Analysis-of-Sister-Carrie-about-American-Dream

AnalysisofSisterCarrieaboutAmericanDreamIntroductionTheodoreDreiserisoneofthemostinfluentialAmericanwritersofcriticalrealism,HisfirstnovelSisterCarriepublishedin1990revealedthefinancialdisparityandthemoraldeclineofAmericanandthusregardedasforbiddenbook.Butnowthebookbecomesoneofthebest-sellersofAmericanliterature.HewasthefirstwriterwhocriticizedthefutilityoftheAmericanDreaminhisnovelssodrastically.AfterhimthereweresomeotherfamouswriterswhoalsodepictthefutilityoftheAmericanDream,amongwhomwereFaulkner,Hemingway,Steinbeck,Bellowetc.whileevaluatingthestatusofawriter,weshouldnotpayonlyattentiontotheachievementsthewritergotduringhislifetime,orjustevaluatehimfromtheliteraryformofexpression,butshouldmakeitsurethatliteratureistoexpresshumanity,lifeandsociety.Toemphasizetheformofexpressionistomakethecontentbetter.AlthoughhehadneverwontheNobelPrize,Dreiserhadgreaterinfluencethananyotherwriters.Dreiserisinvestigatedinhishistoricalandculturalbackground.InthemasterpieceSisterCarrie,TheodoreDreisertellsastoryofCarrie’srisefromapoorcountrygirltoBroadwaystar.Inthenovel,DreiseruseslotsofwordstodescribethepsychologyofCarriefromthesatisfactionofbasiclifetotherealizationofself-development.Anditreflectssocialreality.IwillgiveadetailedanalysisofSisterCarrieaboutAmericandreamWhenmostnovelsdealonlywiththesmilingandbeautifulaspectsoflife,Dreiseradvocatestruthfulreflectionoflifeinhisfiction.ItisnotanexaggerationtosaythatDreiser'sSisterCarrieclearsthewayforthedevelopmentofAmericanfiction.TheodoreDreiser'sSisterCarriereflectstheprofoundtransformationsinAmericanlifeinthelatenineteenthcentury.IntheworksofDreiser,Americansocietyisaworldwherepeoplestruggled.Hetotallydeniedtheexistenceandtheinfluenceofmorals.Hethoughtinthelife,thereisnoaim,nocriterion.Onlythesurvivalitselfisthefinallytarget.Soallmoralsstandardisneedlessandallfantasyisridiculous.Sothecharacteralsorevealsthevalues.Theso-calledAmericanDreamisabeliefthataslongastheUnitedStatesafterahardstrugglewillbeabletoachievetheidealofabetterlife.Thatis,peoplehavetoworkthroughtheirownhardwork,courage,creativityanddeterminationtomovetowardsProsperity,ratherthanrelyonspecificsocialclassesandotherassistanceandlifeshouldbebetterandricher.SisterCarriehastotallyfivedreamsfrommyperspective,butfortunatelythesedreamsallshattered.RuralgirlCarriewasborninapoorfamily,buthervanityisverystrongandyearnsforcitylife.SoshesaidgoodbyetoherparentsandcametoChicagolookingforbigcitydreamsandtofindherownhappylife.However,bustlingChicagometropolitanlifeandhersister'slivingconditionstronglycontrastwithherimaginationwhichmadeherfeellost.AftershecametoChicago,shefoundthatandshecouldn’tfindadecentjob,andimmediatelybecameunemployed.Shefallintopovertyanddisease.Atthattime,Carrierealizedthatgreatdifferencesbetweenrichandpoor.Soshestronglydesiretohavebeautifulclothesanddecenthouseandleadanelegantlife.Underthecruelreality,allherhopeswereruined.Thiswasherfirstdreamandshattered.Infaceoftheunemploymentandpovertyaswellastothedesperateformoney.Inordertosurviveandachieveherdreams,SisterCarriereceivedthemoneyandhousewhichDrouetgivenandfarewellstohersisterandbecomeayoungsalesmanloverofDrouetwhodumpedforherbeautyandhepromisestoCarrieabetterlifeinthefuture,soshebetrayherownbody,tobecomehismistress.Atthattime,shehadledasafeandcomfortablelife,nolongerworkfor$4.5.However,Drouetisjustaplayboy,hedidnotwanthimtosuffertotherestrictionsofmarriage,Drouetalwayshaveanexcusetodelaytheirweeding,andSoCarriewouldbediscardedatanytime.Thiswasherseconddreamandshattered.Carriehasbeennotgetmarriedandhasnotgotwhatshewanted.Shedidn'tsatisfyhercurrentlife,butwanttopursuethemuchricher,morestatusoflife.Atthattime,sheacquaintancedwithWalterHurst.Carrie'spurity,beauty,andelegantmannerdeeplyattractedmarriedWatersHearst.WalterHurstmadlyfallsinlovewithCarrie.Atthesametime,WalterHurst’smannerandstatusbecameCarrietoachieveherdreamandapedal..SoCarrieeventuallybecamethemarriedman'smistress.Shewasinasituationwhereaclosersteptouppersociety,andhavemoremoneyandmorecomfortablelifethaneverbefore.DuringonDrouetsbusiness,theyoftendate.Finallyoneday,WalterHurst’swifeknowallthatandrequiresdivorcingwithWalterHurst.WalterHurstwouldgiveuphisproperty,wifeandchildrenevenstealthecompany'sdeposits.Carriewasdeceivedtoelopewithhim.WhenCarrieknewWalterHursthasbeenmarriedandshewasdeceivedandWalterHurstliedtoherdreamsshatteredagain.Thiswasherthirddreamandshattered.WhenCarrieknewthatWalterHursthasmarried,shelosthopetotheirlove.WalterHurstwithCarriefledtoNewYork,andWalterHearstpromisedtomarrytoCarrie.AlthoughCarriedoesnotloveWalterHurstasever,shewasgladtogetawife'sbirthright.Hernewlifeisapproaching,butatthetime,thewayofHearstHalter‘sbusinessstarttoletdown.WalterHursthaseverbeenanambitiousbusinessmanbutnowhewasexhaustedanddepressedbylifeandbusiness.Carrie‘sdreamshatteredagain.Afterthefailureofcareer,Carriewasdisappointedtotheimaginarylife,shecannottolerateWalterHurst’spoverty,CarrieUnwillingtoliveinpovertyandthereisastrongdesireformaterialandfantasy,whichdriveCarrietodecidetogotowork.Shewants