Looking for the outline of graduation thesis: an analysis of Sister Carrie from the perspective of spiritual ecology. (urgent)

Dreiser lived at the end of 19 and the beginning of the 20th century. Consumerism and hedonism began to prevail, and capitalism was in the rising stage of monopoly. The rapid development of capitalist industrial production, on the one hand, the commodity economy and people's material life are unprecedentedly prosperous, on the other hand, industrial development also destroys people's natural living environment, especially the capitalist values corrode people's hearts and beautiful feelings. Money worship is pervasive in society, people are almost morbidly dependent on material and wealth, and the spiritual circle of the whole society is in crisis and imbalance. Sister Carrie also fell into the quagmire of desire and became one of the tens of thousands of Americans facing spiritual and ecological crisis in Qian Qian.

Dreiser; Sister Carrie; Spiritual and ecological crisis; Physical and chemical

Theodore dreiser lived at the turn of19th century and 20th century. At that time, consumerism and hedonism prevailed. On the one hand, industrial prosperity made people get great material enjoyment in life, on the other hand, it destroyed the natural living conditions, especially the capitalist values destroyed and eroded everyone's spiritual and emotional life. The whole society is suffocated by greedy material acquisition and morbid worship of money and wealth. The individual spiritual ecosystem and the whole social spiritual ecosystem have been destroyed and threatened. Sister Carrie is just one of the victims. This paper attempts to interpret Sister Carrie's lifestyle choice by analyzing the values and spiritual ecosystem of the whole society at that time.

Keywords: Dreiser; Sister Carrie; The spirit of ecological crisis is embodied.

Dreiser is a representative writer of American naturalistic novels. Allen tate, a famous literary critic, juxtaposed him with Hemingway and Faulkner, calling him one of the three most important novelists in modern America. His main achievement is to truly and powerfully reveal the cruel social competition and the more cruel money relationship between people in American society at that time. His novel Sister Carrie depicts a rural girl Carrie who immigrated to Chicago. She is penniless, but deeply mired in desire. In order to meet her material needs and desires, she has lived with two men. The capitalism of Dreiser's life is in the rising monopoly stage. With the rapid development of commodity economy, the natural ecological environment has been destroyed day by day, capitalist values have become popular, people are almost morbidly dependent on materials, and people's spirit has been polluted and is on the verge of spiritual crisis. Fromm said, "if you produce too many useful things, you will produce too many useless people." In the sense of mental health, the 20th century is even more morbid than19th century. " This process can be said to have happened with the development of capitalism and urban commerce. Carrie's American dream, the process of her growth and prosperity, the ultimate confusion, emptiness and spiritual crisis, countless Americans and American women have experienced or are experiencing. Dreiser, like a scientist, takes an objective attitude of only respecting facts in his works, and shows the ugliness and crisis exposed by people in a materialistic society naked to readers.

Material Commercialization and Spiritual Worship

1860 to 1865 After the Civil War, American industry and commerce developed rapidly. In order to maintain this development, the customized immigration policy has changed the conservative United States, and the United States has changed from an idyllic country farm country to an industrialized country. From 1860 to 1900, the population of the United States soared from 310 million to 76 million, and began to concentrate from rural areas to cities. Towns rose overnight and expanded into big cities in less than ten years. The most striking thing is Chicago: 1833, which is only a village of 350 people. By 1870, it has increased to 300,000 people; At 1880, it increased to 500,000; 1890 has broken through the million mark, and its development speed is amazing, which seems to be unable to be measured by convention. Only when a huge industry appears, it is annexed by a larger industry and placed under the control of complex financial capital; Carnegie, Frick, Rockefeller and a few other rich people obviously fattened themselves up by others, which aggravated the gap between the rich and the poor. A large number of poor people from rural areas or all over the world immigrated to new york, Pittsburgh, Chicago and other cities, forming slums in cities.

