摘要摘要西奥多·德莱塞是20世纪美国文学史上一位杰出的自然主义作家，他的第一部小说作品《嘉莉妹妹》自1900年出版后就受到很多争议。
德莱塞生活在美国从生产主导型社会向消费主导型社会转型的时期。
在这个过程中，以生产为主的意识形态让位于消费意识形态，人们的行为和心理越来越受到消费的影响和控制，从而生活方式和价值观念也发生了变化。
德莱塞亲身感受到变革带来的深刻影响。
在他犀利的笔下，一种在消费浪潮中沉浮的新型人物形象——―消费英雄‖得以形成，消费主义笼罩下的社会特征和人际关系也得以呈现。
虽然德莱塞塑造的人物大多都违背了传统的伦理道德标准，但在他看来，他们都是当时消费主义文化的产物。
本文分五部分。
第一章介绍作者和小说概况，前人的研究评论并阐述了本研究的意义，介绍了消费文化理论。
第二章主要从消费文化角度分析小说中的几位主角。
第三章论述了小说中的人物——―消费英雄‖的主要特征。
第四章讲述了德莱塞的人物塑造，他对―消费英雄‖这一新型人物的态度以及该类人物在文学史上的影响。
最后为论文的结论部分。
本文立足于德莱塞的成名作《嘉莉妹妹》，从19世纪末20世纪初美国新兴的―消费文化‖这一特定社会历史背景出发，分析这部作品中出现的新型的人物形象——―消费英雄‖，努力挖掘这类新型人物形象在文学史中的地位和影响。
关键字：西奥多·德莱塞；《嘉莉妹妹》；消费文化；消费英雄AbstractAbstractTheodore Dreiser is an outstanding naturalism writer in the 20th century American literary history. Since his first novel Sister Carrie was published, it had been involved in much controversy. Dreiser lived in an age transforming from production to consumption leading society. During this process, the production predominated ideology had been replaced by the consumption one. Besides, people’s behavior s and mentality were getting more and more influenced by consumption, so were their life styles and concepts of value. Dreiser himself realized the profound effects of the change. Therefore, in his meticulous writing, a kind of new character type ―Consumer Hero‖formed in the consumption wave. New social characteristics and people’s relationships also appeared. Although Dreiser’s characters are mostly contrary to the traditional ethical standards, in his view, they are all products of consumer culture at that time. This paper is divided into five parts. The 1st part will introduce the writer’s life, his works, and previous studies on it and illustrate the significance of this study and the theory of consumer culture. The 2nd part will mainly analyze the characters from the perspective of consumer culture. The 3rd part will clarify main characteristics of characters. The 4th part will describe Dreiser’s characterization, his attitude to ―Consumer Hero‖ and its influence. At last, it will give a conclusion. The paper focuses on a particular historical background, and tries to analyze the new emerging character type ―Consumer Hero‖ in Dreiser’s masterpiece Sister Carrie, and aims to explore the influences of such a character type on the literary history.Key words: Theodore Dreiser; Sister Carrie; consumer culture; consumer heroContentsChapter 1 Introduction (1)1.1 A Brief Introduction to Dreiser and Sister Carrie (1)1.2 Previous Studies and Comments on Sister Carrie (2)1.3 The Significance of This Research (3)1.4 Theory of Consumer Culture (4)Chapter 2 Analysis of Characters from the Perspective of Consumer Culture (7)2.1 Sister Carrie—A “New Woman” Image (7)2.2 Drouet—A Messenger of Material (8)2.3 Hurstwood—A Tragic Character in the Materialized World (10)Chapter 3 Main Characteristics of Characters—“Consumer Heroes” (13)3.1 Greed—Everlasting Desire (13)3.1.1 Miss Desire—Sister Carrie (13)3.1.2 Mr. Desire—Drouet and Hurstwood (15)3.2 Vanity—Attempting to Construct Self-Identity with MaterialConsumption (16)3.3 Pursuit—Self-Realization in the System of Object (18)Chapter 4 Dreiser’s Characterization, His Attitude to Consumer Heroes and Its Influence (19)Chapter 5 Conclusion (23)References (25)Acknowledgements (25)The Consumer Heroes in Dreiser’s Sister CarrieChapter 1 Introduction1.1 A Brief Introduction to Dreiser and Sister CarrieTheodore Dreiser was an American naturalism writer in the 20th century, and he took an important role in the world literary history. Dreiser was born in Terre Haute, Indiana in 1871. His father was a German textile worker, who became an American immigrant in order to avoid serving in the army, while, his mother was a peasant’s daughter. Dreiser was born in a large but poor family, so he lived a hard life and did not receive a good education. At the age of 15, he went out to earn his living. When he was 18, a female high school teacher sponsored him to go to the university for one year. In 1892, he worked as a journalist in Chicago Global Newspaper. In 1894, he moved to New York. His first novel Sister Carrie came out in 1900. In 1911, he finished Jennie Gerhardt. Since then, his creation came into a strong period, and he began to write the famous work Trilogy of Desire, The Genius and American Tragedy, and so on. At the year of 1941, he was elected to be the chairman of American Writer Association. He then joined Communist Party USA at 1945 and passed away at the same year. Lawson, the American progressive writer praised him as ―Our own Gorky, and Romain Rolland of American version.