ABSTRACT:The Widow of the South was the first novel which based on the legendary and historical character Carrie McGavock by Robert Hicks. It described an unforgettable image — Carrie: she fell in love with a young soldier who was sent to Carnnton for remedy. After experiencing the usual ups and downs of life, she became the famous “widow of the south” and a symbol of the nation’s soul. Based on the American Civil War, this novel narrated Carrie’s whole life. This thesis will try to make an analysis on the reasons of being the “widow of the south” and the symbol of a nation’s soul according to what she did in pre-war, during the war and after the war, hoping to help readers have a better understanding of this novel. 

Keywords: Carrie; the Civil War; character image; nation’s soul

摘要:《南方的寡妇》是罗伯特·希克斯以传奇性的历史人物卡丽·麦加沃克为原型创作的第一部小说。小说刻画了一个令人难忘的女性形象——卡丽,爱上了一个被送到卡恩顿接受治疗的年轻军人。在尝尽了人生的悲欢离合之后, 成为全国闻名的“南方的寡妇”和民族灵魂的象征。小说主要以南北战争为背景，讲述了主人公卡丽一生的事迹。本文根据卡丽在战前、战中和战后的事迹解读卡丽被称为“南方的寡妇”和成为美国民族精神象征的原因，以期促进对卡丽的人物形象有更深层次地了解。

关键词：卡丽；南北战争；人物形象；民族精神