《嘉莉妹妹》中嘉莉的性格分析

An Analysis of the Personalities of Sister Carriein Sister Carrie《嘉莉妹妹》中嘉莉的性格分析摘要《嘉莉妹妹》是美国小说家西奥多·德莱塞的第一部长篇小说, 嘉莉妹妹是文中的主角，作品揭露出一位在现实社会生活中温柔，善良，美丽的社会乡村少女在资本主义社会环境中转变成为独立，自信，聪明，优雅，有内涵的新女性，刚开始嘉莉妹妹把自己的希望寄托在男性身上，结果自己遭受了两次欺骗，到后来她认识到只有通过自己的努力才能改变自己的命运。

最终她通过自己努力和才能登上百老汇红五星舞台，成为一名大都市独立的新型女性。

本文旨在通过对嘉莉妹妹的性格分析，使读者清楚地认识到成为一名新时代的独立的女性，不能把希望依赖于别人，只有通过自己的努力才可以实现自我的价值，并最终取得成功。

同时新时代的女性首先应该在经济上独立，从而获得人格上的独立，赢得别人的尊重，而嘉莉妹妹正是通过依靠自己才成为了一名经济独立，而又有自信和内涵的新女性。

关键词：嘉莉妹妹；性格分析；性格形成原因；作者写作目的AbstractSister Carrie is written by American Theodore Dreiser. Sister Carrie is leading role. In the works, Sister Carrie is described as a gentle, kind-hearted, beautiful, country girl, eventually; she turns into be a independent, confident, smart, elegant, new metropolis female. In the beginning, she puts her hope on male. Unfortunately she is deceived twice by men. In the end she appears on Broadway red throne through her hard efforts and becomes a new independent metropolis female.This article, aiming at the analysis of sister Carrie’s characters, introduces readers a new independent female who can’t rely hope on anybody only through her own efforts to achieve self-value and success. At first, a new female must obtain economical independence to gain personal independence, and win the respect of others. Owning to her efforts, Sister Carrie becomes a female with financial independence, confidence and inner beauty.Key Words: Sister Carrie; character analysis; cause of formation; the writer’s writing purposeContents摘要 (I)Abstract (II)1. Introduction (1)2. The Characters of Sister Carrie (1)2.1 Innocence and Simplicity (1)2.2 The Character of Sister Carrie after Her Coming into City (2)2.2.1 Her Diligence and Gumption (2)2.2.2 Her Romantism and Realism (3)2.2.3 Her Independence and Persistence (4)2.2.4 A Forceful Woman in Life (4)3. The Reasons of the Formation of Sister Carrie’s Later Personalities (5)3.1 Internal Causes (5)3.1.1 The Backgroud of Family (5)3.1.2 Rebellious Character (6)3.2 External Causes (6)3.2.1 The Background of Capitalism and Consumerism (6)3.2.2 The Influence of Individual Experience (7)4. Defects of Sister Carrie’s Personality (7)4.1 Her Vanity (7)4.2 The Lack of Rational Education (8)5. The Writer’s purpose (9)6. Conclusion (9)Bibliography (12)Acknowledgments (13)1. IntroductionSister Carrie is the first novel written by the American novelist Theodore Dreiser When the industrial and commercial cities have been rising, a large number of rural population have poured into the city. Carrie,eighteen years old, a smart and simple girl, in order to get rid of poverty, boards on a train to Chicago with only four U.S., hoping to have a better life. However, the harsh reality breaks her dream because of her unemployment and disease. In desperation, she becomes the mistress of the salesman Chas.H.Drouet, and then she comes across a hotel manager, G.W. Hurstwood who was attracted by her simple beauty. Hurstwood lures Carrie to New York, stealing the money of the hotel. In New York, because of Hurstwood’s deteriorating economy and unemployment, Carrie is forced to find job. Then she earns their living by hard work. Finally, owing to chance, she becomes a popular actress, squeezing into the high society and abandons poor Hurstwood. Carrie is famous for her persistence and effort. But she is not happy, even feels lonely.This paper is divided into six sections. The first chapter introduces the background of Sister Carrie. The second chapter reviews the characters of Sister Carrie. At first the personalities of Sister Carrie is analyzed in the rural areas, and then the characters of Sister Carrie is analyzed in the city. The third chapter analyses the reasons of Sister C arrie’s personality’s formation. The fourth chapter tells Sister C arrie’s defects of personality.The fifth chapter analyses the writer’s intention. In the last chapter the Sister C arrie’s characters are summarized.Duing to her complicated characteristic, a few questions need to be asked. What kind of person she is? What are the causing factors to the formation of her characters? What are defects in her personality and why does the author create such a character?2. The Characters of Sister Carrie2.1 Innocence and SimplicityIn the first place, she is a brave girl.“When Sister Carrie boarded the afternoontrain for Chicago, her total outfit consisted of a small trunk, a cheap imitation alligator-skin satchel, a small lunch in a paper box, and a yellow leather snap purse, containing her ticket, scrap of paper with her sister’ s address in Van Buren Street, and four dollars in money,”(Theodore Dreiser,1981:1-2)from the paragraph, we can see she is a courageous girl. When Sister Carrie goes out alone with little money, she is only eighteen years old. In the second place, she is easy to be moved by heterosexual complaisance and sweet words at the train for Chicago. She encounters Drouet on the train for Chicago and after getting off the train, Drouet asks for taking the package for Carrie, she says, “Very kind of you.” and feels that it is really lucky to get such a complaisant care in a strange land. Besides, at the train she gives a heterosexual stranger her address after they communicate with each other after a while without the vigilanceIn