‖[1]Dreiser is quite different from any other American novelists. He has his own particular writing style. Indeed, his writing style is simple and easy. He can describe different characters with the use of plain language. He always uses stron g contrast to set off characters’ life and fate. Besides, he is good at creating huge social life scene. The stories he creates are not quite complicated, but they can deeply reveal social problems. He always pays attention to the whole structure to make the story complete. His stories often involve a seeker or quester – sometimes driven by desire, sometimes by other motives –who finds at the end of the novel that he has returned to where he started. It is possible to visualize Dreiser’s novels as a graphic irony – the characters believe they are pushing forward but they are really moving in a circle. [2] So, in this way, his works can give readers some unexpected effectivenesses.In a word, Dreiser is a great naturalist writer—the one who dares to fight against American tradition, while, Sister Carrie becomes a morning star in his writing career.Sister Carrie – a famous work knocking at the door of the 20th century in 1900 is a realism masterpiece. The story mainly focused on three characters –Carrie, Hurstwood, and Drouet. Carrie was born in a country of West America. Though she lived in a poor family, she still had a strong vanity, and always looked forward to rich city life. Then she decided to go to Chicago forher dream. In Chicago, she lived in her s ister Minnie’s home. The life was not as good as she ever thought, so Carrie had to look for a job to make a living. But she was often left out in the cold when living in such an inanimate family. What’s worse, once Carrie lost her job, she was forced to go back to the country. However, she didn’t want to do so, and went to Drouet for help—a salesman whom she came across in the train. Then, she became Drouet’s mistress, and lived with him together. After Drouet introduced Hurstwood –a hotel manager to Carrie, Hurstwood soon fell in love with Carrie and tried to seduce her with all kinds of methods. They finally eloped to New York together. However, experiencing a series of failure, Hurstwood used up money and collapsed finally. At last, he committed suicide when getting on the beach. As a result of chance, Carrie became a famous star and got the upper reaches of society. But she still felt empty and couldn’t find the true meaning of life. With loneliness and desolation, the only thing Carrie could do was just sitting in the rocking chair, dreaming happiness that she would never have.1.2 Previous Studies and Comments on Sister CarrieDreiser was the 1st outstanding writer in American literature of the 20th century, and he was the pioneer of modern American fiction. Many critics thought that Dreiser dared to make innovations and had broken those traditional thoughts in American literary. Elliot, the chief editor of Columbia Literary History of the United States, thought that Dreiser had created a new style. His works were for ―another readers, another group focusing on the consumer culture, rather than aristocratic culture.‖[3]Actually, Dreiser advocated a new ideology. Sister Carrie obviously showed the influences of consumerism on Dreiser himself, and it just indicated his dissatisfaction with the Puritan moral ethics that had suppressed people’s desire, which precisely the new consumer ideology advocated. From this point of view, Dreiser was in favor of those consumers’ behavior with the effects of consumer ideology. He could not completely break with the old ideology which represented the relations of production. Therefore, he also gave criticism and suppression on the unethical behavior of those kinds of characters like Carrie. So, we can find that Dreiser held a complex and contradictory attitude to the new ideology. [4] Dreiser’s fictions like mirrors reflected the evils and conflicts of the social life at that age. However, it seemed that no other writers like Dreiser revealed the darkness of bourgeois society, but also shaped some characters that always swam with stream and did things with strong desire, just as characters in Sister Carrie. Just because Dreiser could expose the hypocritical veil of the upper class and criticized the weakness of capitalism through the description of the working class, much dispute aroused among some critics. The early evaluation of Dreiser could be divided into two categories. A critic who was most in recognition of Dreiser was H. L. Mencken,The Consumer Heroes in Dreiser’s Sister Carriepointing out that Dreiser was not the follower of Norris or Zola, and he could ―take profound sense of wonder into literature.