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本科生毕业论文题目Dreisers Naturalism in An American Tragedy 学 院 外语学院 专 业 专业英语 导 师 王立新 学 生 万东妩 学 号 201234350130 2015年11月11日摘要 德莱塞是20世纪美国文学史上涌现出来的一位杰出的自然主义作家，美国自然主义文学创作在他的创作中趋向成熟，并得以延续。他直接阅读过赫青黎、斯宾塞、达尔文等人的关于进化论的著作，加上他特殊的生活和社会经历，很容易接受19世纪末强劲的、在欧洲和美国产生深刻影响的进化论思想，并对适者生存的理论深信不疑。在创作中，德莱塞受到法国自然主义的影响，采用科学客观的描写，不加入自己的道德评判，宣传人难以摆脱环境、本能等的控制和影响，强调人的动物本性。他曾经说过:“我是以自然主义来写蠕莉妹妹)7 0”本文拟从客观真实性、欲望本能和环境决定论二方而对蠕莉妹妹)7自然主义特征进行解读。 毫无疑问，西奥多德莱塞是美国文学历史上最重要的作家之一美国悲剧也被公认是他的代表作。尽管这是一部内容简单的长篇巨作，它却给德莱塞带来了颇丰的收入和很高的声誉.本文试图通过对小说主题和写作技巧的分析来探求德莱塞作品的艺术特色以供读者参考. 德莱塞在这部小说中选取了一个美国人所熟知的主题:一个年轻人对美国梦的追随。受社会环境、家庭背景和自身遗传因素的影响，小说的主人公克莱德从一个幼稚单纯的少年堕落为虚荣、自私、无耻、狠心的杀人犯.克莱德的悲剧在那个时代的美国年轻人身上具有代表性。德莱塞选择这个主题不仅想告诫读者美国梦是一个幻想而且也暗示了德莱塞在个人追求过程中的失败. 同许多著名作家一样，德莱塞给我们留下了很多困惑.有的评论家们称他为现实主义者，有的称他为自然主义者.很多评论家曾试图把德莱塞划分在某个流派，但这样的努力无疑是徒劳的.在德莱塞的代表作品美国悲剧中，德菜塞展示了他在人物塑造和情节构思方面卓越的天分.本文分析了德莱塞在这部小说的人物塑造和情节构思所使用的技巧并得出结论这部小说在人物塑造上均采用了现实主义和自然主义的手法.而德莱塞通过对原材料的删节和夸张使这部小说不但是一个谋杀案的真实记录而且是一部引人入胜的艺术品.这部小说也成为自然主义和现实主义完美结合的产物. 在这部小说中，德莱塞既采纳了现实主义的一些原则也运用了自然主义的很多技巧.他并没有生搬硬套现实主义或自然主义的那些教条，而是在自己的小说创作中根据需要灵活地穿插使用以使自己的作品真实感人。更值得一提的是德莱塞在这部小说中成功的运用了弗洛伊德的心理分析理论来揭示小说中人物的内心冲突.这也就是一些评论家认为德莱塞的伟大之处在于他的洞察力，他的同情心和他对生活的悲剧观点，而不仅仅是他在美国自然主义文学上的贡献。 关键词:美国梦人物塑造情节构思心理分析AbstractKeywords：目 录1 Introduction25 2 Analyze the important roles of environment factors253 Discuss the influence of hereditary factors for Clyde254 Talk about Clydes endlessly explosive desires and ambitions25 5 Conclusion25结论23致谢24参考文献251 Introduction Theodore Herman Albert Dreiser was born in Terre Haute, Indiana, in 1871.He received hisearly education in the public schools and later attended Indiana University. He began his writing career as a newspaperman, working in Chicago, St. Louis, andPittsburgh. In 1907 he was appointed editor-in-chief of the Butterrick Publications in New YorkCity. Meanwhile his first novel, Sister Carrie八900), had been published by a publisher whothought it objectionable and made little effort to promote its sale; however, some review copieswere distributed and the book managed to attract the attention of many prominent writers. Withthe publication of The Financier(1912), a novel based on the life of Charles T. Yerkes, Dreiserwas able to give up newspaper work and devote himself to writing. The Genius(1915), a novel of the egocentric artistic personality, was banned, but a yearlater a petition protesting this was signed by almost five hundred American writers. An AmericanTrage办(1925), based on an actual criminal case history, brought the author widespreadrecognition and popularity. It was successfully dramatized by Patrick Kearney. In 1944, Dreiser was awarded the Merit Medal for Fiction by the American Academy ofArts and Letters. Although he published little during the later years of his life, TheBulwark(1946), and The Stoic八947), appeared posthumously, both showing his later interest inreligious philosophy. He died at his home in southern California in 1945. Theodore Dreiser is an outstanding representative of naturalism. He is now regarded as oneof the pre-eminent American novelists of the first half of twentieth century, an anatomist of theAmerican dream. He is the leading figure in a national literary movement that replaces the observance ofVictorian notions of propriety with the unflinching presentation of real life subject matter.Among other themes, his novels explore the new social problems that had arisen in a rapidlyindustrializing America. He is recognized as a profound and prescient critic of debated American values and as a1powerful novelist. Indeed his influence on the fiction of the first quarter of the century is perhapsgreater than any other writers. He was the first writer who criticized the futility of the AmericanDream in his novels so drastically. After him there were some other famous writers who alsodepict the futility of the American Dream, among whom were Faulkner, Fitzgerald, Hemingway,Steinbeck, Bellow etc. He didnt achieved Nobel Prize due to his lack of humor in novels and his style andlanguage tended to be clumsy and plodding. Despite of this, he played an important role inintroducing a new realism and sexual candor into American diction. While evaluating the statusof a writer, we should not pay only attention to the achievements the writer got during hislifetime, or just evaluate him from the literary form of expression,literature is to express humanity, life and society. To emphasizemake the content better.but should make it sure thatthe form of expression is to Although he had never won thewriters. According to critics, he hadNobel Prize, Dreiser had great influence than any otheran enormous influence on American literature during thefirst quarter of the century and for a time he was American literature, the only writer worthtalking about in the same breath with the European masters. Out of his passions, contradictions,and sufferings, he wrenched the art that was his salvation from the hungers and depressions thatracked him. He was the most American of novelists. His hungry curiosity probed the nooks andcrannies of the national life, as he sought to perform what he saw as his mission一understandinga large, youthful, dynamic country that had no deep roots in the past and that was in a perpetualstate of change and becoming. He retained a deep compassion for the voiceless mass ofindividuals in this land; their dreams and desires had for him the beauty of prayers.4 In my thesis I will examine his renowned novel An American Trage办I choose this one asthe target of my interpretation and analysis because this novel is the representative of hisachievements of his writing career and the novel can serve as a window through which we canobserve at a short distance the nature of the society at the beginning of the 19th century. I willexamine in what ways America went wrong, especially from perspective of American tragedy.2 Analyze the