Collapse of American Dream from the Perspective of Peoples Change of Attitude toward Life.docx

Collapse of American Dream from the Perspective of Peoples Change of Attitude toward Life.docx

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CollapseofAmericanDreamfromthePerspectiveofPeoplesChangeofAttitudetowardLife

ACritiqueoftheCollapseofAmericanDreamfromthePerspectiveofPeople'sChangeofAttitudetowardLifeinthe1920s

——afterreadingAnAmericantragedy

Contents

Acknowledgementsi

AbstractinEnglishii

AbstractinChineseiii

Ⅰ.Introduction1

1.1Anintroductionofthesocialbackground2

1.2Anintroductionoftheauthoraswellasthenovel2

Ⅱ.ThechangeoftheleadingcharacterClydebasedonhisAmericandream4

2.1Clyde'searlyyearsandhisAmericandream4

2.2Clyde'slatteryearsandthechangeofhisdream5

2.3ThecomparisonofClyde'sattitudetowardAmericandreamandthereasonsofthechange7

Ⅲ.AcritiqueonthenautureofAmericandreamanditsmeritsanddemerits11

3.1ThenatureofAmericandream11

3.2ThemeritsanddemeritsofAmericandream12

3.3ThereasonsofthecollapseofAmericandreaminthe1920s

3.4AnewdirectionofAmericandreaminthemoderntime

15

Ⅴ.Conclusion16

Bibliography17

Acknowledgements

Firstofall,IwouldliketoextendmygratitudetoAssociateProfessor,whoseamiabilityandleniencyhaveexertedgreatinfluenceonshapingmycharacterandguidedmeallthewaytillthecompletionofthethesis.Whathesaidduringhislectureshasalwaysbeenlingeringinmyearsandprovidedinexhaustibleguidanceinmyacademicperformance.Withouthispatienceandrelentlessassistance,thisworksofminewouldnotbeaccomplishedinduecourse.

MyappreciationalsogoestoProfessor,fortheirinspirationandthought-evokingexplanation.Theyhaveusheredmeintothebrillianthallofliterature,illuminedbyvividdescriptionandprofundityofknowledge.

IamalsoindebtedtomybosomfriendsRebecca,whonotonlyelaboratesonherthinkingbutalsogivemelotsofhelp.

Finally,thisthesisisdedicatedtomyfamily,aswellasmysinceregratitude.Intimesoffrustrationanddesperation,itistheywhooffermetheirstaunchsupportandunfailingconfidence.Withouttheircareandnourishinglove,thereisnoachievementofminetospeakof.

Abstract

TheodoreDreiserisafamousAmericanwriterinwritingrealismandnaturalismnovel,andearnsapleasantreputationinrevealingthesocialphenomenonatthattime.Hisnovelmainlydescribesabouttrifleindailylife.Butthereisnocommentonwhathemadeonthesethings.TheAmericantragedyisoneofhisgreatworks.TheAmericantragedymadeagreatsuccessoncepublishedandalsoenjoyedworldwideprestigeandcompliment.MythesismakescommentsonthecollapseofAmericandreambasedonthemaincharacterClyder.BycomparingthechangingofClyder'sdream,wecanseethatAmericandreamiscannotbebeneficialtoallofus.Atthesametime,weshouldkeeparightattitudetowardit.Theessaycanbedividedintothreeparts.ThefirstpartistoshowTheodoreDreiserandhisnovel.Thesecondpartfocusesontheaversionofthemaincharacterandanalyzestheprocessandreasons.ThefinalpartisaboutthedisillusionofNewAmericandreamanddiscussion.

KeyWords:

Americantragedy,Americandream,individual,society,socialvalue

摘要

德莱塞是描写现实主义和自然主义小说的美国著名作家，当时他通过揭示社会现象的本质赢得了不错的反响。

他的小说主要描写生活中的小事，但他对这些事故却不发表任何评论。

美国悲剧就是他的代表作之一。

美国悲剧在发表之后，随即取得了极大的成功，饱受人们的褒奖和赞美。

我的论文主要是对故事主人公克莱德的美国梦进行分析和评价，通过对比克莱德先后的美国梦的变化，显而易见，美国梦不一定能给我们带来美好，与此同时对于美国梦，我们应该抱有正确的态度。

论文包含三个部分，首先介绍作者西奥多和他的小说，紧接着美国悲剧小说主人公克莱德美国梦蜕变的过程及其原因。

最后，做出对美国梦的见解和对新美国梦的讨论。

关键词：

美国悲剧；美国梦；社会价值

Ⅰ.Introduction

AmericantragedyisoneofthegreatestworkswrittenbyTheodoreDreiserwhoisreputedasoneofthemostinfluentialandpopularAmericanwritersindescribingtheAmericansocietyatthattime.Thenovelearnsagoodreputationandfameoncepublished.SinceithasbeenawardedtheNobelPrizeforliterature,itistheprecedenceofrealAmericanliterature.AmericantragedyisalsoregardedasthemostimpressiveworkthroughoutthewholeAmerica.Onceitwaspublishedin1925,ithasreceivedalotofcomments.PeopleregardthisbookasthemostvividworkindescribingthevaluesofAmericansocietyatthattime,whichrevealsmanyprofoundmeanings.

1.1AnIntroductionofsocialbackground

Americantragedyiswrittenin20thcenturyinAmerica.ThestoryisbasedonatrueaffairhappenedinNewYorkin1906.ItisacriminalcasethatayoungmannamedCestmurderedhisgirlfriendandsufferedthedeathpenalty.Afterhearingthecase,theauthorwasdeeplyimpressedbythiscase.Hewantedtorevealthattheproblemexistednotonlyamongsomegroupsofpeople，butalsointhewholesocietyatthattime.Whiletalkingaboutthemaincharacterandvariouskindsofthingshappeningtohim,wecanseetheseriousnessofsocialproblemsvividlyrevealedbytheauthor.

