完TheodoreDreiser

TheodoreDreiserMajorWorksSisterCarrieJennieGerhardtAnAmericanTragedyTheGenius(autobiographical)TheTrilogyofDesire:Financier,TheTitan,TheStoic《金融家》《巨人》《斯多葛》Life(1871-1945)sonofaGermanimmigranttheninthof10childreninpovertyspendingoneyearatIndianaUniversityanewspaperreporterin1892SisterCarriein1900:adepictionofunpunishedcharactersandafranktreatmentofsexualissuesJennyGerhardtin1911:influentialsupporters,Beingabletodevotehimselfentirelytoliterature.TheGeniusin1915AnAmericanTragedyin1925:greatpopularsuccessFortandTheodoreDreiseratDreiser’shomeinMtKiscoTheodoreDreiserLane-StreetsofIllinoisSpringfield1)TheodoreDreiserwasborninTerreHaute,Indianain1871.TheninthchildofGermanimmigrants,heexperiencedconsiderablepovertywhileachildandattheageoffifteenwasforcedtoleavehomeinsearchofwork.2)AfterbrieflyattendingIndianaUniversityforoneyear(1889-90),hefoundworkasareporteronseveralnewspapers.LaterhemovedtoNewYorkwhereheattemptedtoestablishhimselfasanovelist.3)AfterhisfirstnovelSisterCarriewaspublishedin1900withthehelpofFrankNorris,Dreisercontinuedtoworkasajournalistandaswellaswritingformainstreamnewspapers.HissecondnovelJennieGerhardtwasnotpublisheduntil1911.ThiswasfollowedbytwonovelsTheFinancier(1912)andTheTitan(1914).TheGeniuswaspublishedin1915butitwasanothertenyearsbeforeDreisergreatestnovel,AnAmericanTragedy(1925)appeared,whichbroughthimadegreeofcriticalandcommercialsuccesshehadneverbeforeattained.4)Asasocialist,DreiserwasinvitedtobepresentatthecelebrationofthetenthanniversaryoftheOctoberRevolutioninMoscowin1927.AfterreturningtoAmericainearly1928,hewroteseveralnon-fictionbooksonpoliticalissues.ThisincludedDreiserLooksatRussia(1928),TragicAmerica(1931)andAmericaisWorthSaving(1941).TheodoreDreiserjoinedtheAmericanCommunistPartyjustbeforehediedin1945.5)ThoughhisvisittotheSovietUnionhadlefthimskepticalaboutcommunism,theGreatDepression(from1929)causedhimtoreconsiderhisopposition.HisautobiographicalDawn(1931)isoneofthemostcandidself-revelationsbyanymajorwriter.6).BythetimeDreiser'ssecondnovel,JennyGerhardt,waspublishedin1911,hisworkhadfoundinfluentialsupporters,includingtheBritishnovelistsH.G.WellsandSirHughSeymourWalpole,andhewasabletodevotehimselfentirelytoliterature.Dreiser'swritingscontinuedtoexcitecontroversy.InTheFinancier(1912)andTheTitan(1914),hedrewharshportraitsofatypeofruthlessbusinessman.InThe“Genius”(1915),hepresentedastudyoftheartistictemperamentinamercenary唯利是图的society.ThisnovelincreasedhisinfluenceamongyoungAmericanwriters,whoacclaimedhimleaderofanewschoolofsocialrealism.7)Realfame,however,didnotcometoDreiseruntil1925,whenhisAnAmericanTragedyhadgreatpopularsuccess.Thenovel,basedonanactualmurdercaseandconcernedwiththeeffortsofaweakyoungmantorisefrompiouspovertyintoglamoroussociety,wasdramatizedandmadeintoamotionpicture.ThenovelsofTheodoreDreiserweredeeplyimbued灌输withanunderstandingofthebrutalinjusticesofsocialclass,andtheyrankasmagnificentexamplesof20th-centuryAmericannaturalism.SisterCarrie(1900)depictsthedownfallofayoungwomanwhomovesfromsmall-townAmericatoChicagoandthentoNewYorkCity.AnAmericanTragedy(1925)showsthedownfallofaweakyoungmanwhotriestorisefrompovertyintoglamoroussocietyAnAmericanTragedyThenovelrelates,ingreatdetail,thelifeofClydeGriffiths,aboyofweakwillandlittleself-awareness.Hegrowsupingreatpovertyinafamilyofwanderingevangelists福音传道者,butdreamsofwealthandtheloveofbeautifulwomen.Arichuncleemployshiminhisfactory.WhenhisgirlfriendRobertabecomespregnant,shedemandsthathemarryher.Meanwhile,Clydehasfalleninlovewithawealthysocietygirlwhorepresentssuccess,money,andsocialacceptance.ClydecarefullyplanstodrownRobertaonaboattrip,butatthelastminutehebeginstochangehismind;however,sheaccidentallyfallsoutoftheboat.Clyde,agoodswimmer,doesnotsaveher,andshedrowns.AsClydeisbroughttojustice,Dreiserreplayshisstoryinreverse,masterfullyusingthevantagepointsofprosecutinganddefenseattorneystoanalyzeeachstepandmotivethatledthemildmanneredClyde,withahighlyreligiousbackgroundandgoodfamilyconnections,tocommitmurder.Therelevantevaluation:1)ThisnovelexploresthedangersoftheAmericandreamanddisplayscrushingauthority.Itsprecisedetailsbuildupanoverwhelmingsenseoftragicinevitability.2)Itisascathing损伤的portraitoftheAmericansuccessmythgonesour,butitisalsoauniversalstoryaboutthestressesofurbanization,modernization,andalienation.Withinitroamtheromanticanddangerousfantasiesofthedispossessed.3)AnAmericanTragedyisareflectionofthedissatisfaction,envy,anddespairthatafflicted折磨manypoorandworkingpeopleinAmerica’scompetitive,success-drivensociety.AsAmericanindustrialpowersoared,theglitteringlivesofthewealthysharplycontrastedwiththedrab无生气livesofordinaryfarmersandcityworkers.Themediafannedrisingexpectationsandunreasonabledesires.SisterCarrie:“thefirstbookfreeofEnglishliteraryinfluence.”--SinclairLewisThe1900publicationofthenovelSisterCarriebyAmericanauthorTheodoreDreisermetwithapoorreceptionduetoitsperceivedvulgarityandloosemorals.Thenoveltellsthestoryofasmall-towngirlwhomovestoChicagoandeventuallybecomesaBroadwaystarinNewYorkCity.Italsotr