Urban infrastructure and factories are far from meeting the needs of the influx of immigrants from all over the world. Numerous factories are foggy, garbage piles up into mountains, industrial wastewater is life-threatening, and noise makes people unable to sleep. As described in Dreiser's novels, "the sound of a hammer knocking on a new building can be heard everywhere" and "the sound of a hammer refracting a new structure can be heard everywhere" (Dreiser 1 1), which is a leap-forward and predatory development and will inevitably lead to environmental damage and ecological imbalance. "People's life and spiritual world are subject to the ecosystem, which is the foundation of culture. Environmental quality is a necessary condition for people's quality of life. " (4) rolston: The ecological imbalance and environmental pollution in social development unconsciously spread to the spiritual world and spiritual world of human beings organically integrated with the environment, resulting in "spiritual pollution" or "spiritual ecological crisis".

If there was abstinence and frugality in early capitalism, then in monopoly capitalism, "the fanaticism of seeking the kingdom of God began to gradually turn into a calm economic virtue; The roots of religion began to die slowly, giving way to secular utilitarianism, and material products began to gain unprecedented material strength for human survival and become an iron cage. (Weber 138, 142) Therefore, idolization is inevitable. It is regarded as a feature of capitalist culture, that is, people blindly worship the goods they produce as dissidents. In a commercialized society, people are completely called "consumers". Consumption has become the sole purpose of life, the greatest happiness, and even a chronic disease like smoking, drinking and heroin. Middle-class families buy refrigerators, washing machines and vacuum cleaners, men wear watches and smoke cigars, and women buy cosmetics and fashion. You can buy semi-finished food everywhere in chain stores or supermarkets. Advertisers played a role in adding fuel to the flames. They see themselves as "brokers of American economic growth, and they give products charm and influence when advertising them." (Current 7 15) The image of commodities and advertisements "teaches people to define their needs and lifestyles according to the commodity market." (Parenti 65) To a great extent, people's imagination is dominated by advertisements and the media. (Parenti 65) What best illustrates the consumption boom is that Americans treat more and more popular cars with a crazy attitude. "The car is not only a means of transportation, but also the first consumer product that fascinates the whole country. "

On the train to Chicago, Carrie was full of dreams about things, not hard work. The salesman described Chicago as a large shopping center with a wide range of goods. His own appearance is a good advertisement: "He is wearing a big gold-plated cuff link with a yellow agate on it, called' Cat's Eye'. There are several rings on the finger ... There is also a delicate bracelet hanging in the vest pocket ... "(dresser 3). This fashionable appearance of gold, silver and materials, as well as a bulging wallet, made Carrie vaguely feel that he was the center of the wealth world. After Chicago, a magnificent and prosperous metropolis, Carrie completely lost herself. She thinks that "the city provides women with everything that makes her colorful-wealth, fashion and comfort" (dresser 18), and she "envies a wide variety of ornaments, clothes, shoes, stationery, jewelry and other commodities" (dresser 18). All valuable things have real attraction for her "(dresser) (Dreiser 17) When Drouet offered to live with her, she couldn't resist the temptation of material and money and threw herself into his arms: he invited her to a big hotel for dinner, bought her new clothes, took her to the theatre and promised them a new car. Although "desire" explains Carrie's motivation from the inside, the city of money worship and material desire is the external reason that seduces Carrie and changes her fate. In order to truly become a part of the city and not get lost in the crowd, she must either make a living by herself or find a man to depend on. The meager income is so insignificant in the face of strong material desires, and once the desire for self-reliance becomes a bubble, she has to sell her body and soul and live a prostitute life that is not a prostitute.

Mental vacuum and incompetence.

