Sister Carrie, "and" Humble Abode "in Consumption Ethics Research

Written in different geographical, temporal and cultural backgrounds, the two novels, Sister Carrie and A Romance of House, are similar to each other in that both reveal the current situation that people’s consumption ethics are undergoing changes in the transitional society.Employing the theory of ethical literary criticism, this thesis attempts to make a comparison of the consumption ethics as reflected in the two novels in terms of love, family ties and metropolis, for the purpose of interpreting the consumption issues, and of commenting on them from ethical perspectives; besides, it is intended that the thesis may perform an inspirational function for the construction of consumption ethics in the present-day world.Consumerism and hedonism have already dominated the society as depicted in Sister Carrie, and have just emerged in that of A Romance of House. Some characters in the two novels have continually broken the bottom line of morality for satisfying their consumption desires. The fact warns people in the present-day world the urgent need of building a much healthier order of consumption ethics.