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Research ProposalTitle: Sister Carrie–The disillusion of American dream1.Thesis statement (Introduction):Sister Carrie is a well-known American naturalist novelist Theodore Dreiser's first novel, tells a story about how a young peasant girl Carrie leap from the bottom of the society to become a Broadway star. Carrie's growing desire is vividly shown as an endless picture. The article is written from the perspective of Carrie’s life to analysis the growing desire of Carrie, the naturalism in humanity and happiness in modern life.Sister Carrie is a vivid description of city life and also the wild dreams of some vague like Sister Carrie is dreaming of. Facing the mysterious city, it is really hard to keep our mind clear. Through Carrie’s l ife, we see the distances between the poor and the rich. I want to study what kind of life can be called happiness, as well as how to keep a wise mind from losing ourselves. When there is a conflict between ethics and self, how can we deal with it?What’s more, what revelations can we get from it on how to avoid blind strivings and own a peaceful heart and a satisfied happiness in modern life. At last, even though the dreamy dreams are wonderful, when it comes to reality, do ideals really equal to happiness?2.The significance of your research:When one steps into the society, 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. Of an intermediate balance, under the circumstances, there is no possibility.The city has it cunning wiles, no less than the infinitely smaller and more human tempter.There are large forces which allure with all the soulfulness of expression possible in the most cultured human. The gleam of a thousand lights is often as effective as the persuasive light ina wooing and fascinating eye. Half the undoing of the unsophisticated and natural mind is accomplished by forces wholly superhuman. For a life, city is a place full of unknown attracting human to pursue. Here Sister Carrie is a life as an example.Sister Carrie depicts the rural girl Carrie envying of big cities due to the material life came to Chicago to find the well-being of cities. She has suffered the bitterness of finding jobs, diseases and unemployment. In order to survive, she became salesman Drouet's mistress, and later eloped with hotel manager Hurst wood. Hurst wood lost his job in New York, and then under great pressure, Carrie had to find a job as an actor in a theater. She got her fame owe to accidental chance and elbowed her way into the upper-class. It seemed that her passionate desire had come true. However, at the end of the novel, she still sitting in the rocking-chair dreamed her own happiness. The reason is because Carrie has all along been driven by the desire, desire that she never satisfied with the status quo, constantly looking for the next target. Her desire was prompted by several factors.Theodore Dreiser is regarded as an outstanding representative of American naturalism. In this thesis, Dreiser’s first novel Sister Carrie is taken as an example to analyze the features of Dreiser’s naturalism. The thesis referred to three great historical and cultural background of the novel which are Darwinism，Determinism, American Naturalism and Consumerism. Meanwhile the thesis analyzes three features of naturalism. At last, we can draw the conclusion that the leading character of the novel-Carrie’s destiny has a great connection with Dreiser himself and the d ecline of Hurst wood is a result of Dreiser’s fear of failure, but Dreiser attributes Carrie and Hurst wood’s unhappiness to their insatiable desire for life or they are doomed to be unhappy, and from which we can see Dreiser’s naturalism easily.About Sister Carrie, there were many researches about it, once about naturalism, about the American dream, about ethics，at the same time, there were researches about Carrie’s life and the revelations of it for people in modern life, such as The interpretation of female characters and the tragic origin in "Sister Carrie" , Sister Carrie, driven by the desire, Dreiser’s Naturalism in Sister Carrie. They all revealed the conflict of life and self, leaving us a deep thought.Carrie had always thought that if she ever got wealth and position, which she now has, that she would be completely happy. A friend introduces her to Bob Ames, unlike any manthat she met before. Ames notices that Carrie is sad. He tells her, "Your happiness iswithin yourself wholly if you will only believe it." Here was a man not offering her money, clothes, or applause, all the things that Drouet and Hurstwood had given her. The secret to her happiness was to give off herself to those less fortunate.Carrie was young, innocent, and scared when she first arrived in Chicago. With no skills, she can't