important roles of environment factors An American Tragedy is a severe charge to the social reality at that time. Dreiserhas always been good at setting examples and accumulating details. In An AmericanTragedy, he aims to confirm that the ideal life of mediocrity is corrupting the youngergeneration; it could not be convincing without suffcient historical facts. It is why thenovel is of so many pages. In order to ensure the accuracy of narrative, Dreiser doesactually quote some American media reports about thirty years ago, but thesematerials are blended with the development of the character of the protagonist withoutany trace of makeup. Dreiser has frankly admitted that helonging for pleasurebrought with money when heyoung, but he had given up the materialistic life ashe grew up. As American commentators point out, Dreiser constantly used his novelsto criticize those that he once pursued. Known as the Roaring Twenties, America was reacting to the depression of theWorld War. It was like a giant party. New technology, new ideas and great change.Rapid development of communication and rapid urbanization inspired byindustrialization produced a series of new problems. The form, contents and methodof modern social information communication obviously affected the development andchanges of social structure, social psychology, social economical pattern, innovativemodel and so on. An American Trage办gives a vivid reflection of the American life inthe early 20comment in theIrving Howe, a celebrated American critic, makes such aafterword of the novels I 964 edition: Reading An American Tragedy once again, after a lapse of over twenty years,Ive found myself greatly moved and shaken by its repeated on-slaughter of narrative,its profound immersion in human suffering, its dredging up of those shapeless desireswhich lies, as if in fever, just below the plane of consciousness.it is crowded withexact observation一observation worked closely into the grain of narrative一about the customs and class structure of American society in the phase of earlyfinance capitalism. No other novelist has absorbed into his work as much knowledgeas Dreiser has about American institutions: the mechanisms of business, therhythms of the factory, the inner hierarchy of a large hotel, the chicaneriespolitics, the status arrangements of rulers and ruled.stiflingof city2.1 The Influence of Economic Boom on Clydes Tragedy Economic growth from the end of the 19h century to the early 20a century wasimpressive. Ownership of cars, new household appliances, and housing was spreadwidely through the population. New products and processes of producing thoseproducts drove this growth. The 1920s is a period of vigorous, vital economicgrowth. It marks the first truly modern decade and dramatic economicdevelopments are found in those years. There is a rapid adoption of the automobile.Though suburbs had been growing since the Iate nineteenth century their growthhad been tied to rail or trolley access and this was limited to the largest cities. Theflexibility of car access changed this and the growth of suburbs began to accelerate.The demands of trucks and cars led to a rapid growth in the construction ofall-weather surfaced roads to facilitate their movement.g The rapidly expandingelectric utility networks led to new consumer appliances and new types of lightingand heating for homes and businesses. The introduction of the radio, radio stations,and commercial radio networks began to break up rural isolation, as did theexpansion of local and long-distance telephone communications. Recreationalactivities such as traveling, going to movies, and professional sports became majorbusinesses. The period saw major innovations in business organization andmanufacturing technology. During the 1920s the labor force grew at a more rapid rate than population.This somewhat more rapid growth came from the declining share of the populationless than 14 years old and therefore not in the labor force. In contrast, the laborforce participation rates, or fraction of the population aged 14 and over that was inthe labor force, declined during the twenties from 57.7 percent to 56.3 percent. Thiswas entirely due to a fall in the male labor force participation rate from 89.6 percentto 86.8 percent as the female labor force participation rate rose from 24.3 percent to25.1 percent. The primary source of the fall in male labor force participation rateswas a rising retirement rate. Employment rates for males who were 65 or older fellfrom 60.1 percent in 1920 to 58.0 percent in 1930一92.2 Consum西on of the Leisure Class According to the Theory of the Leisure Class0i0，the mark of leisure class isthat they only conduct consumption without the need to produce. The motivation ofthe leisure class is to satisfy their competing psychology and demand ofdiscriminatory contrast. In this way, wearing white clothes shows that one is out ofdirt while wearing the gray clothes shows that one must do some work outside; thereis a great distinction between women wearing high-heel shoes and those wearing flatones. The purpose that the leisure class indulge themselves in the expensiveconsumption is that they want to reach the consumption standard, which matches theirsocial class. Therefore, their consumption is a kind of conspicuous consumption. According to the historical records, there was a new leisure class and mass classas a resin of the modem consumer culture. As consumer culture prevailed in America,the consumption concept of showing off the wealth without any restraint and enjoyingpleasure of life as much as ane likes became a vogue at the turn of the 20h century.With the increasing income of the American, people in urban areas, began to expandtheir consumption to more out-door entertainments. In addition to encouraging peopleto spend money extravagantly on commodities, clothes and luxurious