As mentioned above, at this time, capitalism has transitioned to the monopoly stage. In the spiritual field, "religious belief can no longer support the younger generation as it supports the older generation." At the same time, "people pin their hopes on science and think that science will be a powerful substitute for religion." (Elliott 527) and convinced: "Advanced and excellent industrial technology will definitely bring them a brilliant future." (Elliott 7 15) In the field of social and cultural thought, consumer ideology gradually reached its peak, "emphasizing expenditure and status possession, weakening traditional moral standards such as frugality, thrift and self-control", and mass consumption "led to Puritanism theory giving way to consumer hedonism. This hedonism advocates happiness and satisfaction in life. " (Spindler 108) If the writers born in 30 or 40 years such as Mark Twain, howells and James kept the moral ideal of the pre-industrial Darwinian era, the protagonist could make moral choices and decide his own destiny through choices, but for the writer Dreiser in the 1970s, the morality of the middle class was irrelevant, and personal material survival was far more important than spiritual perfection.

The philosopher Heidegger said: The essence of the new era is determined by deification and the disappearance of gods from the world. Science and technology uprooted people from the earth and "lost their spiritual home" (Shoybold 165). Carrie is in such a spiritual vacuum. On the one hand, "God is dead", and the traditional framework of Puritanism morality and belief is broken. On the other hand, it is impossible to find new spiritual strength to comfort the soul in real life. More seriously, modern industrial materialism culture and commodity economy blocked people's spiritual channels, corroded people's beautiful and simple feelings, and formed a spiritual desert. Carrie is a girl who only cares about enjoyment. "Where the strong desire points, she goes" (Dreiser 58). She always cares about "things related to money, looks, clothes and entertainment" and "being good at learning the style of the rich-the appearance of the rich". When she saw something, she immediately wondered how beautifully she could dress herself if she got it. (Dreiser 77) "Gorgeous clothes have great attraction to her. "Excessive persistence and obsession with material things cannot be explained only by instinctive desires, but more is the result of social edification and contact with life.

During this period, the development of urban industry greatly widened the gap between urban and rural living standards, and the backwardness of rural areas was in sharp contrast with the advancement of cities. Reflected in women, after the urban revolution, a considerable number of middle-class women appeared in cities. At the beginning of the 20th century, American men and women played together in public places, such as going to the theater, watching movies, dancing and visiting parks, which gradually became a major landscape of urban life and a symbol of middle-class family life (Evans322). In rural areas, "except for a few ladies in big estates, most women still live a life of' sunrise and sunset'." (Wang Enming 67) This dissatisfaction with the rural lifestyle has planted seeds for a large number of rural girls to bid farewell to the countryside and go to the city. Sister Carrie is one of thousands of girls from poor rural areas. As described in the novel, the rich live a life of singing and dancing, which has a strong temptation to Carrie, and the double pressure of "rural" and "working women" makes her in a helpless disadvantage position in society.

Middle-class women with leisure and money in the city are worried about how to spend their "extra" leisure time by going to the theater, shopping and other entertainment methods, so women in the workplace like Kelly are worried about how to find a job and how to survive. When professional women go out to look for a job, they are most concerned about finding a job, followed by salary. For Carrie, "as long as the salary is, for example, $5 a week at the beginning, then you can do anything." (dresser11+0) As working women from rural areas, they are more vulnerable to exploitation by capitalists. Even in a low-paying job, Carrie took a few days off because of illness and was finally fired. The price of rapid economic growth is that people, especially the socially disadvantaged groups like Carrie, generally feel "unable to dominate their daily activities" and their bodies and minds are invisibly controlled and oppressed. Individuals are getting weaker and more dependent on their own nature, causing inner tension and anxiety. When she first arrived in Chicago, she felt that she was "like a lonely person, falling into a rough and ruthless sea". (dresser 8) When there is no way to find a job, I feel that "this business circle is getting bigger, tougher and more ruthless in all aspects. It seems that she has nowhere to go, and the struggle is too fierce ... "(Dresser 20) Carrie is faced with the choice: continue to regard herself as a commodity in Chicago's unskilled labor market, trudge through the streets swept by the wind in cheap boots infiltrated by snow water, or satisfy Derouet's lust and become a slightly higher-priced commodity? In this process, it's not that she didn't work hard, but that any of her efforts are ultimately weak and pale. This sense of powerlessness and helplessness pushed her to the edge of social morality and spirit, to Derouet and Hurstwood.

