Lost In Desire-Analysis Of Desire Themes In Dreiser's Works

Theodore Dreiser is an outstanding American novelist of the 20th century. His critically acclaimed novel chronicle American life in all classes, especially the social status and people's desire. He was born in a German immigrant family in America, his impoverished childhood brought him comprehensive and intensive cognition on social life, and also kindled his desire. The characters in his works were parts of his shadow—inevitably they were full of desire, lost in their desire. Desire is the invariable theme in his works. By analyzing the desire in his works, we comprehended Dreiser's desire, and found modern enlightenment.There are six parts in this paper. The first chapter is the introduction of the research situations, and the research purpose of my paper. The second chapter analyzed the desire of the characters in Dreiser's works: Sister Carrie, Jennie Gerhardt, An American Tragedy. Chapter three analyzed how the characters get lost in their desire by using Lacan's desire theory, and the modern enlightenments to our life. Chapter four amplified the social and the cultural backgrounds: industrial revolution brought earthshaking changes, mechanized production made more and more people to go to the city to seek a livelihood. This also made them to be the bottom of the society. Industrial revolution also produced more material wealth, created the cultural atmosphere:Consumerism. The nature placed those poor people in this alluring world, they must be full of desire. Chapter five expounded the development of Dreiser's desire as he was in the same condition. His desire went through the progress from money worship to spiritual self-actualization. The last chapter is conclusion—the warning and enlightenment from Dreiser's works: It seems to tell people, with the increasing of the material supplies in the modern society, people should not blindly pursue the material enjoyment, and we have cognizance happiness and stability that the spirit brings us satisfaction. It is necessary to ponder the significance and the value of the life.