residence, thegovernment encouraged people to trade sex. By spending money on such sex trade,Clyde wants to show that he has some certain consuming power so as to berecognized and admitted by others. Certainly, consuming women in the brothel is adegrading and humble consumption, so he determines to find some girl belonging tohimsel式and he does find someone. In this case, Dreiser presents that the sex tradebecomes so naked that for the sake of some material consumptions, women readilyand willingly sell their bodies. In An American Trage办，the extravagant consumption of the leisure class isdemonstrated obviously and prominent. Even the average consumers, for instance,girls from the poor family like Roberta can enjoy the spiritual consumption in cinemasand parties. To those wealthy people like the Finchleys and the Griffiths frequentlyhold parties to invite many friends so that their wealth will be clearly shown off Eversince Clyde is invited to take part in one party held by Sondra, he is regarded as a partof that world, so later, he frequently attends parties held by the wealthy. Young peopleof the wealthy families attach more importance to the outdoor adventures such ashorse riding, rowing boats on lakes, car races and so on. What Dreiser attempts topresent is that the conspicuous consumption of leisure time reaches all unprecedentedlevel. What Clyde really pursues is just this kind of life style the leisure class isenoymg.2.3 Clydes Degeneration in Green-Davidson The USA was one of the victors in the First World War and it enjoyed a period ofgreat prosperity in the 1920s, though there was a darker side to American life eventhen. Americas population generally shifts from rural areas to more urban ones. Morethan half of the nations population now lives in cities and towns. Urban communitieslife is now unquestionably lively and stimulating. There are many things to see-museums, art exhibits, plays, athletic events, trade expositions, and the like. Newideas in science are examined and often accepted. Of course this is the case in thecities more so than in the small towns. In small town America most people remainrelatively conservative as we see in Scopes Monkey Trial. People now tend to bejudged on their accomplishments rather than on their social background. As life inAmerica begins to undergo changes, many feel the gnawing insecurity associated withchange. The heroic person who could face the trials of competition or the dangers ofthe unknown became larger than life. The hero has come up against the strongestadversaries and won. For people living in uncertain times, the hero is proof that abrave and strong-willed man or woman could win out over fears of the unknown orthe impossible. The period in Green- Davidson Hotel deeply influences and poisons Clyde withthe corrupted American bourgeois life, which changes Clyde from a naive and vainyoung man into a cruel villain, so this period is the key period to change hispersonality. He gradually becomes a self-centered mamamonist and egomania. Clydehas a relationship with Hortense Briggs, a coarse girl who uses her sexuality tomanipulate Clyde. The two go on a car trip with friends. A young man named WillardSparser has stolen the car and, driving recklessly; he hits and kills a pedestrian, fleesthe accident scene, and finally crashes into a pile of lumber. Clyde runs away from thecrashed car to avoid sharing responsibility for these crimes. This accident influencesClydes life, afterwards, then every man for himself, and the devil takes thehindmost12 becomes his lifes supreme creed. After fleeing, he relies on doing oddsand ends. In the three years of wandering life, Clyde goes through difficulties, hassuffered the ups and downs of the human world and the cruelness of the society,especially the hypocrisy, cheat and conflict of bourgeois. The despicable acts of junglelaw make him better understand the life art of the bourgeois: to live, you have to behypocritical; to make a fortune, you must disregard everything and take advantage ofall means. He deeply realizes: in the kingdom of the bourgeoisie that the gap betweenthe rich and the poor was as sharp as though cut by a knife or divided by a high wall;，It was so hard to be poor, not to have money and position and to be able to do in lifeexactly as you wished. . (274). So his desire for fortune becomes even stronger, likea gamester addicted to gambling, he decides to make a road to the country of gold atall costs. Just at this time, at his job at the Joint Club of Chicago, Clyde encounters hiswealthy uncle, who is on a business trip. He hastens to curry favor with his uncle andsoon wins his trust. Samuel Griffiths offers his nephew a job in his shirt factory.Although this is a low position, he still feels proud and self-satisfied. However, after ashort time, compared with his uncles luxurious and chic residence, beautiful andrefined furnishings, convivial social life of his cousins and their elegant talking andmanner, he is ashamed for his shallowness. He feels disgusting, but also a littledepressed; it seems that all he is dreaming for, money and beauty, all in all, though insight, are as remote as the moon in the water, the flower in the mirror. For Clyde isdeeply corrupted by bourgeois value, what a painful torment it is! In such a situation,once he finds a shortcut to share wealth and nobleness, it is impossible for him tocontrol his desire to stand out from others. Dreiser draws an equal mark in between desire and city. His detaileddescription of the city is without parallel in history, thus he becomes the greatestrecorder of American urban life.32.4 Gap between the Rich and the Poor in An American At that time, the changes of ideas and concepts are not inseparable from theaccelerated urbanization, industrialization and modernization of American society.America has experienced the period of