Sister-Carrie2

SisterCarrieI.Introduction1.1IntroductionoftheAuthor1.1.1LifeTheodoreDreiser(August27,1871——December28,1945)wasanAmericannovelistandjournalist.Hewasoneoftheleadingliteraryfigurestoemploynaturalisminhiswritings.ItisDreiser'sworksthatAmericanNaturalismissaidtohavecomeintoitsmaturity.TheodoreDreiserwasborninTerreHaute,Indiana,thetwelfthchildofastrictCatholicfamily.Hebegantoearnmoneybyhimselfsincehewas15yearsold,duringthistime,hedidsomanymeagerjobsuntil1900.In1900,hebegantogivehisentiretimetowritingfiction.SisterCarriewaspublishedthisyear.Dreiserwasoftenforcedtobattleagainstcensorshipbecausehisdepictionofsomeaspectsoflife,likesexualpromiscuity,offendedauthoritiesandchallengedpopularopinion.Politically,Dreiserwasinvolvedinseveralcampaignsagainstsocialinjustice.Hewasacommittedsocialist,andwroteseveralnon-fictionbooksonpoliticalissues.HisvisionofcapitalismandafutureworldorderwithastrongAmericanmilitarydictatecombinedwiththeharshcriticismofthelattermadehimunpopularwithintheofficialcircles.AlfredKazincharacterizedDreiserasstrongerthanalltheothersofhistime,andatthesametimemorepoignant;greaterthantheworldhehasdescribed,butassignificantasthepeopleinit.Renownedmid-centuryliterarycriticIrvingHowespokeofDreiserasamongtheAmericangiants,oneoftheveryfewAmericangiantswehavehad.1.1.2WritingStyleDreiseroftendepictsthereallife,discoversthedarksideofthesociallife,andattacksthetraditionalmoralstandardofAmerica.Thecharactersinhisnovelsmostlycomefromthebottomofthesociety,andduringtheirdegenerationdrivenbytheirselfishinterestsandvanities..Heisgoodatemployingthejournalisticmethodofreiterationtoburnacentralimpressionintothereader’smind.1.1.3MajorworksSisterCarrie（1900）JennieGerhardt（1911）TheTrilogyofDesireTheFinancier（1912）TheTitan（1914）TheStoic（1947）TheGenius（1915）AnAmericanTragedy（1925）TheBulwark（1946)1.2IntroductionofthenovelDreiseroncewrote,Itisnotintendedasapieceofliterarycraftmanship,butasapictureofconditionsdoneassimplyandeffectivelyastheEnglishlanguagewillpermit.ThefirsteditionofSisterCarrie,anaturalistwork,waspublishedin1900.Atthetimeofitsfirstpublication,thenovelcausedaminorscandalandDreiserhaddifficultyfindingapublisherforit,whichwasduetotheblurreddivisionlinebetweengoodandbadintheplot..Actuallytheworkwasprimarilydistributedtoandreadbybookreviewers.AmongthemixedreactionsprintedintheinitialyearofpublicationcameapropheticanalysisbyWilliamMarionReedyintheSt.LouisMirror;itwasentitledSisterCarrie:AStrangelyStrongNovelinaQueerMilieu(3January1901).Althoughheadmitsthatthenovelisneithernicenornasty,ReedyidentifiesoneoftheenduringpowersofDreiser'stale:thestronghintofthepatheticinbanalesituationswhichismorefrequentthanoftenimagined.SisterCarrie(1900)isaboutayoungcountrygirlwhomovestothebigcitywhereshestartsrealizingherownAmericanDreambyfirstbecomingamistresstopowerfulmenandlaterasafamousactress.DreisertouchesuponawiderangeofthemesandexperiencesinSisterCarrie,fromgrindingpovertytoupper-middleclasscomfort.Theexperiencesofthecharactersinthisnovelreflectthefactthatintheprocessofthecapitalistdevelopment,thousandsofruralAmericansrushedtothecitiestofindjobsandtobuildthemselvesnewlivesandidentities,andSisterCarriecapturestheexcitementofthatexperience.Nowadays,SisterCarrieremainsvital,herearethemainreasons:asanhistoricalmarkerfortheturnawayfromsentimentality,romance,andmoralrectitudeintheAmericannovelatthebrinkofthetwentiethcentury;asatextthatinfluenced--proandcon--succeedingAmericannovelistsoverthenextseveraldecades;andasaconundrumthatneverceasestoprovokedebateforreadersbothgeneralandprofessional.WhilethefirsthalfofthetwentiethcenturyproducedadiverserangeofcriticalopiniononSisterCarriebyreviewersandessayists,thesecondhalfhasbeenwitnesstoanabidingargumentwithinacademiaregardingthequality,value,importance,andinterpretationofthissignaturetext.AndnowwecanseeseveralmovieversionsofSisterCarrie.II.PlotSummarySisterCarrietellsthestoryoftwocharacters:CarrieMeeber,anordinarygirlwhorisesfromalow-paidwageearnertoahigh-paidactress,andGeorgeHurstwood,amemberoftheupper-middleclasswhofallsfromhiscomfortablelifestyletoalifeworthsympathizing.NeitherCarrienorHurstwoodearntheirfatesthroughvirtueorvice,butratherthroughrandomcircumstances.Theirsuccessesandfailureshavenomoralvalue;thisstancemarksSisterCarrieasadeparturefromtheconventionalliteratureofthatperiod.ThenovelbeginswithCarrie,acountrygirl,boardingatrainforChicagotobeginatotallynewlife.Sheisgoingtolivewithhersisterinthecityandfindajobthere.Butthingsdonotworkoutwell,everythingseemedcontrarytowhatshehasexpected.SowhenCharlesH.Drouet,thesalesmanwhomCarriemetonthetrain,offerstotakecareofher,sheacceptshisoffer.CarriefindsherlifewithCharlesisquiteapleasure,hebuyshernewclothesandtakeshertothetheatre,wheresheisalwaysdreamingtogoto.ButwhenCarriemeetsDrouet'sfriend,GeorgeW.Hurstwood,shefindshimmoreelegant,muchricherandthereforebecomesfascinatedwithhim.Georgeisawealthymanwithagoodreputation,heisthemanagerofthesaloon,whorubselbowswiththeimportantbusinessmen,politicians,andactorsofChicago.ButinchoosingCarrieashislover,hi