英语专业论德莱赛《美国悲剧》中的自然主义大学论文

本科生毕业论文题目Dreiser's Naturalism in An American Tragedy学院外语学院专业专业英语导师王立新学生万东妩学号2012343501302015年11月11日摘要德莱塞是20世纪美国文学史上涌现出来的一位杰出的自然主义作家，美国自然主义文学创作在他的创作中趋向成熟，并得以延续。

他直接阅读过赫青黎、斯宾塞、达尔文等人的关于进化论的著作，加上他特殊的生活和社会经历，很容易接受19世纪末强劲的、在欧洲和美国产生深刻影响的进化论思想，并对适者生存的理论深信不疑。

在创作中，德莱塞受到法国自然主义的影响，采用科学客观的描写，不加入自己的道德评判，宣传人难以摆脱环境、本能等的控制和影响，强调人的动物本性。

他曾经说过:“我是以自然主义来写蠕莉妹妹)}'7 0”本文拟从客观真实性、欲望本能和环境决定论二方而对蠕莉妹妹)}'7自然主义特征进行解读。

毫无疑问，西奥多·德莱塞是美国文学历史上最重要的作家之一《美国悲剧》也被公认是他的代表作。

尽管这是一部内容简单的长篇巨作，它却给德莱塞带来了颇丰的收入和很高的声誉.本文试图通过对小说主题和写作技巧的分析来探求德莱塞作品的艺术特色以供读者参考.德莱塞在这部小说中选取了一个美国人所熟知的主题:一个年轻人对美国梦的追随。

受社会环境、家庭背景和自身遗传因素的影响，小说的主人公克莱德从一个幼稚单纯的少年堕落为虚荣、自私、无耻、狠心的杀人犯.克莱德的悲剧在那个时代的美国年轻人身上具有代表性。

德莱塞选择这个主题不仅想告诫读者美国梦是一个幻想而且也暗示了德莱塞在个人追求过程中的失败.同许多著名作家一样，德莱塞给我们留下了很多困惑.有的评论家们称他为现实主义者，有的称他为自然主义者.很多评论家曾试图把德莱塞划分在某个流派，但这样的努力无疑是徒劳的.在德莱塞的代表作品《美国悲剧》中，德菜塞展示了他在人物塑造和情节构思方面卓越的天分.本文分析了德莱塞在这部小说的人物塑造和情节构思所使用的技巧并得出结论这部小说在人物塑造上均采用了现实主义和自然主义的手法.而德莱塞通过对原材料的删节和夸张使这部小说不但是一个谋杀案的真实记录而且是一部引人入胜的艺术品.这部小说也成为自然主义和现实主义完美结合的产物.在这部小说中，德莱塞既采纳了现实主义的一些原则也运用了自然主义的很多技巧.他并没有生搬硬套现实主义或自然主义的那些教条，而是在自己的小说创作中根据需要灵活地穿插使用以使自己的作品真实感人。

更值得一提的是德莱塞在这部小说中成功的运用了弗洛伊德的心理分析理论来揭示小说中人物的内心冲突.这也就是一些评论家认为德莱塞的伟大之处在于他的洞察力，他的同情心和他对生活的悲剧观点，而不仅仅是他在美国自然主义文学上的贡献。

