Theodore Dreiser's Tragedy---Sister Carrie

Theodore Dreiser is an outstanding American novelist of the 2O~ century. His critically acclaimed novels chronicle American life in all classes, especially the life of those people in lower class. Sister Carrie is his first novel which exposes the dark aspect of American society. The author of this thesis, through a comprehensive and tentative analysis of the famous work, tries to illustrate the capital society full of material desire, in which people can not be satisfied by their desires, and can not find the direction of their life. It is the desires and the social surrounding in which they live that cause their tragedy. As to writing technique, Dreiser uses sociological metaphor, scientific metaphor and the symbol of the rocking chair to show the characteristics of characters and the sociological tragedy. In great details, Dreiser describes the sociological environment, especially the big city full of cunning wiles and temptations. A consciously use of scientific detail appears when Dreiser brings chemical philosophy to the explanation of characters?mental condition. The symbolic use of rocking chair is also obvious in the novel. Rocking chair which is considered as the weatherglass of characters?emotion is closely connected with the fate of characters. It promotes the development of their characteristics. In characterization, Dreiser creates three chief tragic images桟arrie, Drouet and Hurstwood. They are all victims of the social and economic forces. Carrie begins as an innocent, kind country girl full of illusion. She degenerates later because of social allures which she can抰 resist. After she achieves the wealth and fame, she doesn抰 feel happy. She is still longing and wondering. Drouet is a dmmmer, the outcome of capitalist society. He is vain, empty in spirit. He considers wealth the most important. In fact, he is a poor man without soul. Hurstwood is a typical egoist, sophisticated and apt to change. His occupation shapes his characteristics. Once he discards his social role in Chicago and enters the New York, his tragic fate is doomed.