摘 要

《嘉莉妹妹》是美国作家西奥多•德莱塞的第一部小说，这部小说不仅仅是他个人的杰作，也是美国文学史上一部具有划时代意义的优秀作品。小说讲述了在美国一位农村女孩到城市谋生最后发展成名演员的故事。时至今日，主人公嘉莉仍是一个有争议性的人物形象。本文试图从当时美国新兴消费文化和新女性崛起的社会背景出发，从生活、事业和人格三方面解释嘉莉所具有的鲜明的女性形象，并分析其内在和外在的原因。最后，从嘉莉身上找到给中国现代女性的启示。

关键词：嘉莉妹妹；社会背景；女性形象；原因；启示
 
Abstract

Sister Carrie is the first novel by America writer Theodore Dreiser. It is not only a masterpiece of Theodore Dreiser’s, but also has an epoch-making significance in the history of American literature. This novel talks about a poor countryside girl who keeps struggling in a large city and eventually becomes a famous star of Broadway in the United States. Even to this day, Carrie is still a controversial character. My paper first tries to analyze under the social background of the emerging consumer culture and the development of new women in the United States. And second attempts to analyze the female image of Sister Carrie from the aspects of her life, job and characters. In addition, I’d like to focus on the external and internal reasons of this kind of new women. And at last, some inspiration and reference to Chinese women will be found in the present age.

Key words: Sister Carrie; social background; female image; reasons; inspiration

1 Introduction
As the society is developing rapidly, the social status of women has improved dramatically. It is becoming a new power in the public and plays a very important role in the development of the society. This paper attempts to analyze the female image of Sister Carrie from the aspects of her life, job and characters. In addition, I’d like to focus on the reasons to form such a new woman. And at last, some inspiration and reference to Chinese women will be found in the present age.
1.1 The introduction to Sister Carrie and Theodore Dreiser
Sister Carrie is the first novel by American writer Theodore Dreiser. It is not only a masterpiece of Theodore Dreiser’s, but also it has an epoch-making significance in the history of American literature. This novel talks about a poor countryside girl who keeps struggling in a large city and eventually becomes a famous star of Broadway in the United States.