Although the vision of women's life in that period began to extend from family to society, it can be said that "American women have clearly reflected the independence of modern women, and their greatest characteristics are the pursuit of individuality, yearning for freedom, full of confidence and courage to innovate." (Rosenberg25-35) However, compared with men at that time, the status of American women is still far behind. Charlotte Gorman, a famous feminist, said that in the early 20th century, the status of American women depended on "the social status of men related to them". (Gilman10) At the beginning of the 20th century, the mainstream American society judged the male society mainly by his work, while the female society was judged mainly by her family background and marital relationship. Therefore, on the whole, American women in the early 20th century were still in a social position subordinate to men. Women need to be attached to men, and they also need to be attached to men with money and status. What kind of man can be attached to can determine a woman's economic and social status. A well-fed middle-class woman still has such a position, not to mention a helpless, penniless and incompetent young girl. Therefore, Carrie's choice is independent, not her choice, but the choice of society and environment. If she has any sin, immorality or criticism, it is this increasingly materialized and utilitarian society that should be criticized and cursed.

Conceptual utilitarianism and alienation of existence

With the development of urbanization and commercialization, people's values tend to be rational and utilitarian, money and interests become the standards and yardsticks for interpersonal relationship transfer, and the friendly and simple smiling faces in rural areas begin to become blurred and distant in cities. What people appreciate is the cruelty and impetuousness of urban civilization. People are only satisfied with the enjoyment of material life without spiritual pursuit, forming an extremely imperfect personality. So much so that the blood-soluble kinship vanished before the powerful money offensive. Carrie's sister accepted her to go to Chicago just because "she wants to find a job and pay for her own meals" and "she pays four yuan a week for her room", which can save her a lot of money. For his brother-in-law, whether Carrie is here or not has nothing to do with him. Her arrival had no effect on him. He only cares about one more person in the family to earn money, and nothing else. "When she lost her job, her brother-in-law was afraid of adding any trouble and burden to herself and wanted to send her away. Commercialization and urbanization make modern people "dislocate from nature, lose contact with their basic sense of self, and get farther and farther away from natural life." Money and bureaucrats have replaced natural products and feelings, and people are completely controlled by money. "(Lehan6 1) Money plays an important role in Sister Carrie. For Carrie, a poor and lustful peasant girl who went to Chicago to make a living, money was the means to get everything she longed for in life.

The famous critic Clark Mitchell said: "Dreiser drew an equal sign between desire and city." His meticulous description of the city is unprecedented, and Dreiser has become the greatest recorder of American urban life. " As soon as the city developed, praise and curse existed at the same time. The city represents the separation between man and the self-sufficient world, and it imposes man's order on the natural order created by divine power. Urban people are the birthplace and distribution center of modern civilization and the source of many "industrial civilization diseases". The humanistic and moral environment of the city promotes the alienation between man and nature, man and man, man and inner world, and intensifies the spiritual and ecological crisis of man. At that time, the United States "relied more on workers for economic growth, punching in to the factory on time every day for production, and no longer relied solely on farmers for farming in the order of slow seasonal changes in nature" (Elliott7 17). Everyone is just a part of the big machine of society. A small nail, ego and personality have become unimportant. Max Hawke Hamo and Theodor Adorno pointed out in the book Dialectics of Enlightenment: "The improvement of economic productivity, on the one hand, laid the foundation for the world to become more just, on the other hand, allowed machines and social groups who mastered machines to enjoy absolute control over others. In front of the economic power department, the individual becomes worthless ... the individual disappears in front of the machine he uses ... ". (4) The industrial production lines of big capitalists and punching machines are largely controlled by machines, and people become slaves of machines. People are far away from nature, and only engage in one-dimensional monologues with their own products, such as nylon, polyester, plastics, coatings, steel bars, cement and automobiles. Darwin's theory of "survival of the fittest, survival of the fittest" has been applied to the field of social life, overemphasizing and abusing competition, crushing the feelings of love, sympathy and selfless dedication between people. Carrie came to Chicago and faced industrialization, mechanization, materialization and commercialization. She lost the land and nature on which people depended for survival and independence, and could not control her own destiny and direction.

