Abstract

Theodore Dreiser is an outstanding representative of American naturalism. It is in his works that American naturalism is said to have come of age. His novels often feature main characters who succeeded at their objectives despite a lack of a firm moral code, and literary situations that more closely resemble studies of nature than tales of choice and agency. Sister Carrie is one of his most famous books. My study on this novel consists of three parts: Chapter 1 takes the view from "Carrie as a new woman" to point out her advancement by comparing her with the traditional family-oriented women-- Minnie and Julia. Chapter two takes the view from "Carrie as the second sex" to demonstrate that though not constrained by marriage, she still relied on men to live all the time, pointing out the weak side of the her unconventional female life. Chapter three takes the view from "Carrie as a mere human" to illustrate that what Carrie did was just trying every effort to satisfy her needs which any human beings would do, conforming to Maslow’s Hierarchy of needs theory. This thesis tries to tell people that women are more human beings than just being women. And anyone who tries to understand and judge women can't just do it from the feminist perspective, but also from the human's view.

Key words: feminism; a new woman; the second sex; a mere human

Contents

Abstract

摘  要

1. Carrie as a New Woman-1

1.1. Minnie’s Poor Life-1

1.2. Julia’s Boring Life-2

2. Carrie as the Second Sex-5

2.1. Carrie’s Unparalleled Beauty-5

2.2. Carrie’s Illegal Relations-6

2.3. Carrie’s Talented Skill-7

3. Carrie as a Mere Human-9

3.1. Three Needs-9

3.2. Four Needs-10

3.3. Five Needs-10

4. Conclusion-12

References-13