拥有同样遭禁命运的贾平凹小说《废都》和美国自然主义作家西奥多·德莱赛的处女作《嘉莉妹妹》尽管相隔一个世纪,但都出现了“漂泊无依”的形象与主题。本文运用对比、阐释的方法对两部作品中漂泊意象的符号以及原因进行了解释,以探讨漂泊主题的深远社会意义。通过平衡视角这一切入角度分析了漂泊命运的原因,揭示了社会环境与人物内在的相互影响。 Jia Ping-wa’s “Deserted Capital” with the same ban on destiny and “The Sister Carrie”, the debut work of the American naturalist writer Theodore Dresser, have shown their image of “wandering” despite a century of separation theme. This article uses contrast and interpretation method to explain the symbol of the wandering image in the two works and the reasons for it, so as to explore the far-reaching social significance of the wandering theme. By analyzing the reasons of drifting fate, this paper reveals the interplay between social environment and people.