关键词:美国梦人物塑造情节构思心理分析Abstract Keywords：目录1 Introduction (25)2 Analyze the important roles of environment factors (25)3 Discuss the influence of hereditary factors for Clyde (25)4 Talk about Clyde’s endlessly explosive desires and ambitions . 255 Conclusion (25)结论 (23)致谢 (24)参考文献 (25)1 IntroductionTheodore Herman Albert Dreiser was born in Terre Haute, Indiana, in 1871.He received hisearly education in the public schools and later attended Indiana University.He began his writing career as a newspaperman, working in Chicago, St. Louis, andPittsburgh. In 1907 he was appointed editor-in-chief of the Butterrick Publications in New YorkCity. Meanwhile his first novel, Sister Carrie八900), had been published by a publisher whothought it objectionable and made little effort to promote its sale; however, some review copieswere distributed and the book managed to attract the attention of many prominent writers. Withthe publication of The Financier(1912), a novel based on the life of Charles T. Yerkes, Dreiserwas able to give up newspaper work and devote himself to writing.The "Genius"(1915), a novel of the egocentric artistic personality, was banned, but a yearlater a petition protesting this was signed by almost five hundred American writers. An AmericanTrage办(1925), based on an actual criminal case history, brought the author widespreadrecognition and popularity. It was successfully dramatized by Patrick Kearney.In 1944, Dreiser was awarded the Merit Medal for Fiction by the American Academy ofArts and Letters. Although he published little during the later years of his life, TheBulwark(1946), and The Stoic八947), appeared posthumously, both showing his later interest inreligious philosophy.He died at his home in southern California in 1945.Theodore Dreiser is an outstanding representative of naturalism. He is now regarded as oneof the pre-eminent American novelists of the first half of twentieth century, an anatomist of the"American dream".He is the leading figure in a national literary movement that replaces the observance ofVictorian notions of propriety with the unflinching presentation of real life subject matter.Among other themes, his novels explore the new social problems that had arisen in a rapidlyHe is recognized as a profound and prescient critic of debated American values and as a1powerful novelist. Indeed his influence on the fiction of the first quarter of the century is perhapsgreater than any other writers. He was the first writer who criticized the futility of the AmericanDream in his novels so drastically. After him there were some other famous writers who alsodepict the futility of the American Dream, among whom were Faulkner, Fitzgerald, Hemingway,Steinbeck, Bellow etc.He didn't achieved Nobel Prize due to his lack of humor in novels and his style andlanguage tended to be clumsy and plodding. Despite of this, he played an important role inintroducing a new realism and sexual candor into American diction. While evaluating the statusof a writer, we should not pay only attention to the achievements the writer got during hislifetime, or just evaluate him from the literary form of expression, literature is to express humanity, life and society. To emphasizemake the content better.but should make it sure thatthe form of expression is toAlthough he had never won thewriters. According to critics, "he hadNobel Prize, Dreiser had great influence than any otheran enormous influence on American literature during thefirst quarter of the century and for a time he was American literature, the only writer worthtalking about in the same breath with the European masters. Out of his passions, contradictions,and sufferings, he wrenched the art that was his salvation from the hungers and depressions thatracked him."He was the most "American" of novelists. His hungry curiosity probed the nooks andcrannies of the national life, as he sought to perform what he saw as his mission一understandinga large, youthful, dynamic country that had no deep roots in the past and that was in a perpetualstate of change and becoming. He retained a deep compassion for the voiceless mass ofindividuals in this land; their dreams and desires had for him the beautyIn my thesis I will examine his renowned novel An American Trage办I choose this one asthe target of my interpretation and analysis because this novel is the representative of hisachievements of his writing career and the novel can serve as a window through which we canobserve at a short distance the nature of the society at the beginning of the 19th century. I willexamine in what ways America went wrong, especially from perspective of American tragedy.2 Analyze the important roles of environment factorsAn American Tragedy is a severe charge to the social reality at that time. Dreiserhas always been good at setting examples and accumulating details. In An AmericanTragedy, he aims to confirm that the ideal life of mediocrity is corrupting the youngergeneration; it could not be convincing without suffcient historical facts. It is why thenovel is of so many pages. In order to ensure the accuracy of narrative, Dreiser doesactually quote some American media reports about thirty years ago, but these materials are blended with the development of the character of the protagonist withoutany trace of makeup. Dreiser has frankly admitted that he~longing for pleasure brought with money when he~young, but he had given up the materialistic life ashe grew up. As American commentators point out, Dreiser constantly used his novelsto criticize those that he once pursued.Known as the "Roaring Twenties", America was reacting to the depression of theWorld War. It