conclusion, it can be seen that Sister Carrie is brave, innocent and simple.2.2 The Character of Sister Carrie after Her Coming into city2.2.1 Her Diligence and GumptionCarrie’s diligences are found expression in the work. She goes out to find a job the next day she arrives in Chicago. For running all day, she finally finds a job in a shoes factory with a payment of five point four dollars every week. Though having to work long hours in a poor working condition with a low pay, long working hours, poor working conditions, she endures that. Later because she wears thin clothes, she gets a cold and loses her job. If she does not find a job, her sister wants to ask her to go home. But she does not give up living in Chicago; finally she becomes the mistress of Drouet. And at that time, the Masonic which Drouet belonged to is performing a “fund-raising Play”. At the meantime, the play lacks of heroine. Drouet asks Carrie to have a try, so Carrie replies to try. From that moment Carrie practices painstakingly at home every day and then it is a good choice to get rid of privation. So she knows that if she wants to succeed, she has to work hard and finally Carrie performs this role successfully. This experience lays a solid foundation for her to success in the Broadway. Hurstwood lures Carrie to New York and they lives together. Carrie is a housewife in her first time, before Hurstwood loses his job and stays at home. Theenvironment is getting increasingly embarrassment; Carrie has to go out to look for a job to do. Although she is only a humble chorus actor in a choir, then she does not give up hope and makes an effort, eventually she becomes more and more popular, enjoying a prosperous life. Without her hard work, Carrie could not have been successful at last. Her gumption is expressed in the way how she improves herself. In Chicago, Carrie learns the conversations and manners of the people in graded society.2.2.2 Her Romantism and RealismHer romance is reflected in her illusion. Her romantic fantasy is that she will eventually get back as long as she works hard. Only in this way her hard work will not be wasted. After she finds a even low-paid job, she imagines that she will be happy. Her fantasy is that she has a nice future than before—live a happy life waiting for her “For the next day Carrie indulge d in the most high-flows peculation. Her fancy plunged recklessly into privileges and amusements which would have been much more becoming had she been cradled a child of fortune. With ready will and quick mental selection she scattered her illusion four-fifty per week with a swift and graceful hand. Indeed, as she sat in her rocking-chair these several evenings before going to bed and looked out upon the pleasantly lighted street, this money cleared for its prospective possessor the way to every joy and every bauble which the heart of woman may desire. I will have a fine time, she thought”(Theodore Dreiser,1981:1-3). But her fantasy is soon shattered, and in this competitive metropolis, it is very difficult for one without any experience to find a work. Earning four point five dollars salary per week and working in poor condition are almost unbearable for her. Besides she also needs to pay her sister and brother-in-law for food. The rest of salary is not enough to offer her necessaries. Moreover her job is lost, because she is ill for three days. Her romance is also reflected in her emotional fantasies. Her first fantasy is that Chas.H.Drouet will marry her after she becomes his mistress. When she comes cross Mr.G.W.Hurstwood and lives together with him. Her second fancy is that she and Hurstwood will have an ideal combination. But the Drouet does not really want to marry her, and then the Hurstwood just avoids his wife’s outrage and rudeness to find a safe haven. Finally her emotional illusions have been shattered totally. Althoughachieving fame and fortune, she still is not happy, even Hurstwood has returned his original beauty and glory, he could not allure her. She knows that these material substances are not happiness in her own present state. Fame is not everything. She has twice been deceived by men, so that she no longer holds the magic about life and love. Her romance is because she does not understand that social competition is brutal, sinister. What’s more she does not get the people’s hearts. Her reality is because life hones church she no longer easily believes a man. Only by own efforts to live the life you want.2.2.3 Her Independence and PersistenceCarrie’s independence is not spontaneous, but is forced out. She comes to Chicago to stay with her sister and brother-in-law’s home and ha s to look for a job by herself, and then when she gets a job, she must pay the meals for her sister. After she is unemployed, she is not welcomed; they propose her to return home. At that time Carrie encounters Drouet when she is in distress, and she takes him as the last straw, which makes her abandon relations to go alone. And breaking up with Drouet, she has to find a job again. Later she is lured to New York by Hurstwood, Carrie cannot stand with poor life, and Hurstwood cannot find jobs. Their life has a problem, so she goes out again to look for a job, and tries several times. And finally