The past two sets of readings we have done have been ones that I have enjoyed. Sister Carrie was a strange yet interesting piece by Dreiser. I LOVED the style of writing that Dreiser used in Sister Carrie. Like most authors we have read this far, I have not encountered any of his work prior to these particular chapters. Dreiser wrote so vividly that I felt as if I was standing next to Carrie. He was able to capture each character introduced without having to spend too much time on them. For example, I got a feel for Carrie’s innocence and shyness right off the bat. Carrie is such an interesting character to me; I feel as if I know her. I think most people have been around someone like Carrie or may even have some of her qualities.
Dreiser did an interesting thing by setting a place for Mr. Drouet. He was able to expose Drouet’s true nature without really saying what he was like. Dreiser did an excellent job of hinting around! Putting it nicely….I find Drouet to be a total creep. :)
One of my favorite lines for this section was “To the child, the genius with imagination, or the wholly untraveled, the approach to a great city for the first time is a wonderful thing. Particularly if it be evening-…” I have never heard/seen this concept being explained. It is definitely something I can relate to; anytime I am in a new place, I usually can’t get over the beauty of it. At night, the whole atmosphere changes; everything seems even more beautiful after sundown. When I read this for the first time, I went back and re-read it. I still can’t get over the precision in this statement.
These two chapters from Sister Carrie make me want to read the whole thing. Dreiser has a way about his writing that just draws me in….
I also enjoyed The Open Boat by Stephen Crane. This is another great example of an author using a tremendous amount of detail. I was able to visualize everything Crane was describing. I loved the way he talked about the relationship between the men on the boat. Even though they don’t talk about their feelings toward one another, they all feel as if they are a true family. This is something that I have in my own life. There are people around me that I have a relationship with, and neither of us has to talk about how we feel. A mutual understanding is present.
Crane and Dreiser have similar writing styles, in my opinion, and I enjoyed reading both pieces of work by them. Their attention to detail made the writing strong and made it more than words on a page; they each became visuals.
I agree with what you said about how things seem to change at night when we are in an unfamiliar place. No matter how comfortable we may try to feel, there is something about the darkness of the night that makes us so weary and uncertain. In the day, however, we can see so much more in the light.
ReplyDelete"To the child, the genius with imagination, or the wholly untraveled, the approach to a great city for the first time is a wonderful thing. Particularly if it be evening-…” I think you chose a wonderful quote for your blog, and how true it is. When you step into a new place for the first time there is always something special, something awesome about the new place. And to see the glow of new city lights is fascinating, especially if you are from a small town to being with. I remember my first night in the country, it was just as awesome as any city I have ever lived in.
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