‖[5]The other group was represented by Stewart Sherman. He accused Dreiser of not describing the real American society and people, but viewing them as animals. Some early critics mostly belonged to the biographical criticism of the traditional history. Later, some new ways of comments on it turned up, such as Freud’s psychoanalysis, the criticism of feminism and post-structuralism. In recent years, many scholars have tried to analyze Sister Carrie from more different perspectives. Professor Zhang Fangde and Zhang Xiangting both made comments on the transition from goods consumption to symbolic consumption. Professor Yu Guofei, Zhang Ailing, Tianjing and Chen Zhenhua have done some studies and comments from the perspective of consumer culture. Besides, there has been a new critical perspective in Professor Wang Rong’s study—focusing on the aspect of ―New Woman‖. The domestic and foreign research situation not only lies in its achievement increasing rapidly, but the expansion of its depth and width. So, we can better understand the profound significance of this work.During these years, many researchers viewed Dreiser as a master of naturalism or realism. In their opinions, Dreiser was the revelator of the darkness of American capitalism. However, they overlooked the interdependent relationship between Dreiser and the mainstream society at that time. In addition, researchers viewed Dreiser’s works in the same way, which was not quite accurate. Because society, politics and culture were changing all the time, Dreiser’s writing ideas were basically in a dynamic state. Novels in the early time mainly showed his hedonism, while, in his middle age, especially in his later years, his pursuit transformed from material to spirit. Therefore, Dreiser’s works are full of varieties. With all these mentioned above, when we do research on this work, we should put it more into the cultural environment of the 20th century of the United States. At the same time, we should dig out its writing ideas and methods, so that we can excavate the interrelationship between the main ideology and Dreiser himself in the cultural environment at that moment.1.3 The Significance of This ResearchThe creation of Sister Carrie came out at the occasion of the reform of the United States. The production primarily ideology was gradually being replaced by consumer ideology. As the economy developed rapidly, industrialization and urbanization had reached an unexpected level. At the end of 19th century, there were varieties of commodity in the US Department Store, which attracted many writers’and consumers’attentions. Ideologically, Darwin’s theory of evolution and the survival of the fittest were in vogue, and people’s thoughts were changing obviously. Their desires for material became stronger and stronger, and the thrift of Puritan ethics was castoff. Besides, the bohemian consumption trend became a mainstream. People’s opinions were gradually influenced by consumer culture, so was Dreiser himself. He always showed his ideas through his works, and with his pen, he described people’s different fates in the materialistic society when consumer culture rose.The characters in Sister Carrie are mainly consumers. They are keen to find their own way in the city, and always long for gorgeous clothes to show off their status. Besides, they look forward to live in luxurious accommodations. All in all, they are all addicted into endless lust, which is the great influence of consumer culture. Therefore, characters in this novel are all products of consumer culture. So it is feasible to study these characters from the perspective of consumer culture. These characters’ behaviors are the real reflections of American society at that moment. Their different consequences can make people think a lot—should consumerism be promoted or suppressed in the world? So, it’s necessary to study Dreiser’s novel to reveal the writer’s creative ideas and shape new images from the perspective of consumer culture. Moreover, it has certain academic values.Dreiser’s Sister Carrie not only reflects American social conditions at that moment, but also shows us some universal phenomena and problems at the period of the development of human society. In such a rapid development of commodity economy today, China is in the transition period to the consumer society. There are many people like characters in this novel, full of endless desire and pursuit of money, living for the satisfaction of material, status and wealth. This is just the embodiment of the consumption of ideology acting on human beings. Besides, there have been many characters like ―Consumer Hero‖ appearing in today’s literature work. So this work has great influences on the literature writing.1.4 Theory of Consumer CultureThis section will mainly describe Jean Baudrillard’s theory of sign consumption(符号消费理论). In Baudrillard’s opinion, in capitalist society, material is organized basically on the following four principles: first, the functional