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.