Abstract: Sister Carrie is the first novel of Theodore Dreiser. It is one of the greatest naturalistic masterpieces in American literature. The novel tells a story about a beautiful country girl who goes to big cities for opportunities, experiences a checkered career, and finally achieves her success as a famous actress in New York Theatres. Carrie, the heroine of this novel, always touches off a heated controversy in literary critics. The purpose of this paper is to analyze the characters of Carrie. The paper discusses it from six aspects: the social reality, the living environment, the influence of Drouet and Hurstwood, her American Dream, her understanding of real life and her growing sense of independence. It concludes that Carrie is a woman who is optimistic, ambitious, brave and independent. 

Key words: Carrie; character; independent consciousness

摘要：《嘉莉妹妹》是西奥多·德莱赛的第一部小说，也是美国文学史上最伟大的自然主义杰作之一。小说讲述了天真美貌的乡村少女嘉莉来到大城市寻找机遇，经历种种波折，最终成为纽约剧院当红女演员并且取得成功的故事。小说中的女主人公嘉莉一直是个有争议的人物形象。本文将从社会本质情况、她的生活环境、Drouet和Hurstwood对其的影响、她的美国梦、对现实生活的理解和日益强烈的独立意识这六个方面来探讨分析嘉莉这一角色的性格特征。总结出嘉莉是一个乐观、有野心、勇敢和独立女性。

关键词：嘉莉； 性格； 独立意识