find a job. Going against the social rules of her generation, she lives with two men as their mistress. They give her the material things she desires. Her judgment in selecting men is based on their appearance and not on their character. Finally, she is without support and forced to make it on her own. Becoming a success in the theater, she is able to get all the things she desires. Her wealth doesn't give her the happiness and satisfaction she thought it would. With age and experience, Carrie comes to understand that contentment comes from giving to those less fortunate than herself, and that character is more important than how a person looks.Nowadays, people live in a multifaceted modern life, there are too many temptations challenging our natural characters. Just as in Sister Carrie: Blind strivings of the human heart!Onward onward, it satin, and where beauty leads, there it follows. Whether it be the tinkle of a lone sheep bell over some quiet landscape or the glimmer of beauty in sylvan places, or the shadow of soul in some passing eye, the heart knows and makes answer, following. It is when the feet weary and hope seems vain that the heartaches and the longing arise. Know, then, that for you is neither surfeit nor content. In your rocking-chair, by your window dreaming, shall you long, alone. In your rocking-chair, by your window, shall you dream such happiness as you may never feel? I hope through the study of Carrie’s life, we can get some revelations from it and make a better understand of our modern life and our lives. Life is a long journey, instead of purchasing the superficial glamour making our body weary; we’d better enjoy a satisfied happiness life to our heart’s content. Once you like, happiness is simple. Too m any desires make the life heavy with burden. The choice depends on you.3.Methodology:1) Do a questionnaire about modern life, including lifestyles, money, ethics, people’sattitudes, life -satisfaction and so on;2) Surfing the internet for more text materials and reviews;3) Reading books about Sister Carrier and Theodore Dreiser4) Analyzing the resources and doing the report4.Possible difficulties and solutions1) The materials are too many to choose and the qualities are quiet different. It needs a hardwork to make a decision.The questionnaire needs volunteers and they must know something about Dreiser and Carrie. I have to choose the right person.2) Although there are so many difficulties, the author has solutions. I will refer to relatedmaterials as much as possible. What’s more, I will put an eye with the new study on the subject. If possible, I will consult the scholar and instructor of this field. I will try my best to complete the research with high quality.5.Potential conclusions:1) When one steps into the society, she does one of two things. Either she falls into savinghands and becomes better, or she rapidly assumes the cosmopolitan standard of virtue and becomes worse. Of an intermediate balance, under the circumstances, there is no possibility.Carrie sees this fact in her life.2) Environment is a tremendous thing and often leads human to a wrong direction. We knowthat Drouet tells Carrie that Chicago is a wonder, and that she will find lots to see there. Even her meager sister Minn ie tells her, “You'll want to see the city.” Under the influence of the environment, Carrie changed her life and moved forward to her success.3) People’s desire has no end. Even though Carrie stepped into the upper society, she stillnever satisfied with her life. Happiness seems too far away from life. We’d better give up too much desire to live a happy life.6.Previous preparations:[1] Bantam. Sister Carrie [M]. New York: Bantam Classics, 1992. p.61[2] Luedtke, Luther S. ed. Making America: The Society and Culture of the United State,Washington DC: United States Information Ag ency.[3] Rosenblatt, Roger. Consuming Desirer: Consumption, Culture, and the Pursuit ofhappiness. Washington, DC: Island Press, 1999.[4] Theodore Dreiser: 'Sister Carrie', Qiu column length translation, Shanghai TranslationPublishing House, 1990 edition.[5] Jiang Tao Chao: 'Dreiser Studies', Shanghai Foreign Language Education Press.[6] /w/index.php?title=Sister_Carrie&oldid=4553756067.Outline of the Paper1. Introduction1.1 The introduction of the author1.2 The plot of the novel with a list of characters1.3 The historical and cultural background for Sister Carrie2. The analysis of Sister Carrie2.1 American naturalism2.2 the relationship among the characters2.3 The relationship among reason, free will and instinct3. The truthful reflection of Carrie’s desire in life3.1 Carrie's desire for a glamour city life3.2 Carrie's desire for a wealthy life and a true love3.3 The revelation of Carrie for modern life and happiness4. Conclusion5. Bibliography。