Atthattime,Americawasstillinpoorcondition.Theeconomywasalsoindepressionduetomanyinternationalreasons.TheauthorTheodorewasoneofthepioneersinwritingthesekindsofnovelswhichtriedtodescribeacertainsocialphenomenon.Inthiskindofsociety,peoplewereobsessedwiththeirpursuitofso-calledAmericandreamandonlycaredaboutthevalueofthemselves.Moreover,Peopleinsuchsocialbackgroundcouldnotunderstandthetruevalueofhumanbeings.Theyonlyknewthatmoneycouldsolveallkindsofproblemsandhelpthemtoachievetheirdreams.TakingthemaincharacterClyderasanexample,hislifewassohardthatmoneywasalwaysaproblemtohimwhenhewasyoung.Itwasallofasuddenthathegotagoldenopportunitywhenonedayhegotajobinabigrestaurant,whichmarkedthestartofhisrealizationofAmericandream.Atfirst,hewasverydeterminedwithhisdreamandthoughtthathiseffortswouldcertainlychangehissituationandwinthelove.Hislong-periodstrivingwasgreatlydemonstratedinthefirstpart.However,itwasinvain.Sohemadechangesofhimselfwhichwasvividlynarratedinthesecondpart.Inthispart,theauthorlinkedhischangescloselywiththesociety,whererichpeoplebecamericherandricherwhilepoorpeoplelikeClydersparedalltheireffortstoupgradetheirsocialstatus.Althoughthereweremuchlustinsociety,mostofthemwouldturnintotragedy.Thelustpushesnaivepeopleintonightmare.Therefore,inthatkindofsociety,peoplehavetoenduregreatpressure.Astheeconomywasreallydepressed,itwashardforpeopletomakealivingbythecommonmethods.Mentriedtheirbesttomakemoneysoastoupgradetheirlivingstandardaswellastowinawonderfullovefrombeautifulwomen.Inthestory,itwasreallyhardprocess.Incontrast,womenusedtheircharmingappearancetowinthecomplimentsandpropertyfrommen.Inthiscirculation,peoplebecamemoreandmorematerialistic.

Thatwasthebasicsocialbackgroundatthattime.Effortwasnotthemostusefulwaytochangepeople'slives.Withoutmoneyorcertainsocialstatus,peoplecouldn'teasilymakealiving.

1.2Introductionoftheauthoraswellasthenovel

TheodoreHermanAlbertDreiserwasanAmericannovelistandjournalistofanaturalistschool.Hisnovelsoftenfeaturemaincharactersthatsucceedintheirobjectivesdespitealackoffirmmoralcode.Dreiser'sbestknownnovelsincludeSisterCarrie（1900）andAnAmericanTragedy.

TheauthorwasborninastrictCatholicfamilyinIndianaStateofAmerica.HewasoneofthemostimportantAmericanwriterscomingfromafamilywhichwasinalowsocialstatusandhadnostrainwithAnglo-Saxson.However.ItisnotcommonforanAmericanwritertoborninapoorfamily.Infact,TheodorewasfromaGermanfamilywhichimmigratedintoAmerica.ItwasraretoseeafamousAmericanwriterwhodidn'tcomefromlocalAmericansoil.Theodore’sfatherwassincere,traditional,rigidandhadmorethan10children.Incontrast,Theodore'smotherwasmild,hardworkingandthrifty.WhenTheodorewaseight,hismotherhadtotakelittleTheodoreandtwootherchildrentoleavetheirfamilyduetothepressureoflife.Atthatperiodoftime,theydidn'tsettledowninanyplaces.Sothechildrendidn’treceiveagoodeducationandevendiscontinuedtheirschooling.Inaddition,thefamilyenduredapoorlivingconditionandwasalwayslookeddownuponbyothers.Theodoresufferedthatkindofpainforalongtimeandwroteitintohiswork—TheAmericantragedy.

WhenTheodorebegantostepintothefieldofliterature,theAmericansocietywasunderstupendousdevelopmentofevaluation.Thecapitalismwasgraduallytransferredintomonopolycapitalism.Duringthattime,theAmericanliteraturewasinagracefulstylethathandeddownbyVictoryera.However,Theodorewasdifferentandbrokethistradition.HeusedhislongnoveltorevealthetruthoftheAmericansociety,toleadtoanewdirectiontoexpandthethoughtofmanyAmericanwriters,andtoliberatetheAmericannovels.HeaddedmanypassionateelementsintothedevelopmentofAmericanliterature.Hismasterpiece—TheAmericantragedyisanobviousworkwhichgivesusapictureofpeople'slivinginAmericansociety.ThenoveldescribesastoryofayoungmancalledClyderwhoisaffectedbytheviciouspartofthesocietyandgraduallybecomesamurdererandfinallydestroyshimself.TheodorearrangedclearprocessofthestoryanddescribedatypicalAmericantragedy.

Thenovelisdividedintothreeparts.ThefirstpartportraysayoungmannamedClyderwhoisinalowsocialstatusandwantstochangehislifeandearntheesteemfromothers.Butduetosomefactors,hestartstomakewrongdecisions.Thesecondpartcontinuestogiveushiswrongchoiceswhichindicatethestartofthetragedy.Thefinalpartisthathislifetotallybecomesatragedyandhecomestotheendofhislife.Thenovelreflectsmuchphenomenonbyportra