logic of the use value; second, the economic logic of exchange value; third, the logic of symbolic exchange; fourth, the logic of symbolic value. Then, he proposes his concept of symbolic value. ―Material‖accordingly becomes the tools, goods, symbols and signs in these four logics. Sign is a mark of material, a mark of social status and identity during people’s consumption. It is also an expression of the potential desires. The so-called symbolic value of goods is that goods, as symbols, are able to provide prestige and perform consumers’personality, characteristics, social status and power.The logic of consumption, as we have seen, can be defined as a manipulation of signs. The object loses its objective finality and its function; it becomes a term in a much greater combinatory, in sets ofThe Consumer Heroes in Dreiser’s Sister Carrieobjects in which it has a merely relational value. [6]In American society, affected greatly by the consumer culture, some people live in a life which has been under the control of ―consumption‖. ―Material‖ is no longer consumed for its use, but it’s consumed for its differences with other ―materials‖. Therefore, in the consume relations, it is not just any old goods which are produced or consumed: they must have some meaning with regard to a system of values. [7]From Baudrillard’s point of view, ―you never consume the object in itself (in its use-value); you are always manipulating objects (in the broadest sense) as signs which distinguish you either by affiliating you to your own group taken as an ideal reference or by marking you off from your group by reference to a group of higher status.‖[8] That is to say, what people consume is not materials, but the symbolic significance which they represent. In such a prosperous and rich society, due to the constant production and manufacture of desires and needs, consumption has become endless. It becomes the master of human activity, and forms an object system to satisfy all kinds of desires, where people can get material and spiritual satisfaction. Besides, it is even the happiness and meaning of life and it becomes the whole process of self-realization.Chapter 2 Analysis of Characters from the Perspective of ConsumerCulture2.1 Sister Carrie—A New Woman ImageIn the late 19th and early 20th century, the consumer ideology gradually took the place of production ideology. The consumer ideology mainly ―emphasized the possession of cost and material, and it weakened the thrift, savings, self-control and other traditional moral standards.‖[9] So, such a kind of consumer culture promoted the rise of ―New Women‖. With the influence of consumer culture, women didn’t consume for daily need but their vanity. Their appetite and lust for material even became a fashion. ―New Women‖ most had their own self-consciousness and always had dependent characteristics. Their opinions on sex were very open. They were not bounded by their family and usually appeared in public areas that belonged to men. What’s more, ―New Women‖ dared to challenge traditional moral standards. In their opinions, women should dress themselves well and enjoy life happily. While, Carrie—a character shaped by Dreiser, was the prominent representative of ―New Women‖.At the beginning of the story, the writer wrote, ―Self-interest with her was high, but not strong. It was, nevertheless, her guiding characteristic… And yet she was interested in her charm, quick to understand the keener pleasures of life, ambitious to gain in material things.‖[20]P2~3 In Carrie’s heart, something called desire was coming around the corner. In the train for Chicago, she came across Drouet—a canvasser with bright dress, whose attracting appearance left deep impressions on Carrie: ―The fat purse, the shiny tan shoes, the smart new suit, and the air with which he did things, built up for her a dim world of fortune, of which he was the center. It disposed her pleasantly toward all he might do. ‖[20] P8In Chicago, Carrie lived in his sister Minnie’s. However, Mr. and Mrs. Hanson’s house was just a flat, most inhabited by families of laborers and clerks. ―The walls of the rooms were discordantly papered. The floors were covered with matting and the hall laid with a thin rag carpet,‖[20] P13 which made Carrie feel the drag of a lean and narrow life. So she had to look for a job to make a living. On the way of looking for a job, she was much affected by the remarkable displays of dress goods and jewelry. ―She could not help feeling the claim of each trinket and valuable upon her personally, and yet she did not stop. There was nothing there which she could not have used—nothing which she did not long to own. The dainty slippers and stockings, the delicately frilled skirts and petticoats, the laces, ribbons, haircombs, purses, all touched her with individual desire, and she felt keenly the fact that not any of these things were in the range of her purchase.