1. 研究目的与意义（文献综述包含参考文献）

literature review

up to now, an immense number of studies on the novel an american tragedy have been implemented based on those perspectives, such as naturalism, consumerism and feminism. however, only the freudian psychoanalysis on an american tragedy keeps track of the society.

studies on dreiser and an american tragedy

in foreign countries, the earlier assessments about dreiser and an american tragedy play the important role to help readers to understand dreiser and the cultural background, but they neglect the specificity of the work and the dominant role it plays. with the development of literary study, in the middle of the twentieth century, the study on dreiser has turned into the study of the text. however, this approach develops into the other extreme: the text analysis has already excluded the historical and social system. until the 1980s, hundreds of methods of various schools on dreiser's work has sprung up, such as freud's psychoanalysis, feminism, post - structuralism, which has made the study of the novel deeper in structure, wider in connotation. for example, aileen covermou#8217;s work naturalistic strength(1994) has pointed out that "dreiser's novels created the subjectivity through the role playing". the contemporary critic luis zanen in his work mechanical materialism and mysticism: the influence of science on theodore dreiser#8217;s thoughts and works(1993) profoundly analyzes the naturalism and mysticism tension in dreiser#8217;s work, but it has merely indicated that dreiser#8217;s thoughts can derive from transcendentalism, quaker thought and india philosophy.

2. 研究的基本内容、问题解决措施及方案

the following research methods are used in this paper:

1. sample analysis, which emphasizes the analysis of affairs about the characters involved in an american tragedy by theodore dreiser. particularly,some affairs happened to the protagonist clyde should be analyzed. moreover, the examples and descriptions of the characters#8217;minds make the analysis more clear and easy to comprehend. i will do my utmost to offer substantial examples to support my arguments to make my thesis more persuasive.

2. documentary analysis. some works, including articles, journals, theses, books on this subject have been read before starting my paper, which can be found in the library and on the internet. in this way, i carry out my psychological analysis on the protagonist#8217;s pursuits and personal conflicts among the id, ego and superego, and then give my brief reason why i analyze personality of the protagonist.