was like a giant party. New technology, new ideas and great change.Rapid development of communication and rapid urbanization inspired byindustrialization produced a series of new problems. The form, contents and methodof modern social information communication obviously affected the development andchanges of social structure, social psychology, social economical pattern, innovativemodel and so on. An American Trage办gives a vivid reflection of the Americanthe early 20`"comment in theIrving Howe, a celebrated American critic, makes such aafterword of the novel's I 964 edition:"Reading An American Tragedy once again, after a lapse of over twenty years,I've found myself greatly moved and shaken by its repeated on-slaughter of narrative,its profound immersion in human suffering, its dredging up of those shapeless desireswhich lies, as if in fever, just below the plane of consciousness...[it is] crowded withexact observation一observation worked closely into the grain of narrative一about the customs and class structure of American society in the phase of earlyfinance capitalism. No other novelist has absorbed into his work as much knowledgeas Dreiser has about American institutions: the mechanisms of business, the rhythms of the factory, the inner hierarchy of a large hotel, the chicaneries politics, the status arrangements of rulers and ruled."}stiflingof city2.1 The Influence of Economic Boom on Clyde's TragedyEconomic growth from the end of the 19}h century to the early 20a' century wasimpressive. Ownership of cars, new household appliances, and housing was spreadwidely through the population. New products and processes of producing those products drove this growth. The 1920s is a period of vigorous, vital economic growth. It marks the first truly modern decade and dramatic economicdevelopments are found in those years. There is a rapid adoption of the automobile.Though suburbs had been growing since the Iate nineteenth century their growth had been tied to rail or trolley access and this was limited to the largest cities. "Theflexibility of car access changed this and the growth of suburbs began to accelerate.The demands of trucks and cars led to a rapid growth in the construction of all-weather surfaced roads to facilitate their movement."g The rapidly expandingelectric utility networks led to new consumer appliances and new types of lightingand heating for homes and businesses. The introduction of the radio, radioand commercial radio networks began to break up rural isolation, as did the expansion of local and long-distance telephone communications. Recreational activities such as traveling, going to movies, and professional sports became majorbusinesses. The period saw major innovations in business organization and manufacturing technology.During the 1920s the labor force grew at a more rapid rate than population.This somewhat more rapid growth came from the declining share of the populationless than 14 years old and therefore not in the labor force. "In contrast, the laborforce participation rates, or fraction of the population aged 14 and over that was inthe labor force, declined during the twenties from 57.7 percent to 56.3 percent. Thiswas entirely due to a fall in the male labor force participation rate from 89.6 percentto 86.8 percent as the female labor force participation rate rose from 24.3 percent to25.1 percent. The primary source of the fall in male labor force participation rateswas a rising retirement rate. Employment rates for males who were 65 or older fellfrom 60.1 percent in 1920 to 58.0 percent in 1930一92.2 Consum西on of the Leisure ClassAccording to the "Theory of the Leisure Class'0i0，the mark of leisure class isthat they only conduct consumption without the need to produce. The motivation ofthe leisure class is to satisfy their competing psychology and demand ofdiscriminatory contrast. In this way, wearing white clothes shows that one is out ofdirt while wearing the gray clothes shows that one must do some work outside; thereis a great distinction between women wearing high-heel shoes and those wearing flatones. The purpose that the leisure class indulge themselves in the expensive consumption is that they want to reach the consumption standard, which matches theirsocial class. Therefore, their consumption is a kind of conspicuous consumption.According to the historical records, there was a new leisure class andas a resin of the modem consumer culture. As consumer culture prevailed in America,the consumption concept of showing off the wealth without any restraint and enjoyingpleasure of life as much as ane likes became a vogue at the turn of the 20}h century.With the increasing income of the American, people in urban areas, began to expandtheir consumption to more out-door entertainments. In addition to encouraging peopleto spend money extravagantly on commodities, clothes and luxurious residence, thegovernment encouraged people to trade sex. By spending money on such sex trade,Clyde wants to show that he has some certain consuming power so as to be recognized and admitted by others. Certainly, consuming women in the brothel is adegrading and humble consumption, so he determines to find some girl belonging tohimsel式and he does find someone. In this case, Dreiser presents that the sex tradebecomes so naked that for the sake of some material consumptions, women readilyand willingly sell their bodies.In An American Trage办，the extravagant consumption of the leisure class isdemonstrated obviously and prominent. Even the average consumers, for instance,girls from the poor family like Roberta can enjoy the spiritual consumption in cinemasand parties. To