rapid industrialization, and the industry ofAmerica rapidly grows. In 1900, the total industrial output value of America accountsfor 30% of that of the world, and America becomes the richest and largest industrialcountry. In the latter half of the 19h century of Gold Rush, monopolies and capitalistsunscrupulously amass wealth. Money has become the most important access to socialrecognition in America and the amount of wealth is the sole criterion for whethersomeone should be accepted by the upper class. With such kind of social value, theAmerican bourgeoisie seize wealth more unbridledly and crazily. At the end of the19 century, large business organizations and big plutocrats have dominated the U.S.Economy. With their powerful economic strength, they control the market, regulatemarket prices, divide the scope of operation, unscrupulously exclude and fight againsttheir competitors, exploit and press the workers cruelly and shamelessly cheated thepublic. Dreiser describes the similar picture at the beginning and end of the novel. Fromthe view of space, the story takes place in many cities-almost covers the entireUnited States, such as Kansas in the central, New York in the east and San Franciscoin the west. The descriptions from the aspects of time and space strongly prove thatthe tragedy of Clyde is bound to happen anywhere at anytime in America. Americahas come into an era of endless tragedy. Through delicate psychological portrait andsubtle time and space design, Dreiser paints a real picture of the American society.This is the real reflection of America in the early 20th century. Through Clydes eyes, Dreiser describes the gap between the rich and the poor indetail. As a child, Clyde has experienced the luxurious life in many big cities as hisparents spoken in the streets. At that time, compared with the beautiful clothes of theurban people, he is ashamed of the shabby clothes they wear, and he is ashamed ofbeing looked down upon. He wishes that he need not do this any more, or at least heneed not be part of it, which in his mind seemed shabby and even degrading.(4). Inhis mind, clothes are most important for a person to make himself known andrecognized by others. When he is interested in and attracted by the opposite sex, hedoesnt have good clothes to interpret identity. Without the right clothes as otherhandsome boys wear, he cant make friends with boys, let alone with girls. Workingas a bell-hop in the Green Davison hotel, he needs to dress as well as other boys sothat he can be accepted by others. In the meantime, Clyde himself regards the .clothes as a standard to establishfriendship or social contacts in his later adventure in Lycurgus. Working in the factory,he looks down upon those working by. In his eyes, they are not such individuals as hewould ordinarily select for companions-far below bell-boys or drivers and clerksanywhere for they wore such clothes as only the most common laborers wouldwear. (197) Those people in smart dresses would arouse his interest and passion.Thats why he is exceedingly fascinated with Sondra at his first sight of her. In theconsumer society, Clyde gradually develops his own value and principles of socialcommunications. Certainly, clothes are one of the important visible factors withregards to the standards of his commitment of social contacts. The gap between the rich and the poor can also be seen from the aspect ofresidence. Whats more, there is a sharp distinction between the wealth and the poor inrelation to residence. In the novel, the wealthy would locate their houses intheprosperous region where life is convenient. The style and location of the dwellingscan interpret their wealth and social status as well. Whether the luxurious residence,or the comfortable cars presented in the novel have been endowed with strongsymbols and signal meanings. As soon as Clyde arrives at Lycurgus, he is deeplyimpressed while he is lingering on the Central Avenue and he finds he was in touchwith a wide and tree-shaded thoroughfare of residences, the houses of which, each andevery one appeared to possess more room than any with which he had ever been incontact.(180) His uncles family is located here and in his uncles house, there aregardens, trees, car garage, fountains and beautiful rooms where so many handsomepieces of furniture and such rich rugs and hangings (219) which arouses his greatadmiration and fascination. In the novel, Sondras family establishes a summer resort in the Twelfth lake areawhere there are many dwellings of other celebrated people in Lycurgus. Suchconsumption of residence illustrates the owners wealth and social status in a fairlydirect way. In contrast, the poor people are working hard to seek shelters. In the novel,Roberta, Dillard, as well as Clyde can only afford to rent cheap flats, which showsthat they belong to the lower class, having no money to enjoy some necessaryconsumption like the wealthy. This is the stimulus for Clyde to rise as quickly as hecan because he is desirous of the luxurious residence the wealthy are enjoying. Hewants to get all of them, and he wants to be a part of that world. An occasional sightof the shabby house of Robertas parents makes Clyde confirm once more that hewould never marry her. So lonely and bare, even in this bright, bright spring weather!The decayed and sagging roof, the broken chimney to the north-rough lumps ofcemented field stones lying at its base(444), which obviously show the life ofpoverty stricken family. Dreiser turns his sympathetic eyes to the small and shabbyhouses in the slum like areas and shows his great sympathy for those ragged people.Through Clydes eyes, the great gap between the rich and the poor is so clear at aglance. Clydesthoughts of Sondras luxurious house revive his courage andconfidence to become someone of that world. It is by virtue of the sharp contrast ofthe signifyingof Sondra andthat makes Clyde determine to get ridof the latter so as tothe former, and to obtain what he has longed for. In hiseyes, owning the residence through his marriage with Sondra, the Miss rich, he coulddefinitely be someone in the world of the wealthy.3 Discuss the influence of hereditary factors for Clyde3. 