Abstract：Theodore Dreiser is one of the most outstanding novelists of the 20th century in the United States. His critically acclaimed novel chronicle American life in all classes, especially the social status and people’s desire. Dreiser lived in poverty as a child, so he had an in-depth understanding of the unprivileged life. Meanwhile, his experience also inspired his desire for material. In Dreiser’s works, desire is one of the themes that constantly reveals. This paper analyzes Dreiser’s autobiographical novel The “Genius”.

This paper consists of five parts. The first part is the introduction of the background to Dreiser’s creation of The “Genius” and the introduction of Theodore Dreiser and his book The “Genius”. Literature review is also discussed in this part. The second part presents my own analysis of major characteristic of Eugene Witla, from his painting talent, his career ambition and his passionate enchantment. The third part mainly talks about how Eugene loses himself in desire. It mainly analyzes both material and spiritual aspects. The fourth part explains in detail the causes of Eugene lost in desire. After analyzing why Eugene was occupied by the desire in detail, the conclusion part summarizes the overall analysis of the paper and points out the warnings and enlightenments that Dreiser’s desire works bring to us: in today’s society, material wealth does not bring long-term satisfaction and happiness, happiness is a person’s mental state. Content is better than riches.

Key words: The “Genius”; Eugene Witla; desire; characteristic

欲望中迷失的天才---分析德莱塞《“天才”》中的尤金▪威特拉

摘  要

西奥多▪德莱塞是美国二十世纪最优秀的小说家之一，他的作品探讨了社会地位及人们对物欲的追求，展示了当时美国各个阶层的生活。由于德莱塞的童年生活在贫穷中，因此他对社会底层的生活有着深入全面的认识，同时也激发了他对物欲的渴求。在德莱塞的作品中，欲望是其不断彰显的主题之一，本文对德莱塞的自传体小说《天才》进行了分析。

本文由五个部分组成。第一部分为引论部分，包括对德莱塞创作《天才》的背景、对西奥多▪德莱塞及《“天才”》大致内容以及文献综述的介绍。第二部分展示了尤金▪威特拉与众不同的才能。从尤金的绘画才能、事业上的进取心以及其多情的魅力出发，彰显尤金的天才。第三部分主要分析了尤金如何在欲望中迷失自我的体现。主要从物质与精神两方面进行分析。第四部分分析了尤金为何会在欲望中迷失自我的原因。在详细分析了尤金沦陷欲望的原因之后，结论部分对论文整体分析做出总结，并指出德莱塞欲望作品对我们带来的警示和启发：在当今社会，物质财富并无法给人带来长久的满足和快乐，幸福是一个人的心理状态。应当知足常乐。

关键词：《“天才”》；尤金▪威特拉；欲望；人物性格

Contents

1. Introduction 1

1.1 Background Information 1

1.2 Theodore Dreiser and The “Genius” 1

1.3 Literature Review 3

1.3.1 Studies in Western Countries 3

1.3.2 Studies in China 4

2. The Characteristics of Eugene 5

2.1 Talented in Painting 5

2.2 Enterprising on Business 5

2.3 Promiscuous in Love 6

3. The Reflection of Desire in Eugene 7

3.1 About the Desire 7

3.2 Desire for Material Enjoyments 7

3.3 Desire for Spiritual Enjoyments 8

4. The Reasons of Eugene Lost in Desire 9

4.1 External Reasons 9

4.2 Internal Reasons 10

5. Conclusion 11

References 12

1. Introduction

1.1 Background Information

In the creative era of the “Genius”, American society’s economy, technology and the culture, and other fields are undergoing a tremendous transformation. The booming of American economy is increasingly affecting people’s thinking and behavior. Ordinary people or artists, all without an exception, are consciously or unconsciously affected by the reality of life, and their behaviors are gradually dominated by desires. “Dreiser realized that poverty means not only complying with material needs, but also implying emotional and spiritual depression and poverty” (Prizer, 2000:12). People in life are trying to make the material success as the goal of their lives. Eugene’s pursuit is reflected in three aspects: material success, love success, and career success, the first two manifests his possession of money and possession of a woman, while the latter emphasizes his fame and social status. However, there are plenty of people like Eugene in 20th century, he is just a microcosm of that time.