those wealthy people like the Finchleys and the Griffiths frequentlyhold parties to invite many friends so that their wealth will be clearly shown off Eversince Clyde is invited to take part in one party held by Sondra, he is regarded as a partof that world, so later, he frequently attends parties held by the wealthy. Young peopleof the wealthy families attach more importance to the outdoor adventures such ashorse riding, rowing boats on lakes, car races and so on. What Dreiser attempts topresent is that the conspicuous consumption of leisure time reaches all unprecedenteden}oymg.2.3 Clyde's Degeneration in Green-DavidsonThe USA was one of the victors in the First World War and it enjoyed a period ofgreat prosperity in the 1920's, though there was a darker side to American life eventhen.America's population generally shifts from rural areas to more urban ones. Morethan half of the nation's population now lives in cities and towns. Urban communities'life is now unquestionably lively and stimulating. There are many things to see-museums, art exhibits, plays, athletic events, trade expositions, and the like. Newideas in science are examined and often accepted. Of course this is the case in thecities more so than in the small towns. In small town America most people remainrelatively conservative as we see in "Scopes Monkey Trial". } } People now tend to bejudged on their accomplishments rather than on their social background. As life inAmerica begins to undergo changes, many feel the gnawing insecurity associated withchange. The heroic person who could face the trials of competition or the dangers ofthe unknown became larger than life. The hero has come up against the strongest adversaries and won. For people living in uncertain times, the hero is proof that abrave and strong-willed man or woman could win out over fears of the unknown orthe impossible.The period in Green- Davidson Hotel deeply influences and poisons Clyde withthe corrupted American bourgeois life, which changes Clyde from a naive and vainyoung man into a cruel villain, so this period is the key period to change hispersonality. He gradually becomes a self-centered mamamonist and egomania. Clydehas a relationship with Hortense Briggs, a coarse girl who uses her sexuality tomanipulate Clyde. The two go on a car trip with friends. A young man namedSparser has stolen the car and, driving recklessly; he hits and kills a pedestrian, fleesthe accident scene, and finally crashes into a pile of lumber. Clyde runs away from thecrashed car to avoid sharing responsibility for these crimes. This accident influencesClyde's life, afterwards, then "every man for himself, and the devil takes thehindmost"12 becomes his life's supreme creed. After fleeing, he relies on doing oddsand ends. In the three years of wandering life, Clyde goes through difficulties, hassuffered the ups and downs of the human world and the cruelness of the society, especially the hypocrisy, cheat and conflict of bourgeois. The despicable acts of junglelaw make him better understand the life art of the bourgeois: to live, you have to behypocritical; to make a fortune, you must disregard everything and take advantage ofall means. He deeply realizes: in the kingdom of the bourgeoisie that the gap betweenthe rich and the poor "was as sharp as though cut by a knife or divided by a high wall";，，It was so hard to be poor, not to have money and position and to be able to do in lifeexactly as you wished.. . "(274). So his desire for fortune becomes even stronger, likea gamester addicted to gambling, he decides to make a road to the country of gold atall costs. Just at this time, at his job at the Joint Club of Chicago, Clyde encounters hiswealthy uncle, who is on a business trip. He hastens to curry favor with his uncle andsoon wins his trust. Samuel Griffiths offers his nephew a job in his shirt factory.Although this is a low position, he still feels proud and self-satisfied. However, after ashort time, compared with his uncle's luxurious and chic residence, beautiful andrefined furnishings, convivial social life of his cousins and their elegant talking andmanner, he is ashamed for his shallowness. He feels disgusting, but also a littledepressed; it seems that all he is dreaming for, money and beauty, all inall, though insight, are as remote as the moon in the water, the flower in the mirror. For Clyde isdeeply corrupted by bourgeois value, what a painful torment it is! In such a situation,once he finds a shortcut to share wealth and nobleness, it is impossible for him tocontrol his desire to stand out from others."Dreiser draws an equal mark in between desire and city. His detailed description of the city is without parallel in history, thus he becomes the greatestrecorder of American urban life."'32.4 Gap between the Rich and the Poor in An AmericanAt that time, the changes of ideas and concepts are not inseparable from theaccelerated urbanization, industrialization and modernization of American society.America has experienced the period of rapid industrialization, and the industry ofAmerica rapidly grows. In 1900, the total industrial output value of America accountsfor 30% of that of the world, and America becomes the richest and largest industrialcountry. In the latter half of the 19`h century of Gold Rush, monopolies and capitalistsunscrupulously amass wealth. Money has become the most important access to socialrecognition in America and the amount of wealth is the sole criterion for whethersomeone should be accepted by the upper class. With such kind of social value, theAmerican bourgeoisie seize wealth more unbridledly and crazily. At the end of