从文学伦理学批评视角解读嘉莉妹妹的道德堕落

An Ethical Literary Criticism of Sister Carrie’s Moral Degeneration

摘要

《嘉莉妹妹》是西奥多·德莱塞的处女作，该书大胆地冲击了当时盛行的“文雅传统”，曾一度被列为禁书。长期以来，女主人公嘉莉妹妹因其道德堕落而饱受争议。本文运用文学伦理学批评，走进《嘉莉妹妹》的历史现场，对嘉莉妹妹的内心思想和外在行为展开深入的分析。事实上，嘉莉妹妹的道德堕落可以通过她所面临的伦理困境和所做的伦理选择得到重新解读。

关键词：嘉莉妹妹；道德堕落；文学伦理学批评；伦理困境；伦理选择

Abstract

Sister Carrie is the first work of Theodore Dreiser, which boldly launches an attack on “The Genteel Tradition” prevailing then and was banned at one time. For a long time, the heroine Sister Carrie is a contentious figure because of her moral degeneration.

Employing ethical literary criticism, this thesis enters into the historical situation of Sister Carrie and thoroughly analyzes Sister Carrie’s inner thoughts and outer behavior. In fact, Sister Carrie’s moral degeneration can be explained afresh through ethical predicament faced by her and subsequent ethical selection she makes.

Key words: Sister Carrie; moral degeneration; ethical literary criticism; ethical predicament; ethical selection