Dreiser's Early Naturalism In Sister Carrie

Theodore Dreiser is regarded as an outstanding representative of American naturalism. In this thesis, Dreiser's first novel Sister Carrie is used as a text to analyse the traits of Dreiser's early naturalism.This thesis consists of five parts.Introduction explores the feasibility and necessity for the study of Dreiser's early naturalism.Chapter One deals with Dreiser's early naturalistic philosophy. In Sister Carrie, characters are deprived of free will. It seems that man's behaviour is dominated by instincts (desires, needs and fear), environment (cities and consumerism) and chances. The essence of Dreiser's philosophy is "pessimistic determinism".Chapter Two focuses on Dreiser's early naturalistic morality. Dreiser's morality is influenced by Spencer's social Darwinism. Man's reason is still in the process of evolution, and it can not control instincts completely. The most important thing for man is to exist. He should not take any responsibility for his immorality and mistakes. So, Dreiser's morality is a kind of evolutionary morality.Chapter Three concentrates on Dreiser's naturalistic attitude of truthful reflection of life. American literature is still under the rule of "genteel tradition". Dreiser advocates the truthful reflection of life in Sister Carrie, and he clears the way for the development of American literature.Since Dreiser's "truthful reflection of life" is against the "genteel tradition"; his philosophy is influenced by Darwin's theory of evolution prevailing in America at that time; and the moral concept, especially the concept of consumerism which he advocates is in agreement with the development of American society, so, Dreiser is not merely a criticizer of capitalism, but also a builder of American cultural system.