CHRONOTOPE IN THEODORE DREISER’S SISTER CARRIE: THE POETIC REPRESENTATION OF TIME AND SPACE

Abstract

In this article, the category of literary chronotope is thoroughly explored both theoretically and practically based on Mikhail Bakhtin’s theory of the chronotope, using Theodore Dreiser’s Sister Carrie as an example. The depiction of space and time in Dreiser’s work, their boundaries and scope, the harmony of chronotopes with plot and genre, as well as the formation of time in social and psychological experiences and the dynamics of modern urban life are examined. Through chronotopes, the shaping of human destiny in the context of modernity is revealed. Theodore Dreiser’s Sister Carrie possesses a unique chronotopic (space-time) structure in portraying the social, economic, and psychological problems of early 20th-century American society. The novel highlights human emotions, societal changes, and internal contradictions through the aesthetic harmony of time and space. In the novel, the role of time and space not only shapes the plot but also contributes to the development of the characters.