‖[20]P26 When Carrie saw thingsthat could make her pretty, her desire soon surged on. Once she saw the shopgirl s’ nature and appearance, a flame of envy lighted in her heart. ―She realized in a dim way how much the city held—wealth, fashion, ease—every adornment for women.‖[20]P26In Carrie’s heart, at this moment, she just longed for dress and beauty. In such a prosperous and lively city, Carrie was gradually touched by those beautiful things. In contrary to Minnie, whose thoughts were staid and solemnly adapted to a condition, Carrie had her own consciousness. She didn’t want to save money, but she would like to buy dress and jewelry, or go to the theatre to enjoy life.While, life was not always as perfect, the job in the shoe factory was not as easy as Carrie thought. She thought that people there were quite dirty and vulgar. Every week, she should pay her board—four dollars, so that she had no money to buy clothes. Then she lost her job due to her illness. Fortunately, she met Drouet again, which became her turning point. Then he even gave twenty dollars to Carrie. Though Carrie contradicted whether she should accept it or not, there was no wonder that the feeling with taking the money was so fantastic: ―Her need was so dire. Now she would buy a nice pair of pretty button shoes. She would get stockings, too, and a skirt, and, and…She had got beyond, in her desires, twice the purchasing power of her bills.‖[20]P75Afterwards, seduced by Drouet, Carrie became his mistress and lived together with him in a rent room. Drouet often took Carrie out to see many new people and things, so Carrie’s vision gradually opened up. She had seen many elegant mansions. When time grew, she began to be dissatisfied with the current situation. After she knew Hurstwood—a bar manager, she threw herself at his feet for his handsome appearance. And then they developed into lovers. In fact, Carrie chose Hurstwood just because she took a fancy to a more prosperous and decent life that he represented. She believed that marrying him would be happy forever, which made Carrie elope with Hurstwood to New York together after she knew his true features. In essence, it was her strong desire for material that made Carrie so easily ―love‖one man from another. Later, Hurstwood came down in the world, and Carrie abandoned him. After she became a famous Broadway star, her life became more and more creditable, and her consumption capacity grew stronger and stronger. However, she seemed not to be quite satisfactory with her possessions, and she still dreamed of happiness that she would never get. From this, it could be seen that Carrie became a new woman image in such a materialistic society. She was a consumer, even a product of consumer culture. She precisely represented people’s consciousness or concept in that era. [10]2.2 Drouet—A Messenger of MaterialWith the help of consumption, people can show their taste through different luxuries. The essence of modern consumption is to make differences. People consume for their own targets,that is to say, people want to make differences with others through consumption to obtain a kind of identity. [6] At the beginning of the story, Drouet’s appearance showed that men deliberately dressed themselves well and always behaved elegantly to attract women’s attentions in that era with consumer culture rampant. To Carrie, Drouet played such an indispensable role that he helped her open the door to the colorful world.When Carrie and Drouet came across on the train for the 1st time, Drouet left a deep impression on Carrie. His charm was completely appealing to inexperienced Carrie: ―His suit was of a striped and crossed pattern of brown wool, new at that time…The low crotch of the vest revealed a stiff shirt bosom of white and pink stripes. From his coat sleeves protruded a pair of linen cuffs of the same pattern, fastened with large, gold-plate buttons…The whole suit was rather tight-fitting, and was finished off with heavy-soled tan shoes, highly-polished, and the gray fedora hat.