“SISTER CARRIE” AND “ANNA KARENINA”: A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF GENDER DYNAMICS, CHARACTER DISPOSITIONS, AND EMOTIONAL EXPERIENCES

Abstract
This article provides a comparative study of “Sister Carrie” by Theodore Dreiser and “Anna Karenina” by Leo Tolstoy, focusing on the interplay of gender dynamics, character dispositions, and emotional experiences of their female protagonists. By examining Carrie Meeber in early twentieth-century America and Anna Karenina in late nineteenth-century Russia, the paper illuminates how patriarchal norms, social constraints, and personal aspirations intersect in shaping women’s autonomy and identity. Drawing on feminist theory, comparative literature, and psychoanalytic perspectives, the analysis highlights key similarities and differences in the heroines’ journeys toward fulfillment, revealing the broader social, cultural, and psychological factors that continue to resonate in contemporary discussions on gender roles and women’s rights.
Keywords
gender dynamics, female protagonists, patriarchy, social constraints, comparative literature, feminist theory, Sister Carrie, Anna Karenina.
References
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