1欲望主体:摇摆的克莱德3.1.1城市围墙外的仰望 本文分析美国悲剧中的欲望主体主要是其主人公克莱德。克莱德的欲望的形成有其外部环境和内部条件。外部条件是差别的存在，德莱赛将主人公放在两个不同等级中间徘徊，城市景象与底层生活之间的差别为欲望的形成培育了肥沃的土壤。而主人公克莱德被支持德莱赛的艺术追求的评论家说成是一个“站在城墙外面”的形象。这也不无道理。克莱德是资本主义时代向上爬的形象，然而总是徘徊在主流之外，越不过等级的高墙，如果是一点希望都没有也不会有克莱德最后的这种悲剧，而恰恰是社会给了他一点幻想，他的叔父是有钱有地位的人，可以助他一臂之力，于是这个生活在底层的软弱的人看到了通往高墙的一线微光，沿着这点若隐若现、忽明忽暗的微光，他开始了幻想的旅程，开始了欲望的想象。 从小说一开始，克莱德就不甘于跟随父母沿街传教，在祈祷的同时他就用他那双敏锐的眼睛观察周围，他发现了他跟周围小伙子的不同，他想跟他们一样可以穿得体面，不用沿街传教和卖唱，他被这些小伙子嘲笑，于是更感到自己的边缘化他在憎恨他们的同时，更强烈地想成为他们，这就是他欲望的萌芽。而他真正开始向围墙里张望还是始于他在堪萨斯城的格林戴维森旅馆当侍者开始，一方面，在这里他可以接触到更多比他地位高的人，另一方面，优于从前的物质待遇也使他的欲望想象有了一丝希望，美好的未来从围墙内透出一丝微光，而这微弱的光在克莱德看来却成了他全部生活的希望。在这个时候他还带着宗教家庭所赋予他的善良品质浸染于上流社会的染缸。他的欲望使他轻易融入到这个染缸里，花天酒地，贪图享乐，以至后来在一次车祸事故中丧失工作，落荒而逃。本来小小的微光似乎扑朔迷离，然而这却是一个转机，旅馆工作的丧失，使他不得不投靠莱柯格斯的伯父，正是这位伯父给他的人生增添了无限生机。他不仅没有因为车祸而被追究责任，而且在莱克格斯的工厂得到了一份稳定的工作，受到周围人的特殊待遇，他从别人对他的别样态度上，预感到自己的与众不同，好像不同于那些底层的工人，他一步步地接近上流社会，而且最终由于偶然的机会得到了上流社会小姐桑德拉的垂青，将他引入上流社会的交际圈，一直徘徊在墙外的他终于攀上了高墙的一只脚。 虽然克莱德围墙外的仰望，不断膨胀的欲望无容置疑，然而他并不是坚定不移，朝着围墙这个目标而前进的，而是穿插了无数的曲折，这些曲折是他本身的性格特点和当时的环境共同作用的结果。克莱德的性格导致了他在环境变化时，不能把握自己的命运，而陷入徘徊不定的境地。3.1.2仰望中的无所适从 站在城墙外，他必须追求金钱、地位、女人才能一步步地攀附。然而他的眼睛不是通过注视这些目标而使欲望渐渐膨胀，而是瞄准了跟他一样攀附于高墙而先他一步的人，他的欲望随着前面遇到的他者的欲望的变化而变化。他的欲望客体，以及他对欲望客体所作出的决定都是由他心中的他者决定的，而不是个人自由意志的选择。开始因为对金钱地位的追求而放弃了自己追求的女人丽达，而当他看到吉尔伯特格里菲斯“随身有一位绝色女郎陪伴，正在驾驶代表一年四季的四辆彩车中的一辆。紧挨在他们后面的，是另一辆彩车，则由贝拉格里菲斯作为春天的象征，这时她身披薄如蝉翼的轻纱，正俯靠在宛如一道瀑布的深色紫罗兰旁边。此情此景确实动人心弦，克莱德马上又想起了甜蜜的、但又使他非常痛苦的爱情、青春和罗曼史来。说到底，当初他也许真的不应该同丽达分手的。”当初因为伯母的一封信而对丽达冷漠，认为她不值一提，而如今看到他人甜蜜的爱情又后悔自己当初的决定，他从来就没有做过自己，不知道自己真正想要的是什么，而是一直在观察别人的欲望来决定自己的追求。所以他的人生就在决定与后悔之间徘徊，在欲望与欲望之间无所适从。 克莱德在城墙外的仰望是由于虚荣，无所适从是由于随波逐流，外在环境的不确定性决定了他的选择的不确定性。克莱德的性格自始至终都没有发展变化，前面的行为都会对后面的行为造成暗示和影响，这是因为作者在美国悲剧中的主要意图并不在于人物形象的刻画，而在思想内涵的表达，因此主人公形象被概念化，克莱德的命运在环境面前显得软弱无力，“克莱德既穷又很爱虚荣和骄傲。”(15页)虚荣是他性格中很重要的一部分，也是他整个人生的一个导航。虚荣使他不甘于身份地位的低微，不甘于满足贫苦的生活，忍受别人的嘲笑。他站在城墙脚下仰望高楼，然而他性格中游移不定的成分又阻碍了他攀附虚荣的双脚，使他在仰望上层高墙的时候徘徊不定、无所适从，甚至搭上了身家性命。正如德莱赛所说，克莱德是那类“欲望强烈，但是资质可怜”那一类人。“克莱德生来注定也不会成为一个完全成熟的人。他断乎缺乏的，就是思想的明晰性与坚定的目的性一一而这些特性，正是许多人所固有，并使他们能在生活里所有道路与机遇之中，给自己找出最合适的进身之阶。”克莱德本身对自己的品性也是怀疑的，在他进了伯父的工厂后，吉尔伯特告诉他不要因为在一大堆女人里头工作，就心神不宁，这给了他深刻的印象，“但一想到丽达，他对自己品行还是有些犯疑了。，这就为后来他禁不住女色的诱惑喜欢女工罗伯达埋下了伏笔。事实最终证明了他哇格中的游移不定，他喜欢上了罗伯达，可是在上层社会层层的视觉冲击之下又动摇了他对罗伯达的爱恋，甚至为了另外一个姑娘可以不顾及罗伯达的感受，随意说谎蒙混过关。“他孜孜以求的财富、姿色和特殊的社会地位，给予他这种犹如流水一般浮动不定的性格，就有这么大的影响。”克莱德几乎所有的决定都是受到他者影响而做的，即使是他决定要谋杀罗伯达从而达到自己在上流社会的地位的决定也是看到当时一个谋杀案的报道才决定的，这无疑是对他性格的一个极大的嘲讽。 克莱德并不是一个一味往上爬的冷血动物，他敏感、感情丰富，富有同情心，他的悲剧是他易受影响的(sensitive)的性格和社会大环境的产物。他的欲望是空白的，只在这潮流中任由潮流的填充。因此与其说主人公是个欲望的狂热分子，不如说他是一个毫无自我欲望的人。在汹涌澎湃的时代潮流面前他的性格决定他只能随波逐流，无力掌控自己的命运。处在由农业社会向工业社会的过渡时期，德莱赛试图在作品中展现主人公在这种环境下自身的道德品性与消费文化冲击下人性的一种斗争，克莱德的毁灭其实是特定时代下普通人的一种命运象征。他的犹豫不决其实是由于受到传统农业家庭道德的约束，与消费文化冲击下物质的诱惑让他悬浮在半空中迟疑最后只能坠落深渊。他是一个弱者，是因为他还有传统道德的约束。他始终在平衡着内心的两种道德冲突，在传统道德下他有责任心，善良。他不愿意和家人在街上靠传教为生，但还是站在那里。在出车祸的时候他愿意搭救朋友等把所有的朋友都拉出来时他才走，这些都是他善良人性的一面，这是因为在这个城镇有他的家庭教育的因素左右着他的人生观，而因为车祸到另一个城市，进入工厂，也就是进入工业化文明传统的道德在这里变得越来越微弱，他面对的是建立在物质基础上的人际关系和形形色色工业文明下的诱惑。于是他在传统道德与外界诱惑中展开了一场殊死搏斗。正是由于他的同情心，在面对金钱诱惑时不能让罗伯达彻底死心，甚至还用假象来安慰她，使罗伯达加深了对他的依赖，从而使他更想尽快摆脱她，才酿成悲剧。时进时退，没有明确的目标，于是他走了一条艰难的路，每走一步都为自己设下新的障碍，是他一手铺就了自己的死亡之路。他是一个转折型的人物，受传统方式约束却想投向新的生活方式的怀抱。“克莱德不管在温和还是冷酷方面都是失败的，因为他总是在二者之间摇摆不定，一方总是阴谋破坏另一方的力量。”“他的生活中总是充满了逃离和欲望，这两种情感总是形影不离。克莱德没有所谓真实的自我，实际上，他谁也不是。”一种感情总是在制约另一种感情，而这些感情不是来源于他自己，而是模仿了别人的感情。“他不是普通的暴徒，他有不确定的(errant )思想，受美梦、虚无和幻想等不切实际的东西的控制，这或许就是对克莱德的描述。” “他们认为人生活在两个极端，时刻挣扎在自我埋没与个人主义的边缘，这就是美国悲剧所呈现的主题，克莱德作为一个普通人试图寻找这二者的平衡。然而就像小说中表现的，在一个变化如此迅速，宗教道德和资本主义掠夺发生前所未有的冲突的国家，在工厂和工业化时代，这种冲突很容易被忽略。克莱德在新旧生活方式中徘徊，骑虎难下。正是这种犹豫不决导致了他最后的灭亡。” 国内学者将德莱赛的作品主人公分成强者和弱者。克莱德是弱者的一个代表，他的软弱表现在性格的脆弱、摇摆不定很容易受到外界环境的影响。这种性格的人恰恰是勒内的欲望理论所要分析的对象。勒内指出这种欲望主体对欲望对象的欲望其实不是来源于本身，而是来自于他者(介体)，而小说中的克莱德的种种遭遇与这种理论恰好吻合。3. 2欲望客体:地位与金钱3. 2. 1地位欲望:他者眼中的自我形象 斯图亚特谢尔曼和HL.孟肯都认为德莱赛把权欲和色欲作为描写的重点，而笔者认为美国悲剧中权欲比色欲占更大的比重，甚至可以说，色欲也是为权欲来服务的，色欲的最终目的是权欲。小说中对地位的欲望主要是通过对服饰的欲望来表现的，服饰成了一种符号，是地位的象征。弗奥马蒂逊( F.O.Matthiessen)在罪与罚中分析了美国悲剧中的服饰，可见服饰已经不仅仅是作为小说叙事的必要描述，而是有其内在的象征意义。服饰与流行是德莱赛小说比较关注的元素，在美国悲剧中表现尤为突出，作者通过不同的叙述视角观察美国社会当时的流行时尚，或者全能或者通过克莱德的眼睛注视不同等级的人的着装，衣服已经成为一种符号，体现不同的身份，主人公对服饰的欲望其中暗含的是一种社会地位欲望。 小说开始描写克莱德在格林一戴维逊酒店见到的景象的心理描写就可以看出主人公对服饰的追求的一种动力来源:“这些年轻的美人儿里，还有不是这一位，就是那一位，时常由某个男士陪伴着，这种男士身穿晚礼服和与之配套的衬衫，头戴高筒礼帽，系上蝴蝶结领饰，手上是白羊皮手套，脚下则是漆皮鞋一一这种装束打扮，在当时克莱德心目中真是最高贵、最漂亮、最豪放、最有福社也没有了。要是能那么雍容大方地穿上这样衣装服饰，该有多好!要是能象这么一个时髦小伙子一样，跟一个年轻姑娘偶偶私语，该有多好!那真可以说是到了至臻至美的境界啊。那时候，他觉得，只要他连这样的行头打扮都还没有，那么，哪一个漂亮姑娘也不会瞅他一眼的。显而易见，这些东西是非备不可的。只要他一旦有了这些东西一一能有这样穿着打扮一一嘿，难道说他不就是稳稳当当地踏上了通往幸福之路吗?”克莱德对服饰的追求是看到了服饰背后所带来的东西，体面的服装意味着地位和美女。因此对服饰的追求超出了它本身的实际价值，服饰是一种符号和象征，优雅的服饰象征着地位和美女。小说对服饰的细致描写比比皆是，可见服饰追求在主人公欲望中的分量是不容忽视，反应了他欲望的一个层面。 这种对服饰的追求首先源于他对女性眼中地位的欲望，他对他者的注视总是离不开他者身边陪伴的美女。因为这时候“性的诱惑，或者干脆说性感，不知不觉地开始在他身上显露出来了。对于异性的美、异性对他的吸引力，以及他对异性的吸引力，他早已引起了强烈的兴趣，同时，他也为此感到很烦恼。再说，很自然地，与此同时产生的衣着和仪表这类问题，也开始给他带来不少烦恼一一瞧他自己的外表是怎样的，而人家的小伙子的外表又是怎样的?如今，他一想到自己的衣服不行，又不能打扮的漂亮些，以便自己更加吸引人，就觉得很痛苦。生来就是穷，既没有人帮助过你，自己又没有能耐助自己一臂之力，那该有多么可怜啊!”克莱德对服装的追求已经超过自己的能力范围，“即使在他连一个子儿还都没有挣到之前，他一直在暗自思忖:要是他像别的小伙子那样，也有好一点的衣领、一件漂亮一点的衬衫、一双好看一点的皮鞋，还有一套做工讲究的衣服、一件阔气的大衣，该有多好!啊!高级衣服、漂亮房子，以及手表、戒指和别针等等，多少小伙子一一拿出来出风头啊!还有那些象他那样年龄的男孩子一一现在都是花花公子!有些与他同龄的男孩子，做父母的真的给他们买了汽车，供他们兜风去哩。克莱德看见他们像蝇子似的在堪萨斯城大街上飞来飞去。而且它们身边还有漂亮女郎陪着，可他却什么都没有。而且，他从来就是未曾有过啊。”他的目光处处不离对他者的探索和比较。在格林一戴维逊酒店见到埃迪多伊尔，也有一段克莱德的心理描写“克莱德一开头就发觉他特别有趣，而且对他产生了嫉妒心理，因为他长得特别好看，身材匀称，举止潇洒飘逸，声音柔和悦耳。他有一种难以名状的风度，凡是同他打过交道的人，一下子都会喜欢他一一不论是柜台里的职员也好，还是那些进门来向他问这问那的客人也好，都是如此。他的皮鞋和衣领整洁齐正，梳着最时髦的发型，搽过油，一溜光滑，活像一名电影明星口克莱德一开头就被他那衣饰方面的审美情趣完全倾倒了一一一套特别精致讲究的棕色衣帽，同时还配上棕色的领带和短袜。克莱德心里想，他自己也应该穿上那样一件配上棕色腰带的外套。他应该有一顶棕色帽子。而且还应该有一套缝制得那么精致、那么迷人的衣服。”他的目光从没有离开过他者，表面看是他在凝视别人，而实际是心中的他者对他的凝视。对服饰的追求也是源于异性，他的痛苦也正是因为他的欲望是他者的欲望，他对服饰的狂热迷恋其实是因为异性对服饰的迷恋，他的欲望是来源于他者。 小说主人公对地位的欲望还通过人际之间的交往关系表现出来，而很明显的一条交往线索是爱情线索。小说中主人公对两个人的爱情的欲望其实是对地位的欲望的一种显现。美国悲剧中的爱情欲望有两条线索，一条是克莱德对爱情的欲望，一条是罗伯达对爱情的欲望。当然里面还有一条暗线是三角爱情。导致克莱德最后想抛弃贫穷的姑娘罗伯达而追求富家小姐桑德拉的，不是由于克莱德对真正爱情的追求，而是对社会地位的一种攀附。