For me, it's all about the characters and the symbolism. And when a story fails to satisfy one of these, I am simply appalled with boredom. So then of course, I have to dig. Otherewise, what was the point in reading the stupid piece of literature in the first place? And obviously, I'm made to read this literature for class so it can't actually all be stupid. However, this is how I felt about Dreiser's piece.
So, not only did the characters in "Sister Carrie" suck, but the story did too! We'll assume that Dreiser is simply trying to make some Naturalist remark on society and it's ways, but God how depressing! It's like Carrie had no real purpose. The only point I felt any sort of drive in the novel was when we were introduced to that asshole Drouet. But I am grateful that Drieser manage to evoke any sort of emotion out of me other then appalled boredom, even though the reading went down from there. He also managed to fit in some very honest observations about humanity. I just wish that if that were his purpose, he wouldn't have wasted our time with petty little girls and douche bags.
The following is one example of an honest observation.... though I hate to admit it.
"There is an indescribably faint line in the matter of man's apparel which somehow divides for her those who are worth glancing at and those who are not."
^^I'll tell you why this is true. Within the inherent psychology of Man and Woman, we have caveman instincts which explain the laws of attraction. Men are instinctually attracted to women who have a baby-making figure. Female's cave man instincts dictate that they be attracted to men who appear successful, financially or otherwise, and could fulfill the role as provider.
I definitely agree with you that Sister Carrie was not the best read. At first I felt sorry for her for being so innocent and naive but after awhile I just wanted to slap her for being such an idiot! When she actually ended up telling the guy her address I was just appalled. Maybe its because I grew up in the generation with computers where everyone is taught not to give out any personal information, but it just seems like such an obvious no no. I also really liked your insight on how our human instincts influence who we are attracted to. It would definitely be interesting to learn more about.
ReplyDeleteMy thoughts about the story were pretty similar to both of yours. I wonder though if part of that is just a consequence of only getting an excerpt. I don't know about you ladies, but I struggle to invest myself in a story right away if it's a decent length. Short stories aren't an issue, but longer ones can be. The first few pages grate on my patience, and it takes me awhile to actually start to enjoy the story. I don't even want to know how many probably great books I never finished because I couldn't get into it right away. I'm not really sure why that is since some beginnings are really well written. Maybe, like you Debbi, I need to feel some connection with the characters before I can get interested in a story. Regardless of how, I'm sure my enjoyment of Sister Carrie was probably affected in some way by not being able to read further. Maybe that's an issue for you as well?
ReplyDeleteThis is a possibility. In Dreiser's biography section, it says that the novel ends with Carrie becoming a successful actress in New York and the guy she ran there with offs himself. I could see the novel potentially taking the reader on a journey of how much Carrie changes and grows. However, with the pace and style that Dreiser began the first few chapters off, I highly doubt it. I also agree with you. The best authors compell their readers right away. Like JK Rowling and Mark Twain. And yes, I just compared the two.
DeleteDebby,
ReplyDeleteI truly appreciate your willingness to express your initial emotions and reactions after reading this passage. I too felt frustrated, though admittedly, really intrigued by the way Dreiser was writing about the dynamics of this young country girl. What was most disturbing about his writing was the undertone of truth and connection in it with my own life. Similar to your reaction to the way girls notice clothes... I had many of those connections throughout his descriptions which made me reevaluate my life, and I didn't always necessarily like what I saw.