City· Desire·Figure

The United States converted from agricultural country to industrial one between19th and20th century. The rapidly development of industrialization leaded to a majorshift in the social structure of the United States, and brought many new socialproblems. American writers showed deep concern and reflection on the city in thisperiod. As a writer who portrays the urbanization which leads to the alienation ofhuman in his work, Theodore Dreiser first shows the essence of city life in UnitedStates after industrialization, and expresses worries to the industrial city. Basing onthe perspective of city, this article will present a study of Theodore Dreiser’s work incombined with American industrialization, urbanization and consumer culturebackground.The whole thesis is divided into five parts.The introduction part first interprets the relationship between literature and city,and then introduces the general situation of Theodore Dreiser’s city writing.The first chapter starts with Theodore Dreiser’s miserable condition of childhoodand the experiences of the city in adulthood, combines with the background of thesocial transformation, explores the reasons why Dreiser focuses on the city, and thecharacteristics of his works.The second chapter mainly analyzes the "Desire Theme" in Theodore Dreiser’snovels. The city is the arena of desire and money. It provides chromospheres wealth,rights, status for people. This chapter first discusses theatres, department stores, hotelsand other space which inspired people’s desire. Second, It will analysis women andmoney which as the symbol of desire be pursuit forever by people in the city. Finally,based on Rene’s theory of the "triangle desire ", points out that people’s desire is not only from themselves but also influenced by others.The third chapter discusses the alienation state of human and finds the means ofself-redemption in the background of the consumption culture. In the commercializedsociety, everything in the city can be measured by money. Women, talent becomeproducts which can be consumed by human. The relationship between people isreplaced by the exchange of comedy. Dreiser saw the humanity alienation caused byindustrialized, he attempted to reconstruct the system of moral and tried to findconsolation of the human psyche in the world of religions.The conclusion part reiterates the whole thesis and emphasizes the practicalsignificance of Theodore Dreiser’s city writing.