| 独创性申明 | 第1-7页 |
| Abstract (in English) | 第7-9页 |
| Abstract (in Chinese) | 第9-11页 |
| Part One Introduction | 第11-21页 |
| 1．1 A brief introduction to the author and his works | 第11-13页 |
| 1．1．1 Dreiser's literary career | 第11-12页 |
| 1．1．2 Sister Carrie——a book of frustrations and fame | 第12-13页 |
| 1．2 Literature review——critical responses to Dreiser and his novel Sister Carrie | 第13-21页 |
| 1．2．1 Critical responses abroad | 第13-18页 |
| 1．2．1．1 Critical responses before the mid-1960s | 第13-15页 |
| 1．2．1．2 Critical responses since the mid-1960s | 第15-16页 |
| 1．2．1．3 Critical responses since the mid-1980s | 第16-17页 |
| 1．2．1．4 Critical responses to the characters in Sister Carrie | 第17-18页 |
| 1．2．2 Domestic critical responses | 第18页 |
| 1．2．3 The purpose and significance of choosing the topic | 第18-21页 |
| Part Two Theoretical Framework | 第21-34页 |
| 2．1 Realism | 第21-25页 |
| 2．1．1 What is Realism | 第21页 |
| 2．1．2 Dreiser's realistic view of reflecting the social background | 第21-24页 |
| 2．1．2．1 An industrial society | 第21-22页 |
| 2．1．2．2 A patriarchal society | 第22-24页 |
| 2．1．3 Dreiser's realistic view of reflecting his life experiences | 第24-25页 |
| 2．2 Naturalism | 第25-28页 |
| 2．2．1 Darwinism——theoretical basis of Naturalism | 第25页 |
| 2．2．2 What is Naturalism | 第25-26页 |
| 2．2．3 Naturalistic concept of nature and universe | 第26-27页 |
| 2．2．4 Naturalistic concept of human beings | 第27页 |
| 2．2．5 The differences between Naturalism and Realism | 第27-28页 |
| 2．3 Feminist Criticism | 第28-34页 |
| 2．3．1 What is Feminist Criticism | 第28-29页 |
| 2．3．2 The development of feminist critical theories | 第29-33页 |
| 2．3．2．1 Virginia Woolf's opinion in A Room of One's Own | 第29-30页 |
| 2．3．2．2 Simone de Beauvoir's viewpoint in The Second Sex | 第30页 |
| 2．3．2．3 Kate Millett and her Sexual Politics | 第30-31页 |
| 2．3．2．4 Elaine Showalter's theory | 第31-32页 |
| 2．3．2．5 French theories of Femininity | 第32-33页 |
| 2．3．3 Methodology | 第33-34页 |
| Part Three The Analysis of Characters | 第34-59页 |
| 3．1 Characters as the truthful reflection of Dreiser's life | 第35-39页 |
| 3．1．1 Carrie——Dreiser's "sister" | 第35-37页 |
| 3．1．2 Hurstwood's decline——Dreiser's fear for failure | 第37-39页 |
| 3．2 Men as helpless victims in the universe | 第39-59页 |
| 3．2．1 Desire-driven man | 第39-43页 |
| 3．2．1．1 Drouet's inborn desire | 第39-41页 |
| 3．2．1．2 Hurstwood's desire for "control" | 第41-43页 |
| 3．2．2 Desire and environment-victimized man | 第43-47页 |
| 3．2．2．1 Drouet's superficiality | 第43-45页 |
| 3．2．2．2 Hurstwood's neglecting responsibility | 第45-47页 |
| 3．3 Woman's struggle for self-identity | 第47-59页 |
| 3．3．1 Carrie's visionary hope for freedom | 第48-51页 |
| 3．3．2 Carrie's revolt against patriarchy | 第51-54页 |
| 3．3．3 Carrie's spiritual rise despite her sexual fall | 第54-59页 |
| Part Four The Techniques of Characterization | 第59-76页 |
| 4．1 Symbols——weatherglass of characters' emotion and fate | 第59-62页 |
| 4．1．1 Rocking chair | 第59-61页 |
| 4．1．2 Train, door and other symbols | 第61-62页 |
| 4．2 Details | 第62-68页 |
| 4．2．1 Environmental descriptions——enhancing reality and its impact on characters | 第62-66页 |
| 4．2．1．1 City | 第62-64页 |
| 4．2．1．2 Factory | 第64-66页 |
| 4．2．2 Animal details—— man's competition for survival on the biological level | 第66-68页 |
| 4．3 Contrasts | 第68-76页 |
| 4．3．1 Contrast of human dwellings—— the rise and fall of the characters | 第68-69页 |
| 4．3．2 Contrast between Carrie and other women——Carrie's distinctive personality | 第69-76页 |
| 4．3．2．1 Carrie and her sister Minnie | 第69-70页 |
| 4．3．2．2 Carrie and Mrs． Vance | 第70-72页 |
| 4．3．2．3 Carrie and Lora Osborne | 第72-76页 |
| Part Five Conclusion | 第76-79页 |
| Notes | 第79-84页 |
| Bibliography | 第84-89页 |
| Acknowledgements | 第89页 |
