On The Disillusionment With The American Dream

Theodore Dreiser's novel Sister Carrie is the early representative in American naturalism. Since its publication, there have been many critics who commented on this works, and its main character Sister Carrie is a controversial person. Dreiser was criticized by critics and readers because he didn't give any comment on her degeneration. The thesis tries to analyze the disillusion with Sister Carrie's American Dream and the causes of this tragedy.The thesis is divided into three chapters besides an introduction and a conclusion. In the introduction, the author of the paper first briefly relates Theodore Dreiser's life experience and his works, and then introduces the studies on Sister Carrie at home and abroad. The author also tells of the purpose and significance of choosing the topic.In the first chapter, Sister Carrie's American Dream is dealt with. The author explores the history of the American Dream, and then what Carrie's American Dream is.In the second chapter, the author tries to explain how Carrie is disillusioned with her American Dream. The question is discussed from two aspects: material and spiritual.In chapter three, the author gives the causes of Carrie's disillusion with the American Dream. The first cause is her passivity. Passivity is one of the characteristics of women. For thousands of years, women have formed this habit under the control of men. So first of all, it is necessary to explore women's position in the world and American history, and then explain how her passivity causes her disillusion. The second cause is her desire for more material things. It is well known that a person's behavior has certain connections with his environment. So does Carrie's. Shopping centers, wholesale districts and her neighbors stimulate her desire at the bottom of her heart. Then her desires to possess more material things play a decisive role in causing her disillusion. The last cause is her position as the Other, which makes her pursue beautiful clothes to attract men's attention.In the end the author draws the conclusion: the American Dream looks beautiful, but in fact it is not reliable, just like the foam of soap. It only gives people an illusion. So Carrie's disillusion with the American Dream is inevitable.