他对罗伯达的爱情是自发的，受本能的驱使，在遭到禁止或者明知道会给自己的前途造成不良影响的情况下依然禁不住诱惑，这时他所追求的客体是真实的客体，不是虚幻的，而对桑德拉的爱情则掺杂了很多外在的因素，桑德拉的社会地位，金钱的诱惑以及跟他结婚所带来的荣耀都给桑德拉罩上一层美丽的光环，这时的欲望客体是虚幻的，不是真实的，克莱德对欲望客体的转变是因为虚荣。虚荣在这里既是改变欲望客体的欲望，又变成了最强烈的欲望。当克莱德收到伯母的来信重新受到他们的关注的时候“他对丽达的迷恋，一下子就烟消云散了，至于他对泽拉和迪拉特的兴趣，就更不用提了。，虚荣心作祟让克莱德的欲望客体很快从对丽达的迷恋中抽离转换到对桑德拉所代表的社会地位的欲望之中。 克莱德婚姻观念的转变也是由于上流社会为他开启了一扇窗。他在罗伯达和桑德拉之间的对比和挑选，不是比较她们本身的魅力或者志趣，而是比较她们分别能给他带来什么样的生活，什么样的社会地位，所以，归根结底，他把婚姻看作是爬上上流社会高墙的一个手段而已。他对待罗伯达的感情是真挚的，出于本能的欲望，跟她在一起是欢乐的，然而因为受到上流社会的影响，“他认为，他要是能跟她在一起，只要不是非同她结婚不可就会很幸福。因为，现在他对婚姻的愿望已被格里菲斯那个上流社会深深地影响了。，克莱德对婚姻的看法也是受到上流社会的影响，而不是遵从本人的意愿，他本身对罗伯达欲火中烧，可是还是不肯跟她结婚。“克莱德不管是跟罗伯达也好，还是跟任何一个社会地位低于格里菲斯家的姑娘调情时，就认为自己绝不可能跟她结婚一一主要是由于他新近攀上的亲戚的态度，以及他们在莱克格斯声望显赫的缘故。”然而这种感情受到他的强烈虚荣心的影响也会改变味道，他看了报纸上对格里菲斯望族的报道“心里禁不住浮想联翩(即使在他去事先不知道的地点跟罗伯达幽会时也是这样)这种对比刺痛了他的心，几乎使他受不了，有时还启发他，让他无比清晰地看透了自己跟罗伯达的这种关系。罗伯达到底是何许人也?厂里的一个女工!她的父母就是住在农场上干活的，女儿为了自己的温饱，不能不干活啊。可是他呢一一只要运气稍微好一些一一!难道说他向往自己未来在这里过上高贵生活的种种梦想，就这样给破灭了吗?”他的虚荣心如今又一次对他的感情世界提出了挑战。3. 2. 2金钱欲望:自我形象的物质保证 对金钱的欲望，在美国悲剧中有两种价值观，一种是克莱德的姐姐姐夫代表的对生活的一种自我满足，另一种是克莱德所代表的对金钱的狂热崇拜，这是消费社会的一种具象反应。金钱对于克莱德来说，一开始只能说是需要，为了满足物质生活的匾乏而不得不想赚钱的手段。而到后来，他在满足基本生活需求，追求享乐之后又萌生与他实际条件不相符合的念头，这时他对金钱的渴望已经变成一种欲望，不是对金钱的切实需求，而是看到金钱的魔法力量，它不仅会给人提供自己所需，还会得到别人的尊重，消费社会物质已经超越于人而存在，而人对物的盲目崇拜更加重了这种恶性循环。 克莱德对金钱的欲望首先是因为他的虚荣心遭到了伤害。他发现周围小伙子与他的不同，不用沿街传教，遭别人讥笑。他自尊心受到了伤害，而这种伤害来源于他们生活的贫苦，生活的尊严，没有必要的经济来源，“他每次总是意识到:父母的这个行业正是被人瞧不起的一一毕竟太寒伦、太卑微了。”(美国悲剧第11页)他曾因为父母从事的行业而被人嘲笑，这无疑击碎了他的虚荣心，一方面产生了对父朵的仄恶，另一方面也激起了他对金钱的强烈渴望。此时，金钱对于他的意义是得到别人的尊重，而不仅仅是满足必要的物质生活条件。有了钱，他可以购买在他眼里的高贵的男士的穿着。可以出入豪华的场所，受到别人热情地招呼，得到别人的喜欢和尊重。其次，他对金钱的欲望是来自于对异性的渴求。他在观察优雅的男士时，除了羡慕他们的服饰之外，经常会感叹他们身边还陪伴着美女。于是他认为只有有了钱，有了漂亮的衣服，才能有漂亮的姑娘在身边，不然谁会看自己一眼呢?为了得到霍丹斯的爱情他要攒钱去买那件大衣，即使这个时候他的姐姐急需用钱，他在二者之间徘徊不定，但是他知道金钱可以给他带来爱情。再次，他对金钱的欲望在于金钱给他带来的物质享受。他可以带着女孩去剧院看戏，享受上层人的玩乐，出入豪华的场所，带给他的快感让他欲罢不能。旅馆的工作让他的收入与之前跟着父亲传教相比有很大的改观，为此他兴奋不已。在从堪萨斯城进入莱克格斯城的过程中，目睹了人生百态，在上流社会种种的人际关系中，钱在其中起到了一个纽带作用，所有的一切都会因为它而改变，包括他虚荣心的满足。因为伯父的关系，在莱克格斯城攀上了富贵之门，并且因为偶然的机会得到了上流社会小姐桑德拉的喜欢，这是在他面前出现了攀上欲望高墙的一把梯子，经过桑德拉的引荐，他在身份上已经进入上流社会，而此时他的工资却依然微薄，因此在出入社交场合之中总觉得局促不安，有一次甚至是桑德拉给了他钱让他花在自己身上，这些无疑都在潜移默化之中一点点酝酿着他对金钱的欲望，并慢慢膨胀。 然而他对金钱的这种欲望并不是对金钱的单纯欲望，他的这种欲望很大程度是由于别人的耻笑，还有他对服饰以及爱情的追求，而在物质社会，这所有的一切都需要金钱。他需要用钱来满足他的虚荣心，得到别人的尊重，需要用钱来进行武装才能不把他的脆弱暴露在别人面前。金钱成了他与别人交往的护身符，是无言的话语权。有了金钱所武装的各种装备，他在社交场合可以来去穿梭，应付自如。没有金钱就没有了一切，没有了他需要在他者眼中保持良好形象的物质保障。可以说，金钱的欲望是他凯靓上流社会生活的必然结果。4 Talk about Clydes endlessly explosive desires and ambitions An American Trage办tells about a tragic story. In the story, Clyde is a lesssuccessful young man. Driven by the desire for sex and money, he murders his lover,Roberta Alden in order to marry wealthy Sondra Finchley. Finally, he is convicted andexecuted to death. The chapter deals with the inner causes of Clydes tragedy. Thesensitivity, selfishness and weakness running through the story set the tragedy inmotion. For Clyde is as vain and proud as he is poor. He is one of those interestingindividuals who look upon himself as a thing apart-never quite wholly andindissolubly merged with the family of which he was member, and never with anyprofound obligations to those who has been responsible for his coming into the world.He spends all his life for on preparing for the awful and foolish act, and, Dreiserargues that, it is America that decides Clydes life. The first volume of the novel tracesthe road Clyde walks, no step on the road is guilty, however, step by step, the roadleads him to the junction of murder. From the traditional sense, Clyde is neither a heronor a tragic character. He hardly has the strong will of self-confidence, and has nofascinating idea. On enduring suffering, he shows no special ability. As a weak person,he vaguely reflects the weak world around him. The significance of Clyde is that herepresents our smallness as a group, our common foolish love and vulgar expectations,instead of our greatness as an existence. He is part of us, of which we are not proud,but we know that it actually exists in us. We can not say that he is a special case or anextreme example, so we can not take him into consideration. The weakness of him isprecisely the major weakness of human being. As long as the fate slightly changes, hecan become a management of lower rank, or a country club favorite. Indeed, healmost puts him into his own imagination as he designs; he sees his own irritatingshadow on his arrogant rich cousin Gilbert, he probably becomes that kind of youngpeople. Clyde reflects all our calculations, which are actually empty, our ambition tosociety are all empty. Clyde is born in a poor missionary family in Kansas and lives a poverty-strickenlife since his childhood. He always has to sing hymn of praise in the American streetseveryday with his family. As he grows up, he is more and more tired of and even hatessinging hymn of praise in the street. So once he has grown old enough to make money,he throws away that lifestyle. Since at his sixteen, he firstly works as an apprentice ina drugstore. Before long, he successfully finds a better job in Green- Davidson Hotel,the greatest hotel in Kansas, where he works as a bellboy and earns about $25 a week.In Green-Davidson, he is deeply impressed by the striking contrast between the richand the poor, and he avidly wants to rise into this American upper class that seems tooffer him the only hope of self-realizations. As he earns and learns more in Green-Davidson, he begins to drink, play cardsand go to brothel, and he has a very vain girl friend, Hortense. In order to curry favorwith her to fulfill his desire and to parade his wealth to his friends, he cheats hisfamily that he earns quite a little money, thus he can spend as much money onHortense and himself. Whats worse, Esta, his sister, is discarded by a man and isalready pregnant. Even when his mother and his sister are in need of his financial aid,he still refuses to help them; instead, he spends the fi勿dollars in buying a fur coat ofbeaver for Hortense. Clyde, the poor young