she becomes a famous actress in the Broadway in a small chorus. Her persistence is embodied in searching jobs. In a prosperous city, she cannot find job after running all day. But she doesn't give up. At that time, she is only an eighteen years old. Although feeling shy and ashamed, she is full of courage to have a try. Finally, she obtains job through her efforts. In the end she becomes a famous actor and gets success through her persistence.2.2.4 A Forceful Woman in LifeCarrie dares to face the difficulties of life, and takes an optimistic attitude to face the difficulties. When she arrives in Chicago, in order to adapt to living in a flourishing city, she begins to change her mind. She does not only simply abandon the lifestyle of her mother’s generation, but also makes efforts to adapt to the new way of life in modern America. At first the initial stage of herself-fashioning, when Carrielives with her sister Minnie, she begins to focus on self-fashioning. She separates from her sister Minnie, because her sister is a traditional woman who is busy with household chores every day and seems to have lost herself, and the thought of tradition life is what Carrie wants to abandon, so Carrie would like to choose a new way of life. Carrie earns money to buy beautiful clothes for her and wants to go entertainment. She knows what kinds of life she wants. When living into the apartment with Drouet, Carrie starts to model herself in ideal. In addition to cultivate her, Carrie pays attention to the behavior and wants to be more elegant as well as more temperament. As a result, she becomes a quite charming girl. At the same time, she walks in graceful footsteps, not so heavy, she is beautiful and elegant. Eventually Mrs. Vance introduces her cousin Armstrong to Carrie; Armstrong’s thoughts have influence on Carrie about having a great degree, which makes her pursue the spiritual world from the initial simple material desires to the pursuit of art. That makes Carrie begin to realize that the pursuit of material comfort is not enough; the pursuit of spirit is the most important to her.3.The Reasons of t he Formation of Sister Carrie’s Later Personalities 3.1 Internal Causes3.1.1 The Backgroud of FamilyOrigin often leaves imprint in one’s personality or inner world. Carrie’s extreme thirst for material and her lack of rational are found a little clue in her early life in Colombia. She is afraid of returning home. Her sympathy for the poor and downtrodden people, as well as fear about the fate dating back to her father’s life mixed with complex feelings of pity and shame. Therefore, she has to be persistent in finding a job and offer fundamental life by herself. Walking in the streets of the city, she sees the clothes shabby girl and despair of those pale and shabbily dressed men; she will bit her lip with standing. Although the principle is often nagging around her ears, but it can’t save herself from her strong fear of being likely to suffer that fate. So she wants to make her every effort to achieve her goal. Carrie’s mind can’t defuse thetension of painful memories from the childhood which is most clearly seen in her relationship with men. Carrie measures their value directly whether they offer her food, shelter, clothing and pleasure within the capacity of the external factors, which is call of her nature. She continuously obtains material substances from men when she is missing something. Unfortunately she always suffers pain. Finally she reaches her dream by her efforts and independence.3.1.2 Rebellious CharacterLeaving a tearful mother, Carrie boards on train to a strange and complicated big city. We could feel tne courage of an 18 years old young girl and the heart of the rebel. With a taste prosperity of Chicago, she soon begins to resist common lifestyle of the brother-in-law. Then, just as leaving her hometown in Wisconsin, Carrie once again escapes from the residence of a brother-in-law, matting her relationship with a man’s privacy. This is the strongest hint of rebel, and also leaves a clue that she doesn’t only actualize herself, but also becomes new metropolis female.3.2 External Causes3.2.1 The Background of Capitalism and ConsumerismThe background of the novel is based on the economic condition in nineteenth century early USA dominated by agriculture. The transition from agricultural economy depending on family to capitalist economy relying on operating capitalism mainly is based on the development of industry in nineteenth century. Working out of the family is more and more prevalent. Meanwhile women at the nearest large cities search for work, which reflects an international trend. Women start to work out of the family and pursue themselves. By 1890, the national labor consists of 17% women. Thanks to capitalism and consumerism background, the traditional idea that women should pay totally attention to husband and children converts to working out of family. Sister Carrie is one of women working out of the family.Capitalist economic development relies on the rapid transfer of products from producers to consumers. The most important social changes described in the novel is from the production to consumption. On the one hand the mass retail has wider implications; on the other hand