On Sister Carrie's Self-actualization

As one of the first who had blazed a trail in the field of American modern fiction,Theodore Dreiser was a famous American realistic writer.As a result of its truthful portrayal of reality,the deep exploration of human nature,and the challenge to traditional literature and social morals,Sister Carrie,Dreiser's first novel,had gained extensive attention once published.As one of Dreiser's masterworks,Sister Carrie tells a story of the protagonist Carrie,who is no typical heroine in traditional literary works,transforming from a country girl into a popular actress.Under the theoretical guidance of Maslow's hierarchy of needs,the thesis adopts the research method of textual close reading and explores the process of Sister Carrie's self-actualization.The thesis is divided into five parts.The first chapter is the introduction to the thesis.Theodore Dreiser's life experience and the novel Sister Carrie will be introduced in this part.The second chapter is literature review.The research on Dreiser and his works by scholars at home and abroad will be discussed.The third chapter is an introduction to Maslow's hierarchy of needs,which lays the theoretical foundation for the thesis.The fourth chapter is the body part of the thesis.With the text analysis and the guidance of Maslow's hierarchy of needs,the self-actualization of Carrie,a country girl who rises to stardom,will be explored in the fourth chapter.As an innate motivation to drive people forward,self-actualization is not a concept but a process.Based on Maslow's hierarchy of needs,the process can be divided into five stages,namely physiological needs,safety needs,social belonging needs,esteem needs and self-actualization needs.Thorough the analysis of the each stage of Carrie's self-actualization,Carrie's self-actualization can be fully illustrated,and the comprehension of the characters and plots will be deepened.The fifth chapter is the conclusion.Under the direction of Maslow's hierarchy of needs,what has been discussed in the first four chapters will be summarized,and the conclusion of the thesis will be reached that the protagonist Sister Carrie has accomplished the first four phases on the process of self-actualization but fails at the final phase due to her own limitations and the social climate.