man, becomes more and more greedy andselfish and less kind in the surroundings of Green-Davidson. Later, on the way back towork from a travel for fun, he and his friend run over a girl with the car which one ofhis friends steals from his fathers employer. To evade the punishment, he flees toChicago lonely. In Chicago, he begs his uncle, Samuel Griffiths to give him a job and enters hisfactory. Soon he works as the head of a department of 25 girls. Then, Clyde appearsimportant and prosperous. But his cousin hates him, and he is often frustrated andembarrassed. His snobbish relatives soon forget him. Anxious for promotion, desirousof happiness and imbued with zeal for self-satisfaction, he falls in love with RobertaAlden, a young and beautiful girl, who is employed in his department. After a time ofogling and flirting, their relationship becomes intimate. As to marriage, he alwaysdreams to marry with a rich young beautiful girl to climb up upper status. So he neverthinks of marrying Roberta. The kind girl does not know his thought. Clyde associateswith Roberta in order to spend his space-time. His dream is to become a person ofbetter status and to enter the upper class. Under his blandishment, he has sex withRoberta, and makes her pregnant. Before long, he meets a friend of his cousin, SondraFinchley, by accident, and he is deeply attracted by her. Then, he makes Sondra fall inlove with him gradually. Thanks to Sondras help, Cl州e frequently takes part in allkinds of parties. It makes him feel that it is a beautiful way of life like his imagination,and soon he forgets his girlfriend Roberta. Sondra is the daughter of the owner of theFinchley Electronic Company. Compared to Sondra, Roberta is just a poor workinggirl, a daughter of a poor farmer, and can not help him to join the luxurious parties. So,from the beginning, Clyde is not going to marry Roberta, instead, he just wants tomake love with her although he really loves her. However, as to Sondra, he alwaysdreams to marry her, and then he can enjoy the luxurious life that Sondra has. Healways dreams that if he could marry Sondra, he would be the manager of theFinchley Electronic Company soon. In order to avoid marrying Roberta and fulfill hisdream of marrying Sondra, Clyde plans to kill Roberta in the Grass Lake. But in thecritical moment, he is hesitating. Dramatically, Roberta is drowned in an accident. It is the very state election time when the case happens. The Democratic and theRepublican make use of the case as they like regardless of the exact fact to promoteattention in order to get the trust of the voters and win the election. The Democraticthat takes charge of the administration at that time tries every means to testify Clydescrime; they even concoct false evidences to testify Clydes crimes as soon as possibleto defraud trust of voters, while the Republican tries every way to exonerate for Clyde.In the ugly struggle, Clyde acts likeinvolved. He even does not know whata chessman, although he is the one directlyis going on earth. The ugly struggle betweenthe two parties, and then, Clyde is sentenced to death more quickly. Thus, after overtwo years in prison, Clyde is executed in an electric chair in the prison. His life is overat the age of 25.1.2Inner Causes of Clydes 1Yagedy In An American Trage办，Dreiser describes the whole process that ClydeGriffiths, affected by the evil in the society, and gradually evolved, degenerated into amurderer, and finally destroyed himself. The subject of the novel is not new, but itbecomes a masterpiece in the hands of Dreiser, who is full of compassion and a senseof tragedy. Clydes personal behavior is extremely weak, and becomes known as themoral and mental coward. (710).1.2.1 PersonaVty Weakness Clyde is the type of person who is not destined to be a hero, like those verystrong impulses and desire within himself that were so very, very hard to overcome(825) mentioned by Dreiser,. Since his childhood, Clyde is against the religiousfanaticism of his parents. When he takes the job of a bellboy at a local hotel, the boyshe meets are much more sophisticated than him, and they introduce Clyde into theworld of alcohol and prostitution. The luxury of big hotels dazzles him. In his mindwhich is more sensitive than others and highly vulnerable to outside influence, itseems that life is about the pursuit of money and beautiful girls. He falls into adilemma of being loyal to Roberta or pursuing Sondra. In the 1920s when the novelwas published, the American society advocated hypocritical prattle, and the youngergeneration was not properly cultivated. American materialism made young peoplebelieve that they are able to possess everything with money, including sex. Clyde has no ideas, no specific curiosity, and no consciousness to speak of. Hewants to get ahead by pleasing people wealthier and more powerful than he is.Secretly, and then not so secretly, he hopes to join them in what he takes to be anendless exercise of freedom. Wealth is the only transcendence he can imagine. He is ashallow, sensual American boy, then, wholly defined by desire, and too dazzled andjangled by the lure of money to care, or even without notice, becoming a parasite.Clyde attaches himself to his wealthy uncle, Samuel Griffiths, who owns ashirt-and-collar factory in the fictional Lycurgus, a small industrial city along theMohawk River, west of Albany. He gets a job at the factory, where he seduces andimpregnates Roberta, an attractive and sweet-natured worker, whose socialbackground is similar to his own. At the same time, he rides, swims, and dances withthe local smart set, the debutantes and college boys who flirt through a long summer.And he falls in love with one of them, the beautiful Sondra Finchley, a kind ofprovincial teen-age lapper who initially patronizes him but then finds herself attractedto his good looks and his