Contents

Abstract ·i

摘要·iii

Contentsiv

Chapter One  Introduction1

1.1 The Statement of the Study·1

1.1.1 The Purpose of the Study1

1.1.2 The Significance of the Study1

1.1.3 The Framework of the Thesis·2

1.2 Literature Review·3

1.2.1 The Previous Study on Sister Carrie Abroad·3

1.2.2 The Previous Study on Sister Carrie at Home4

1.2.3 Theoretical Basis5

Chapter Two  The Background Information of the Novel·7

2.1 The Study on Theodore Dreiser7

2.1.1 Hard Life in Youth·7

2.1.2 Journalist Career·8

2.2 Historical and Culture Background·9

Chapter Three  The Bud of Feminist Awareness·10

3.1 Vanity vs Innocence10

3.2 Sensitive vs Rational·11

Chapter Four  The Preliminary Awakening of Feminist Awareness13

4.1 The Role of a Companion·13

4.2 The Role of a Guidance·14

4.3 Negative Attitude15

Chapter Five   The Maturity of Feminist Awareness18

5.1 External Factors·18

5.1.1 Economic Independence·18

5.1.2 Some Important Characters·19

5.2 Comparison Between Carrie and Hurstwood21

5.2.1 Attitude to Job Hunting21

5.2.2 Attitude to Obstacles22

Chapter Six  Conclusion24

6.1 Restatement of the Study24

6.2 Important Factors in Women Growth·24

6.2.1 Economic Independence·25

6.2.2 Right Attitude to Career25

6.2.3 Right Attitude to Obstacles·25

Bibliography27

 Feminist Reading on Carrie’s Growth in Sister Carrie

Chapter One  Introduction

1.1 The Statement of the Study

Sister Carrie is studied from feminist perspective in a new way in this thesis. Feminism is combined with historical literature criticism method in this study, and Carrie’s growth is analyzed in three phases where her feminist awareness is in different conditions.

1.1.1 The Purpose of the Study

Theodore Dreiser is one of the most illustrious writers in America, especially in the maturation period of American Naturalism. The purpose of the study lies in three aspects. Firstly, this study will analyze the text intensively. The main phases of Carrie’s growth will be provided, and the later study will be based on them. Secondly, from the Feminism perspective, the study tries to employ a new literature study method to analyze the influencing factors of Carrie’s growth. Thirdly, the study will try to draw out the deep meaning of the growth, conclude the effects of the novel and reveal the book’s contribution to women’s self-development in New Times.

1.1.2 The Significance of the Study

In terms of the methodology, since the publication of Sister Carrie in 1900, this novel has been studied by various theories of literary criticism from different aspects. Before the 1980s, traditional biographical and historical approaches are widely applied to the study on Sister Carrie. “In the 1980s, some new methodologies appeared, such as psychoanalysis of Freud, Feminist criticism and post-structuralism” (Jiang 75). Among these new methodologies, Feminist criticism is a new one. It provides explanations on this work more deeply and thoroughly. In addition, this study combines different approaches. Like other new literary criticism approaches, Feminist reading focuses on the text itself in the microcosmic way, which may bring some shortcomings to the study. So this study combines Feminist criticism with traditional historical approaches to analyze this novel more entirely. By doing this, we can develop the application of Feminist criticism to more great classics.