In such a society, even the most complicated sexual relations are simplified, biology replaces spiritual love desire, and sexual technology replaces the art of love. Love, almost all have been successfully removed. As rollo may, an American psychologist, said: In modern industrial society, "men and women have a close relationship with architecture, * * * share interests, dreams and longings, * * * share hopes for the future, and share worries about the past-all these seem more embarrassing and embarrassing than sleeping together." (38) between men and women, it is a naked transaction of money and material. Women are also regarded as one of men's consumer goods, and sex has become an exchangeable commodity. Young and beautiful chicks can not only satisfy men's sexual desire, but also satisfy their deeper desire to possess and show off. In Drouet's eyes, women are like goods displayed in the window. "He noticed some women in the street who were fashionable in clothes or had good looks, and made comments on them." And when Hurstwood is the representative of this era. He dresses appropriately, lives in luxury, and strives to meet his material and physiological needs. He abandoned his wife, who had lived in Xu Niang for many years, and fell in love with young and beautiful Carrie, who was obedient to himself. Men have money, women throw themselves at each other, and once their daughters are gone, they are abandoned. Therefore, it is not difficult to understand why Carrie "divides the boundaries by clothes according to the eyes of ordinary women, and thinks that those who wear formal dresses are people with status, morality and prestige, and those who wear overalls and jackets are ugly and not even worth seeing" (dresser 3 1). Once she met Hurstwood, a luxury restaurant manager with more money and status than Derouet, a traveling salesman. She changed her employer without hesitation. Hurstwood left her hometown for her, was mercilessly abandoned by her, and finally became penniless.

Under the background of economic transition and cultural transformation, the whole society is "materialized" and the spirit is increasingly "marginalized". Under the influence of social values with highly developed business, Carrie's material desire is extremely inflated and her spiritual life is extremely empty. She has no choice but to sell her soul and body in exchange for practical material and luxurious life. For example, Marx Hawke, Hammer and Theodor Adorno pointed out in Dialectics of Enlightenment: "When the lower classes improve their material living standards, the price they pay is the decline of their social status. This is clearly reflected in the constant kitsch of the spirit. The real contribution of spirit lies in the denial of materialization. Once the spirit becomes cultural wealth and is used for consumption, the spirit will inevitably die. " (4) American critic Farrell also publicly stated that Carrie's choice was the result of the evil influence of American society. He said, "Carrie took a typical path. At that time, the city was winning a decisive victory over the countryside. At this time, she left the countryside and watched herself being thrown into the chaotic world of Chicago. She can get a promotion, luxury clothes and luxury enjoyment. But these can only be reached through an evil road. " (Long Wenpei 322)

refer to

Eliot, emory, editor. The history of American Columbia literature. New york: Columbia University Press, 1988.

Theodore dreiser. Sister Carrie. Beijing: Foreign Trade and Economic Press, 2002, 12.

[2] Holmes rolston, Environmental Ethics, translated by Yang. Beijing: China Social Sciences Press, 2004.

[3] Holmes rolston. Environmental ethics. Yang jintong Beijing: China Social Sciences Press, 2004.

[4] Erich Fromm. On the other side of the fantasy chain. Changsha: Hunan People's Publishing House, 1986.

[5] Max Weber: "Protestant Ethics and the Spirit of Capitalism". Sanlian Bookstore, 1987.

[6] Parenti and Michael. Creating Reality: Politics of Mass Media, new york, Saint Martin Press, 1986.