Abstract

Sister Carrie, a novel mainly about the degeneration and success of a beautiful young girl who comes from the village, is a representative work of American naturalist Theodore Dreiser. This paper begins with a brief introduction to the author, the American society, the novel and traditional morality, and then makes a detailed study of Carrie’s tragedy from the perspective of both internal and external factors including Carrie’s character and desire as well as social environment, family background and the immoral relationship. And thereby it further reveals that the true happiness is caused by the balance of spiritual and material needs.

Key words:  Carrie, tragedy, internal causes, external causes

摘 要

《嘉莉妹妹》一部描写一个年轻漂亮的农村姑娘在大城市中的堕落与成功的小说，是美国自然主义作家德莱赛的代表作。本文从介绍小说，作家以及当时的美国社会背景和传统道德入手，进一步分析造成嘉莉悲剧命运的种种原因。嘉莉的性格，内在的贪婪是其悲剧命运的内在原因。社会大环境，家庭悲剧以及不道德的人际关系是其悲剧命运的外在原因。从而揭示了人只有达到物质和精神需求的平衡才能得到真正的快乐和成功。

关键词： 嘉莉妹妹； 悲剧； 内在原因； 外在原因

1. Introduction
1.1 The brief introduction to Theodore Dreiser and American society
Theodore Dreiser(1871-1945)，known as the outstanding American naturalism and novelist , is regarded as the soul of American literature in the nineteenth century because most of his works reflect the reality of the society.
Theodore Dreiser was born in a poor family in which his mother was an illiterate and his father was a worker with low income. In order to make a living, Dreiser dropped out of the school. When he was seventeen years old, he came to Chicago and did all kinds of hard work, such as the deliveryman of the laundry, the salesman of a property firm, and so on. Owing to these experiences, Dreiser more realized the hardships of the laboring people who were struggling for a living at the foot of the social ladder.