‖[20]P4Just as the writer wrote, Drouet got such an attractive dress through consumption. In this way, he could make himself more impressed, and have more opportunities to get women’s hearts. The manner of his behavior built up a world of fortune in Carrie’s mind. In Carrie’s heart, he was the messenger of material, who could take her to live a rich life. Although Carrie’s clothes were shabby, she had slim figure and pretty face, which made Drouet strike up a conversation with her at the first sight. When meeting her again and knowing her plight, Drouet felt sorry for her and gave 20 dollars to Carrie generously. Besides, he took her to go shopping and buy many beautiful clothes. In fact, imperceptibly, in such a society with the flood of consumption, men’s perspectives of women had greatly changed. They no longer thought that gentleness and virtuousness were the nature of women. If one had an absorbing woman by side, he could show his identity when they both appeared in public places. So men could make differences with others, while, the envy and jealousy from others’ eyes could meet their own vanity and satisfaction. Just because of getting such a fantastic beauty, Drouet couldn’t wait to introduce her to Hurstwood. From another level to see, it was men’s such kind of view that made women more keen on consumption. So did Carrie. With Drouet’s leading, she had got many gorgeous clothes, and known more upper-class people. Besides, her experience increased much more with her open horizon.Actually, Drouet’s attitudes to Carrie had no difference with Hurstwood’s. When he knew the relationship between Carrie and Hurstwood, he felt indignant and upset. He thought, ―You oughtn’t to have had anything to do with him after all I’ve done for you.‖[20]P260The reason was that he provided Carrie with comfortable living environment, and often took her out to enjoy. So he had the right to possess Carrie. However, she betrayed him. ―His feelings were a mixture of anger at deception, sorrow at losing Carrie, misery at being defeated.‖[20]P265 He tried to get his rights back, including making Carrie stay. But at last, he failed. He lost Carrie and lost her forever. At the same time, he lost his vanity and the proud self-esteem.At the end of the story, Drouet found Carrie again, who had become a star. He tried hard to invite her for dinner and dreamed of getting her back. ―Ah, what a prize! How beautiful, how elegant, how famous! In her theatrical and Waldorf setting, Carrie was to him the all-desirable.‖[20]P553 It could be seen that Drouet tried to get Carrie back to show off his own identity. If he could possess her, he would be much brighter than before. However, today’s Carrie was too rich and noble for him, and he finally could only end up with disappointment.The higher value of a commodity, the more can reveal its owner and user’s social status and prestige. [6] While, to men, women are a kind of senior commodity. The prettier women are, the more honorable men can be. Therefore, Drouet’s fantasy and desire on Carrie was exactly the true portrayal of men to women at that age, and it was also the great influences that consume culture brought to human.2.3 Hurstwood—A Tragic Character in the Materialized WorldHurstwood was a bar manager in Chicago, where he had been a well-known and successful man. He did well in his job and had a considerable income. ―Hurstwood looked the part, for, besides being slightly under forty, he had a good, stout constitution, an active manner, and a solid, substantial air, which was composed in part of his fine clothes, his clean linen, his jewels, and ,above all, his own sense of his important.‖[20]P51 In people’s eyes, he had a successful career, and always enjoyed his life. However, he did not own a happy family. Among his family members, two things were lack—tolerance and respect. His wife was a selfish and indifferent person, who always liked to show herself off. His daughter acted on her own way all the time, and his son was full of vanity. What’s more important was that Hurstwood felt that his status in this family was gradually getting down, and he had no rights any more. What’s worse, he made a mistake of putting his property all under his wife’s name, which made him not be cared by his wife and respected by his children. He used to be respected outside, while, at home, the only thing he could feel was the depressing atmosphere. So, he could only rely on the beautiful clothes and diamond ornaments to comfort his heart. In his opinion, these things could keep his social status and his self-esteem. In that society, only having certain consumption level could make him realize his target. That is to say, he could try to compensate for his spirit with material consumption. Therefore, after he met Carrie, he couldn’t wait to obtain her heart. Compared with those jewelries, Carrie seemed to be a more sophisticated commodity. If Hurstwood could be together with her, not only would he take back his status, but also meet his satisfactions. In Hurstwood’s eyes, Carrie had her own youth and beauty. ―In the mild light of Carrie’s eye was nothing of the calculation of the mistress. In the diffident manner was nothing of the art of the courtesan.‖[20]P144The most charming thing was Carrie’s obedience to him. Her manner didn’t。
