.1 The Formation of Carrie’s Dream in the Rocking-chair-9

2.2 The Achievement of Material Success-11

Chapter Three The Disillusionment of American Dream in Carrie-11

3.1 The Spiritual Disillusionment in the Rocking-chair-12

3.2 The Causes of Her Spiritual Disillusionment-13

3.2.1 A Transitional Society-13

3.2.2 Carrie’s Self-actualization in the Context of Naturalism-17

Conclusion-18

Bibliography.-19

Acknowledgments-20