Sister Carrie and Her American Dream开题报告

1. 研究目的与意义

From this book, Carrie became lost in the puzzle of what she really wanted and what happiness was. This reveals the emptiness of the social values system under the strong influence of the crazy pursuit of American Dream. The deceiving nature of the American Dream is a main factor of the tragedy of Sister Carrie. It#8217;s the false social values that lead the tragedy of the whole society. The tragedy of Sister Carrie is just a vivid reflection of the tragedy of the whole society. Therefore, through the analysis of Carrie#8217;s tragedy, it can be found that the American Dream which is illusory indeed is pretty hard for the poor to realize.

2. 研究内容和预期目标

Contents: Sister Carrie and Her American Dream Problems intended to solve: Find out the causes of Carrie#8217;s tragedy and analyze the content of American dream. Outlines: 1. Introduction 2. The Introduction of the American Dream 2.1 The review of the American Dream 2.2 The American Dream with a deep root in America 2.2.1 The origin of the American Dream 2.2.2 The evolution of the American Dream 3. Sister Carrie#8217;s American Dream 3.1 The formation of her American Dream 3.1.1 Carrie#8217;s dissatisfaction and expectation 3.1.2 Carrie#8217;s inherent qualities 3.2 The pursuit and disillusionment of Carrie#8217;s American Dream 3.2.1 The pursuit of wealth, position and love 3.2.2 The disillusionment of wealth, position and love 4. The Causes of Carrie#8217;s Tragedy 4.1 The external causes 4.1.1 The social background 4.1.2 The life experience and living environment 4.2 The internal causes 4.2.1 Carrie#8217;s defect character and limited capacity 4.2.2 Carrie#8217;s endless desire 5.Conclusion

3. 国内外研究现状

Sister Carrie is the first novel of Theodore Dreiser and it is full of thoughts and artistic connotations. The novel witnesses the great changes of American society at the turn of the 19th and the 20th century. The boom of industrialization changes people''s life style as well as their ways of thoughts, especially female thoughts. Carrie is a typical woman representative of the period. The novel is very popular in readers and scholars in China and abroad. Scholars have explore this novel from different angles, mainly focuses on the ethical evaluation of the protagonist Carrie and the capital evil behind the loss of Carrie. Throughout the review of studies, the authors in China and foreign countries point out that Sister Carrie is significant in present in enlightening people''s value and women''s social position. In Sister Carrie., there are still a lot to be further explored in a deep sense and wide perspective.

4. 计划与进度安排

【1】Using different kinds of sources from library and internet 【2】Keeping track of sources 【3】Writing my paper

5. 参考文献

[1] Adams, James Truslow. The Epic of American[M]. New York: Greenwood Press, 1931. [2] Dreiser, Theodore. Sister Carrie[M]. Toronto: Bantam Classics, 1982. [3] Guerin, Wilfred L. A Handbook of Critical Approaches to Literature[M]. London: Oxford University Press, 1999. [4] Lingeman, Richard. Theodore Dreiser: An American Journey[M]. New York: John Wiley amp; Sons INC, 1993. [5] Sahlins, Marshall. Culture and Practical Reason[M]. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1978. [6] Tang, Soo Ping. York Notes on the Great Gatsby[M] York: Longman York Press, 1980. [7] Turner, Frederick Jackson. The Significance of the Frontier in American History[M]. Madison: Silver Buckle Press, 1893. [8] 蒋道超. 德莱塞研究[M]. 上海: 上海外语教育版社, 2003. [9] 王刚华. 嘉莉妹妹的欲望和驱动力[J]. 外国文学研究, 2002, (3): 89-93. [10] 杨仁敬. 美国文学简史[M]. 上海: 上海外语教育版社, 2008.