overwhelming desire for her. Exposed to provincial high life,Clyde looks at his likely future with nauseated dismay. Aroused by his fantasy ofmarrying into the property-owning class, Clyde moves from one dangerous point tothe next. Roberta is now in the way, and the book becomes an obsessional renderingof precise instants of turning: the tangle of frustration and anger giving way to ashamed predisposition, and then to a nervous readiness, and finally to a stumblinghalf-attempt that ends in disaster.1.2.2 Lack of Morality Dreiser expresses his anger to American society through sharp contrast, which isone of the attractive techniques of the novel. In the opening of the novel, there is ascene describing the spiritual world of the American people: while the Griffiths aresinging sermons in the streets, people around are just busy observing and discussingthem, completely ignoring the significance of such religious activities. The pictureimplies that: Americans do not care about spiritual life. Their spiritual life is very poor.On the contrary, their material life is too extravagant and varied from place to place.In Kansas, young people are busy at alcohol, prostitution, dancing and driving. InLycurgus, young people enjoy the summer life around the lake, where they can playtennis and enjoy parties. Through this the contrast between spiritual and material life,Dreiser stresses that the decadent hedonism American life is the real murderer. City infrastructure construction and factories are far from enough to meet theneeds of flood of immigrants from everywhere. Numerous factories produce billowingfog, garbage piles, life-threatening industrial waste water and noise that make sleepimpossible. As Dreiser describes in the novel, the sound of the hammer uponestablished erection of new structures is heard everywhere. Such predatorydevelopment is bound to result in damage to the environment and ecologicalimbalance. Mans life and spiritual world are subject to the ecological system,ecological system is the basis of culture. For quality of life, the environmental qualityis a necessary condition.5 Ecological imbalance and environmental pollution in theprocess of social development integrate unknowingly into the spiritual world ofhuman, resulting in spiritual pollution. As noted above, at that time, the capitalism was transiting to the monopoly stage.In the spiritual field, religious beliefs could not support the younger generation as theysupport the older generation. At the same time, people place their hopes on science,thinking that science is the most powerful replacement of religion and believing thatthe advanced industrial technology must bring them a glorious future. In the socialcultural fiek, the consuming ideas took the dominant place, stressing the cost andpossession, which weakened the traditional moral standards of thrifty, saving,self-control and so on. Finally, Puritan ideals gave way to hedonism. The hedonismadvocates enjoyment and satisfaction in life. If Mark Twain, Howells, James and many other writers who were born in 1830sor 1840s maintain the Darwin moral ideal of the pre-industrial era, the protagonistscan make moral choice to determining their own destiny. But for Dreiser who wasborn in the 1870s, the middle-class morality was insi娜ficant. Individuals could notcontrol their fate, because personal material survival is much more important than thespirit perfection. Philosopher Martin Heidegger said: the essence of a new era isdetermined by the non-apotheosis and the disappearance of God. Science andtechnology will uproot people from the earth, losing their spiritual homes.6 Modernindustrial material culture and the commodity economy block the mans heartchannels, eroding the beautiful and honest feelings, resulting in spirit desertification. With the emergence of the leisure class and the new hegemonic group, thetraditional value with its emphasis on thrift, frugality, self-control andimpulse-renunciation is replaced by the credo of the consumption society with itsemphasis on spending, finding pleasure and material possessions. It is underminingand it has lost much of its force in a metropolitan environment which is creating newsocial types and bringing new pressures to bear on personal character. Therefore, thetraditional morality has been neglected and has been replaced by corruption amongthe bourgeoisie life style, especially among the younger generation, whose mind hasbeen harmed and corrupted by the new hegemonic way of living. Many moralstandards such as honesty, self-control and impulse-renunciation are replaced bydeception, selfishness, indulgence and violation. The behavior of Esta, Clyde andRoberta make it clear that the traditional morality has declined. Clyde Griffiths is a young man with ambitions. He is materialistic andpleasure-seeking, and he lacks any strong morality. He is willing to lie and to indulgein unethical and illegal behavior in pursuit of his goals, and he repeatedly runs fromdifficulties, especially those he creates for himself. For Clyde, there is no clear linebetween reality and fantasy, right and wrong. To escape his sordid life. he daydreamsof wealth and luxury. To live with his acts of cowardice, he rationalizes them. Roberta,seeking happiness, violates the prohibitions and is immediately punished-withpregnancy and possible disgrace, and with murder in Clydes heart. A malignantparadox, then: Dreiser detested religion, but as soon as his characters violatereligions precepts they are ruined. Whatever his explicit beliefs, his pessimism hasthe effect of a negative power. Clyde is in prison, or, as Dreiser insists on calling it,one of those crass erections and maintenances of human insensitiveness and stupidityprincipally for which no one primarily was really responsible. (789) Traveling to the limits o
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