Dissatisfied with life in her rural Wisconsin home, 18-year-old Caroline moves to the big city where she starts realizing her own American Dream by first becoming a mistress to men that she perceives as superior and later as a famous actress. It has been called the "greatest of all American urban novels."
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Dissatisfied with life in her rural Wisconsin home, 18-year-old Caroline moves to the big city where she starts realizing her own American Dream by first becoming a mistress to men that she perceives as superior and later as a famous actress. It has been called the "greatest of all American urban novels."
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Dreiser's insight and understanding of human behavior becomes the bones of this profound look at the social / political machine churning under Capitalism. Extraordinary, powerful, demanding, attitude altering.
ninthchord
Aug 17, 2010
Masterful
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this work--for me, the first time to read Dreiser besides one short story. I fond myself caring very much for Carrie (the poor lamb in the stone jungle) and wanting her to succeed. With her story, Dresier points out that success in Chicago or New York may mean alienation.
As for Hurstwood, as Carrie's star rockets, his fizzles out. The man, already in possession of the success that Carrie desires, seeks exactly what Carrie winds up losing, the affection of another. In seeking affection, he loses his family and his wealth.
Drouet, the typical dandy, escapes unscathed. Everything is appearance and show to him, and feelings are something one can don or discard.
Dreiser's only shortcoming is his tendency to become long-winded. He could have left out a few scenes that I found redundant.