the19`" century, large business organizations and big plutocrats have dominated the U.S.Economy. With their powerful economic strength, they control the market, regulatemarket prices, divide the scope of operation, unscrupulously exclude and fight againsttheir competitors, exploit and press the workers cruelly and shamelessly cheated thepublic.Dreiser describes the similar picture at the beginning and end of the novel. Fromthe view of space, the story takes place in many cities-almost covers the entireUnited States, such as Kansas in the central, New York in the east and San Franciscoin the west. The descriptions from the aspects of time and space strongly prove thatthe tragedy of Clyde is bound to happen anywhere at anytime in America. America has come into an era of endless tragedy. Through delicate psychological portrait andsubtle time and space design, Dreiser paints a real picture of the American society.This is the real reflection of America in the early 20th century.Through Clyde's eyes, Dreiser describes the gap between the rich and the poor indetail. As a child, Clyde has experienced the luxurious life in many big cities as hisparents spoken in the streets. At that time, compared with the beautiful clothes of theurban people, he is ashamed of the shabby clothes they wear, and he is ashamed ofbeing looked down upon. He wishes that he need not do this any more, or at least heneed not be part of it, which in his mind "seemed shabby and even degrading."(4). Inhis mind, clothes are most important for a person to make himself known and recognized by others. When he is interested in and attracted by the opposite sex, hedoesn't have good clothes to interpret identity. Without the right clothes as otherhandsome boys wear, he can't make friends with boys, let alone with girls. Workingas a bell-hop in the Green Davison hotel, he needs to dress as well as other boys sothat he can be accepted by others.In the meantime, Clyde himself regards the .clothes as a standard to establishfriendship or social contacts in his later adventure in Lycurgus. Working in the factory,he looks down upon those working by. In his eyes, they are not such individuals as hewould ordinarily select for companions-far below bell-boys or drivers and clerksanywhere for they "wore such clothes as only the most common laborers would wear." (197) Those people in smart dresses would arouse his interest and passion.That's why he is exceedingly fascinated with Sondra at his first sight ofher. In theconsumer society, Clyde gradually develops his own value and principles of socialcommunications. Certainly, clothes are one of the important visible factors withregards to the standards of his commitment of social contacts.The gap between the rich and the poor can also be seen from the aspect ofresidence. What's more, there is a sharp distinction between the wealth and the poor inrelation to residence. In the novel, the wealthy would locate their houses intheprosperous region where life is convenient. The style and location of the dwellingscan interpret their wealth and social status as well. Whether the luxurious residence,or the comfortable cars presented in the novel have been endowed with strong symbols and signal meanings. As soon as Clyde arrives at Lycurgus, he is deeply impressed while he is lingering on the Central Avenue and he finds "he was in touchwith a wide and tree-shaded thoroughfare of residences, the houses of which, each andevery one appeared to possess more room than any with which he had ever been incontact."(180) His uncle's family is located here and in his uncle's house, there aregardens, trees, car garage, fountains and beautiful rooms where "so many handsomepieces of furniture and such rich rugs and hangings" (219) which arouses his greatadmiration and fascination.In the novel, Sondra's family establishes a summer resort in the Twelfth lake areawhere there are many dwellings of other celebrated people in Lycurgus. Such consumption of residence illustrates the owners' wealth and social status in a fairlydirect way. In contrast, the poor people are working hard to seek shelters. In the novel,Roberta, Dillard, as well as Clyde can only afford to rent cheap flats, which showsthat they belong to the lower class, having no money to enjoy some necessary consumption like the wealthy. This is the stimulus for Clyde to rise as quickly as hecan because he is desirous of the luxurious residence the wealthy are enjoying. Hewants to get all of them, and he wants to be a part of that world. An occasional sightof the shabby house of Roberta's parents makes Clyde confirm once more that hewould never marry her. "So lonely and bare, even in this bright, bright spring weather!The decayed and sagging roof, the broken chimney to the north-rough lumps ofcemented field stones lying at its base"(444), which obviously show the life ofpoverty stricken family. Dreiser turns his sympathetic eyes to the small and shabbyhouses in the slum like areas and shows his great sympathy for those ragged people.Through Clyde's eyes, the great gap between the rich and the poor is so clear at aglance. Clyde'sthoughts of Sondra's luxurious house revive his courage andconfidence to become someone of that world. It is by virtue of the sharp contrast ofthe signifyingof Sondra andthat makes Clyde determine to get ridof the latter so as tothe former, and to obtain what he has longed for. In hiseyes, owning the residence through his marriage with Sondra, the Miss rich, he coulddefinitely be someone in the world of the wealthy.3 Discuss the influence of hereditary factors for Clyde3. 1欲望主体:摇摆的克莱德3.1.1城市围墙外的仰望本文分析《美国悲剧》中的欲望主体主要是其主人公克莱德。