customers benefit from low prices and a wide range ofoptions. In this way the consumers are related with consumption. Particularly, Sister Carrie is a potential consumer who desires to control her fate and reach her goal. She realizes that she needs to get her dream through hard effort. So capitalism background is an indispensable element for Carrie to model a new metropolis female.3.2.2 The Influence of Individual ExperienceChicago is a city full of hope, luck and rise. At the beginning of the novel author wants to preach a concept “the city is full of cunning deception, rather than any man in Chicago attracted heroines”. Carrie looks forward to Chicago “a huge magnet, attracting people full of hope and despair from all sides”. But in fact she suffers failure at first. In Chicago, she meets a salesman Drouet and falls in love with him. She wants to be his wife and waits for a long time. In the end, she is conscious of her innocence. Drouet just regards her as a mistress, besides, Drouet is dissolute. He can’t give Sister Carrie a good future. When she is confused, she comes across Hurstwood and is attracted by him. She falls in love again; unfortunately she is deceived by Hurstwood. When she lives with Hurstwood in New York,she goes out for hunting a job. Finally she leaves Hurstwood. Fortunately, she realizes her dream by herself, and becomes a famous actress. Her independence and effort can be dated back to her experience. It helps Carrie accomplish her success.4. Defects of Sister Carrie’s Personality4.1 Her VanityCarrie is a woman with strong vanity and desire for material which leads her to become a victim of the two men-Drouet and Hurstwood, which also contributes to her success in the future. She is always yearning for clothes and Jewelry, so when she goes to the department store to look for a job, Carrie is attracted by each item whether it is cheap trinkets, or expensive jewelry. Each piece is attracted to her. She wants to wear all the jewelry and desires to have them all. That delicate slippers and stockings, trimmed with beautiful trim skirts and petticoats, all every color of the lace, ribbons, combs, and flower package, what a wonderful thing if she can have them all. Herheart is filled with the desire of possessing them. Later she lives in New York with Hurstwood in some time and once the next door neighbor－Mrs. Vance invites her to the theater. Her vanity is revealed totally by the comparisons with Mrs. Vance. Carrie thinks she is pretty enough, but when compared with Mrs. Vance, she is not pretty at all. How could Mrs. Vance have so many cute little things? Carrie feels more uncomfortable when she goes on the street with Mrs. Vance, because it is filled with strong rich and flaunted atmosphere in the street, she thinks she is incompatible in this atmosphere. The fact is that that she could never have the bright appearance like Mrs.Vance’s, which makes she feel very pain. Later she vows that she would dress more gorgeously and come here again. At the same time, she is eager to dress gorgeously to show off in public place. Carrie’s vanity is manifested in her desire for goods and the comparisons with others, and is displayed in her pursuit of fame and fortune, too. Because her vanity makes her not satisfy her present status, so that she goes out of the circle of her own life, and ultimately, she obtains success and feels that she has been looked forward to.To sum up, Carrie is to adored materials to control her desire for pursuing fame and status. Fortunately she gains success.4.2 Lack of Rational EducationCarrie is often fallen by external environment, which, especially, is reflected in her emotional affairs. She is always easily controlled by men, partly because she makes every decision depending on someone’s ideas. Partly because she is lack of education, then it is an essential factor for her to master her fate. Lacking of knowledge leads to her weakness. There is none of family education in her childhood. The only way to consult is to listen to instruction of her father who carefully explains everything. When Carrie is not able to find correct direction from her experience, her conscience is her honest and knowledgeable adviser. Carrie is not educated; she does not have chance to learn knowledge from books that is a closed garden to her. She comes to the city in order to look for the greatest happiness in life.5. The Writer’s PurposeFrom the above analysis, it is obvious to see that Carrie is an hard-working, romantic and persistent woman who is fond of pursuing fame and vanity. Certainly, what is the purpose of the author to shape such a character? There are two reasons. Firstly, in order to highlight the characteristics of naturalism, the author writes Sister Carrie that is embodied the character of Naturalistic literary. One of the purposes of shaping figure in this works is to reflect naturalistic features. The natural feature is that people need to grasp every opportunity to work hard in a competitive society in order to success. On the contrary, the author models a loser－Hurstwood. He is no longer young and capable. Eventually he makes a choice to commit suicide. This is the naturalistic Portrayal. Secondly, when Theodore Dreiser creates Sister Carrie, Darwin’s