Caili Sister (English-Chinese Contrast)

Author: The Editorial Team of This Series
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-01-01
Features: Theodore Dreiser, born in 1871 and died in 1945, was an American novelist and former president of the Authors Guild of America. Dreiser's childhood was spent in poverty. He dropped out of middle school and went to Chicago to make a living, experiencing unemployment and homelessness. With the help of his teacher, he attended university for one year. In 1882, he was hired as a journalist and editor, and in 1899, he turned to writing novels. The following year, he completed his novel Sister Carrie, but after the publisher read the manuscript, they deemed it "immoral" and only printed 1,000 copies, most of which were stored in warehouses. Sister Carrie is an important novel in the history of modern literature that depicts life in American big cities. The protagonist of this book—intelligent yet innocent Carrie—is a poor country girl who is only eighteen years old. She arrives in the bustling city of Chicago alone with only four dollars. The glittering, luxurious metropolis is full of luck and opportunities, and there are constant temptations of money and beauty. Carrie faces numerous hardships, suffering pain and humiliation, and eventually becomes a successful comedic actress who achieves both fame and fortune. However, she does not attain true happiness.