Writing Topics on Jack London S Martin Eden and Theodore Dreiser S Sister Carrie

Writing topics on Jack London’s Martin Eden and Theodore Dreiser’s Sister Carrie

1.To some extent, both the title characters are American dream makers and achievers. Please compare and contrast them two from any perspective you like, for example, success, tragedy, morality, love, the meaning of life, etc.

Martin Eden was a former sailor from a working class who falls in love with a young bourgeois lady and decides to educate himself at becoming a writer, so he can win her hand in marriage. Sister Carrie also came from a working class and she was an innocent, naive girl who was full of imagination.But she had neither much education nor any skill unique enough to make a living.Martin Eden achieved what he pursed all the time after a serious of hard working he found the essence of the so-called upper-class and even the ugliness of it. And it is what he pursued to his death.In contrast, Carrie was influenced by environmental factors and her own desires, which gave her four typically characteristics, including insatiable desires, violation of traditional morality, changing from dependence to independence and disillusionment of her American Dream.Asupermanhimself,Martinhasastrongwilltopower,totranscendhislaboringclass,towinRuth’sloveforbeauty’ssake,toshowhiscontemptforthehypocrisyofthebourgeoisie,tobethemasterherdingthemassesofslavemorality,butafterheachievedwhathepursuedallthetime,helosthimself.ItisMartin'stragedy.Ontheotherhand,Ruth’sdiscardisanotherfactortocausethistragedy.InSisterCarrie,Shehaddesireswhichcouldneverbesatisfied,andshehadverylittletoworryabout.Duetothis,shefollowedherhearttotakeactionsinherlife.Shewasnotpositivelydisobeyingtraditionallymoralstandards,butheractionsweremoreorlessoutofthemorality.Fromdependenttoindependent,shesufferedandworriedalot,butfinallysheunderstoodandrealizedherability,whichbroughthergreatsuccess.ButherinsatiabledesiredestroyedHurstwoodtosomeextent.

2.To some extent, Martin Eden, Sister Carrie, Richard Cory, Gatsby are American dream makers and achievers. Please compare and contrast them two from any perspective you like, for example, success, tragedy, morality, love, the meaning of life, etc.

RichardCoryisahandsomegentleman,whowaswell-educatedwithgoodmanners.Besides,intheeyesofthetowninhabitants,Cory’spossessionsmakehimjustlikearichking.Peopleadmiredhimsomuch.Everyonehasdesiretohavealuxurylifejustlikehedid.Butinaquietnight,Coryendsuphisownlifewithagun.It’sanunexpectedend,theherooftheoutcomeisfrightening.Corycommittedsuicideandthepoetdidnotpointoutthecausesofsuicide.Beingawell-manneredhandsomerichyoungmanwithwell-education,theauthordisplaysaperfectimageofCoryinfrontofus.Somaybeeveryonewouldbejealousofhim.Cory’sissoelegantthatevenhejustsay"goodmorning",people’sheartslamming.Withafortuneofwealthy.Hismanners,hiselegantconversation,andhiswealthtothegeneralpublicbecamethestandardforpeopletofollow,andit’sthepursuitofamodeltosomedegree.Heseemstohaveeverything,whichallpeoplelongingfor.ThethemeofTheGreatGatsbyisabouttheAmericandream.InhisAutobiography,aswellasinhisreallifeachievements,illustratestheAmericansuccessdream.Theprinciplesofself-improvementservedhimsowellthatheisAmerica’sfirstself-mademan.FranklinaffirmedtheAmericanDreamthatasmartandenergeticmancomingtothisnewcontinentcouldachieveself-realizationbyplanningandstriving.AmericaisthelandoffreebecauseinAmericaeverymancanacquiretheminimumwealthtohimself.Itisaviewthatlooksexclusivelytothepastanddefinesitselfinrelationtothatpast.Itneverturnsitsfaceforwardandasksitselfsuchaquestion,whereitisgoingandwhatitsconsequencesare.Itisjustcaringaboutgettingfreethatit‟snoenergyleftforexploringthefurthermeaningofitsfreedom.Thewealthputfreedominasafetyplace.Italsomeansthatwealthisnotmeansbutend,becausethefreedomshouldbeprotectedbyit.ThiskindofAmericandreamhasbeenthegoalofAmericanlife.However,Franklin‟sdreamisonlyconcerningwiththematerialismthatisignorantabouttheinner,inpositivemeaningitpositstheendoflifepursuing,andinfactitlosestherespecttothepositivemoralvaluesorspiritualsenseofhumanlife.