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. A superman himself, Martin has a strong will to power, to transcend his la boring class, to win Ruth’s love for beauty’s sake, to show his contempt fo r the hypocrisy of the bourgeoisie, to be the master herding the masses of slave morality, but after he achieved what he pursued all the time, he lost himself. It is Martin's tragedy. On the other hand, Ruth’s discard is another factor to cause this tragedy. In Sister Carrie, She had desires which could never be satisfied, and she had very little to worry about. Due to this, she followed her heart to take actions in her life. She was not positively disobe ying traditionally moral standards, but her actions were more or less out of the morality. From dependent to independent, she suffered and worried a lot, but finally she understood and realized her ability, which brought her great success. But her insatiable desire destroyed Hurstwood to some ext ent. 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. Richard Cory is a handsome gentleman , who was well- educated with go od manners .Besides ,in the eyes of the town inhabitants, Cory’s possess ions make him just like a rich king. People admired him so much. Everyon e has desire to have a luxury life just like he did. But in a quiet night, Cory ends up his own life with a gun. It’s an unexpected end,the hero of the out come is frightening. Cory committed suicideand the poet did not point out t he causes of suicide.Being a well-mannered handsome rich young man wi th well-education, the author displays a perfect image of Cory in front of u s. So maybe everyone would be jealous of him. Cory’s is so elegant that e ven he just say "good morning" ,people’s heart slamming .With a fortune o f wealthy. His manners, his elegant conversation, and his wealth to the ge neral public became the standard for people to follow, and it’s the pursuit of a model to some degree. He seems to have everything ,which all peopl e longing for. The theme of The Great Gatsby is about the American dream. In his Auto biography, as well as in his real life achievements, illustrates the American success dream. The principles of self-improvement served him so well th at he is America’s first self-made man. Franklin affirmed the American Dre am that a smart and energetic man coming to this new continent could ac hieve self-realization by planning and striving. America is the land of free because in America every man can acquire the minimum wealth to himsel f. It is a view that looks exclusively to the past and defines itself in relation to that past. It never turns its face forward and asks itself such a question, where it is going and what its consequences are. It is just caring about get ting free that it‟s no energy left for exploring the further meaning of its free dom. The wealth put freedom in a safety place. It also means that wealth i s not means but end, because the freedom should be protected by it. This kind of American dream has been the goal of American life. However, Fra nklin‟s dream is only concerning with the materialism that is ignorant abou t the inner, in positive meaning it posits the end of life pursuing, and in fact it loses the respect to the positive moral values or spiritual sense of huma n life.