摘要

随着经济、科学和社会的发展，在欧洲自然主义文学的影响下，美国自然主义文学产生于19世纪末，一直活跃至今，在美国文学史上占有相当重要的地位。作为反映新的社会现实和探索人于社会关系的一种表现形式，自然主义文学所再现的“全景式的社会画面和混乱的心里生活” 对19世纪末20世纪初的每一位作家充满了吸引力，使每一代作家都把自然主义传统融入到那个时代的社会与精神中。正如博荣所言：“从根本上说，自然主义在美国不是一个纯文学概念，而是关于人和社会的理论，是与时代相呼应的风格”（Bowron, 1951: 27）。西奥多•德莱塞是19世纪末自然主义文学的杰出代表之一，《嘉莉妹妹》是其第一部也是其自然主义代表作。从自然主义的两大特点即欲望和环境对主人公嘉利的命运影响进行分析，本文试图对《嘉利妹妹》进行自然主义解剖，以探索作者的自然主义观。同时，自然主义中的欲望、环境对人物命运的决定作用的观点在今天也有一定的启示作用。
以嘉利妹妹的角色转变为依据，本文将小说分成三段，分别是从农村小姑娘转变为旅行销售员的情人，销售员情人到酒吧经理情人，最后成为百老汇著名演员。本文从自然主义典型特点之欲望及环境决定命运的角度来分析这三次转变的必然性，这也是促成嘉利命运的决定性因素。欲望环境对人命运的影响是德莱塞早期创作的主题。 本文首先介绍自然主义既美国自然主义的由来及特点，随后分析嘉利的三次角色转变，阐明主人公内心的强烈欲望与外界大城市环境的影响共同作用于嘉利的命运抉择。最后是通过分析得到一些启发式的总结。很多同嘉利一样的年轻女性从农村转入城市，沉浸于城市繁华却又遭到激烈竞争的打击与淘汰。她们也可能走上嘉利一样的道路 —— 似乎是满足物欲的捷径但同时也易造成其精神上的空虚与幻灭。所以，在个人的发展过程中，对道德，欲望，环境应有更清晰的认识。通过道德的方式去追求积极，合实际的欲望对个人和社会的和谐发展有重要意义。同时，环境在人的生命中占有不可或缺的作用，但是环境不是决定命运的最终条件，人始终有自我意志。充分利用环境，通过个人的努力和勤劳，人是可以自我掌控命运的。

关键词：自然主义文学，欲望，环境，命运，转变，自我意识

Abstract

With the economic, scientific and social progress and transformations, under the influence of European naturalism, American naturalism was initiated at the end of 19th century and lasted for a long time to the present, taking up a considerably significant position in the history of American literature. As a new literary method to reveal the reality and explore the interrelation between human and society, naturalism with its depiction of “a panoramic world and chaotic inner life” has appealed to a great number of American writers in the turn of 20th century, provoking them to assimilate naturalistic essence into the social and intellectual concerns of that age. Bowron claims “essentially, literary naturalism is not merely a literary conception, but a theory of man and society, a style corresponding to the age” (Bowron, 1951: 27).    
Theodore Dreiser is widely recognized as the representative of American naturalism, and Sister Carrie is his first and typical work. This paper, by analyzing the heroine’s changes of position in the process of her fate from the perspectives of inner desire and environment, aims at exploring further the naturalistic ideas of the author. Moreover, from studying naturalistic characteristics — the decisive role of inner desire and environment towards one's fate, reflections can be made to bring some inspiration to the current society.
There are mainly three changes throughout Carrier’s fate. The first is from a helpless worker to a dainty lover of a travel salesman. The second is from the salesman’s lover to the mistress of the manager of a swell resort in Chicago. The third is to be a popular Broadway actress. This article is to analyze those three steps of Carrier’s fate from the perspective of naturalism, which emphasizes on the decisive effect of the environment, one’s inner desire on his fate. These are two major themes of Dreiser’s typical naturalistic writing in his earlier age. In this paper, the first part begins with the introduction explaining briefly about the origin of literary naturalism and American naturalism. The second part is to analyze the three changes of Carrier’s fate. On the basis of naturalism, this part will show the profound influences of cosmopolitan city and Carrier’s innate impulse of desires under different positions. The combining effect of
 inner impulse and luring cities has molded Carrier’s fate.
The last part mainly serves as a suggestive and inspiring conclusion. Like Carrie, many young women in nowadays, come from countryside to big cities. They are elated by the charm of cities as well as being struck heavily by overwhelming competition. Under this circumstance, many girls might surrender and follow Carrier’s choice. That seems to be a much easier way to obtain one’s goal but would bring them disillusionment and emptiness eventually. Therefore, one needs to have a clear mind of his desire and the environment. To obtain practical and positive desires via moral ways is helpful to keep our world harmonious and sustainable. In the process of one’s fate, environment plays an indispensible role, while individual will is decisive to the formation of his life.

Key Words: literary naturalism, desire, environment, fate, change, individual will