An Analysis Of Sister Carrie From The Perspective Of Sign-value

Theodore Dreiser has been regarded as an outstanding American naturalist in the 20 th century. His novel, Sister Carrie, tells us a story about how a girl named Carrie transforms from a penniless girl to an elegant lady. She wins fortune, social position and reputation but the real happiness during her pursuit of dream. Created in 1900, Sister Carrie depicts the prosperous consumer society in America, in which people are not only influenced by consuming conceptions of “Consuming is Happiness”, and “What I consumed, then who I am”, but also surrounded by various goods which have been given sign-value. What people consumed is not the product itself but the sign-value which can highlight the individual’s fortune and social status. So, people generally indulge themselves in the sign consumption unconsciously.Theodore Dreiser depicts all aspects of consumer society in Sister Carrie. According to the theory of consumption, people can satisfy their mental demands, and consumption has already become one of the living-styles. It fully applauds consumption and lures people to consume in order to display their purchasing and consumptive powers. In the process of worshiping consumption, the possession of signs takes the place of that of materials, and becomes an indicator of people’s social identity and high-quality life.Under the influence of sign consumption, family, marriage, and friendship are all branded with consumption, and there is no love or any other affection among people. The relationship has shifted to a kind of exchange in the market so as to exert its sign-value.This thesis aims at studying Sister Carrie from the perspective of Baudrillard’s sign-value theory, exploring the expression of sign consumption embodied in this novel, and indicating the influences of sign consumption in the contemporary society. Through analyzing Sister Carrie from the angle of sign-value, the thesis reaches a conclusion that sign consumption has already been a major living style with the purpose of showing off one’s conspicuous purchasing power and social position; celebrities are not only the guidance of fashion, but the spokesperson to attract the public’s attention and lure their consumptive desire.