American Naturalism—Stephen Crane &Theodore Dreiser

Class: 英本 057

Group members: 董颖　周燕　周杭燕　　　　

Ⅰ.American Naturalism

• literary movement in the late 19th and early 20th

• refers to the theory that literary composition should aim at a detached( 客观的 ), scientific objectivity( 客观事实 ) in the treatment of natural man.

• The movement is an outgrowth of scientist, following the biological determinism( 决定论 ) of Darwin’s theory.

Ⅱ.Stephen Crane （斯蒂芬 ·克莱恩 )

Stephen Crane

(1871-1900)American journalist,

poet, and author Notable American N

aturalist

1. Life born in Newark, New Jersey, in 1871 attended the College of Liberal Arts at

Syracuse University but did not graduate died on 5 June 1900, at the age of twenty-

eight

2. Works

Fictions

• Maggie: A Girl of the Streets

《街头女郎麦琪》 • The Red Badge of Courage

《红色英勇勋章》• Active Service

2. Works

Short stories• "The Open Boat" 《海上扁舟》• "The Blue Hotel" 《蓝色旅馆》• "An Experiment in Misery" 《不幸的试验》Poems• "A Man Said to the Universe" 《一个人对上帝说》• “A Man Adrift on a Slim Spar” 《这个人漂泊在 细细的梁上》• The Black Riders 《黑骑手》

The Red Badge of Courage《红色英勇勋章》

3. The Red Badge of Courage

Brief introduction• an impressionistic( 印象派的 ) novel treated

with the meaning of courage

• one of the most influential war novel in American literature.

• His writing is notable for its detached and critical style

Ⅲ. Theodore Dreiser（西奥多 ·德莱塞）

Theodore Dreiser (1871-1945)

• American author• outstanding representati

ve of naturalism• his novels depict

real-life subjects in a harsh light.

1. Life

• born in Indiana, in 1871

• the twelfth of thirteen children in the family

• attended Indiana University (1889 – 1890)

• involved in several campaigns against social injustice.

• died in 1945

2. Works

Novels * Sister Carrie 《嘉莉妹妹》* Jennie Gerhardt 《珍妮姑娘》* The Financier 《金融家》* An American Tragedy 《美国的悲剧》* The Titan 《巨人》 * The Genius 《天才》 “欲望三步曲”* The Stoic 《斯多葛》

2. Works

Autobiography

* A Book About Myself 《关于我自己的书》Stories

* Free 《自由》 * Chains 《锁链》 * A Gallery of Women 《妇女群像》

Sister Carrie 《嘉莉妹妹》—Theodore Dreiser

3. Sister Carrie

1. Brief Introduction• a novel by Theodore Dreiser

• about a young country girl who moves to the big city where she starts realizing her own American Dream by first becoming a mistress to powerful men and later as a famous actress

3. Sister Carrie

2. Themes• American Dream

• Change and Transformation

• Choices and Consequences

• Wealth and Poverty

• Identity

• Sex

Website

• http://www.answers.com/

• http://www.sparknotes.com/

Thank you!