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Theodore Dreiser’s Sister Carrie was published in 1900. The main character of this book was Carrie Meeber, who ran away from home at the age of eighteen. She had typical characteristics of the American middle class, demanding to change her economic situation and status, pursuing the personality liberation. Sister Carrie remains vital for many reasons: as a historical marker for the turn away from sentimentality, romance, and moral rectitude in the American novels at the beginning of the twentieth century; as a text that influenced the succeeding American novelists over the next several decades; and as a conundrum that never ceases to provoke debate for readers both general and professional. While the first half of the twentieth century produced a diverse range of critical opinions on Sister Carrie by reviewers and essayists, the second half witnessed an abiding argument within academia regarding the quality, value, importance, and interpretation of the text. This novel made the volatility of the period concrete, vivid, and unforgettable by registering its effect on individual lives. The sweeping changes registered in the novel were the economy's shifting from an agricultural to an industrial base, the erosion of traditional values following the Darwinian revolution, and the changing relations of men and women.
This thesis reanalyzes Sister Carrie from a new angle, that is, the twisted American Dream and women’s self-consciousness displayed in the novel, which will help invoke readers’ considerations over Dreiser’s naturalism. What is the twisted American Dream? How is Carrie’s self-consciousness awakened? What is the inner relationship between American Dream, woman’s self-consciousness, and Dreiser’s naturalism?
In American literature, there is a reappearing theme, American Dream, with different manifestation in different periods of time. First of all, the writer will focus on the twisted American Dream, which is caused by the cruel social background at that time and the twist of Carrie’s infinite desire and her wrong views of value. Then the thesis will proceed to expound the awakening women’s self-consciousness in Sister Carrie. Carrie’s self–consciousness embodies the properties of New Woman, so the definition of New Woman must be introduced. The hard process of Carrie’s awakening self-consciousness will be demonstrated after that. In the course of pursuing the twisted American Dream, Carrie goes toward independence step by step. Finally, naturalism embodied by the twisted American Dream and women’s self-consciousness will be set forth. Dreiser regards objectivity and reality as the best creative rule, gives prominence to living consciousness and desire instinct and emphasizes the decisive role of the environment. It is the relentless social environment that changes the pure American Dream into a twisted one. Struggle for survival is Carrie’s basic demand. The conclusion will be drawn that it is essential for us to establish a harmonious social environment, and erect view of 本论文由英语论文网 www.51lunwen.org整理提供world, view of life, and view of value.

Ⅱ. The Twisted American Dream

2.1 The Evolving Process of the American Dream
The history of the American Dream began with the “May flower” in 1620. The puritans from England, who wanted to 本论文由英语论文网提供整理，提供论文代写，英语论文代写，代写论文，代写英语论文，代写留学生论文，代写英文论文，留学生论文代写相关核心关键词搜索。