theory of evolution and survival of the fittest theory are prevailing. Consumption ideology emphasizes people on costing and occupying things. The idea of possession weakens the traditional thrift, savings, and automation ethic. When Dreiser writes Sister Carrie, American women have begun to be affected by consumerism. They begin to challenge traditional moral standards. On the one hand, they no longer believe that the responsibility of women is to help husband and teach children. On the other hand, women should stay at home to do housework. On the contrary, women think they should have their job and earn money by themselves to enjoy life.6. ConclusionThrough hard work, Carrie is turned into a successful actress from an innocent village girl. During this process Sister Carrie is shaped to a new female character. Carrie is no longer manipulated by any man. On the contrary, with an independent career, she is independent in economic, which finally helps her become an independent woman, and realizes the independence of personality. Carrie becomes brave and mature through searching for job. Her success is accompanied by performance talent and her efforts, however in this process; her consciousness hasbeen awakened at the bottom of her heart. It is reviewed by the Dreiser in his book, It is a feature for a woman to be protected, supported and loved. But the power of women is suppressed by the tradition concept. Carrie is conscious of her acting abilities by chance, but she has been accustomed to live comfortably under the male protection so as to refuse to face up to own strengths. She does not fully display her talent until she is frustrated with men. For example, when she learns that Hurstwood cheats on her and then Drouet leaves her, eventually she decides to go out looking for a job. She has needs, but she is not amenable to be tricked or to be bribed by any men. She is going to support herself. This concept helps Carrie develop women’s self-awakening. Furthermore, Carrie finds job in the cinema. It is compared with former jobs, even though it is still not easy, she adds a lot of courage. Besides when Hurstwood is out of job, Carrie attempts to look for a job. Finally she decides to go to a play regardless of her husband’s objection. This job is twice as hard as the former, but Carrie gets a position in the chorus by her tenacity and courage .Her talent is soon recognized. Carrie begins to realize own strength in the promoting process. A man a little word, will not make her mind again. She knows men every well, which eventually creates the Sister Carrie’s image. She walks out of the small world of her family. She, among the public field, gains economic independence, which is a prerequisite for women to seek to further pursuit based on financial independence. Carrie once has previously relied on Drouet and Hurstwood to get happiness before obtaining self-reliance. She wants to marry Drouet who refuses her. Immediately, she changes her hopes on Hurstwood who turns out to be impossible. And she’s like an object, from one man to another man. Because Carrie is not economically independent, it is pointless to talk about personal independence. Eventually, Carrie becomes a famous actress and achieves her worth. She no longer needs to rely on anyone and she also gets honor. Obviously, Carrie achieves real personality independence after being economical independence.Sister Carrie eventually becomes a new woman; of course there are also limitations in her personality. However, she dares to pursue individual liberation; meanwhile she also actively seizes the opportunity to adapt to the social progress. Onthe contrary, compared with her sister－Minnie Vance , Hurstwood’s wife and other female characters, she can be regarded as a representative of the females.Bibliography[1] Matthaei,J.A. An Economic History of Women in America. New York:Schocken.1982:10-12.[2] Theodore Dreiser. Sister Carrie. Beijing: Foreign Language Teaching andStudying Press , 1981 : 136.[3] Theodore Dreiser, Sister Carrie.The Pennsylvania Edition. New York: Penguin.1981:1-3.[4] Woolfolk,A. Educational Psychology.The United States of America: A Division ofSimon&Schuster,Inc.1993:50-52.[5] 霍顿，罗德. 美国文学思想背景[M]. 人民文学出版社,1991:2-5.[6] 方华文. 嘉莉妹妹[M].译林出版社:2011:7-9.[7] 蒋道超. 德莱塞研究[M]. 上海: 上海外语教育出版社, 2002 : 125.[8] 蒋道超. 德莱塞研究[M]. 上海: 上海外语教育出版社, 2002 : 222.[9] 史志康. 美国文学背景概观[M]. 上海外语教育出版社, 1998:24-26.[10] 王钢华. 嘉莉妹妹的欲望和驱动力[J].外国文学研究,2002,12(3):8.AcknowledgmentsFirstly, I would like to express my gratitude to all the people who helped me during the writing of this paper. Without their help, this thesis would have been impossible.I am extremely grateful to my tutor XXX for her valuable direction and suggestion, for her constant encouragement and generosity in spending her precious time on my paper.Special thanks go to the Anyang normal college humanistic management university where gives me the opportunity to study my favorite major English teaching. Therefore I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to all the respectful teachers who have taught me during my undergraduate study.Last but not least, I would like to take this opportunity to thank my dear parents, for their encouragement and always supporting me to finish this thesis.。