When Columbus Set Sail
When Columbus first set sail for the new world, many people were given fresh definitions of what America was. This is the new name: chance. This assertion describes how people exploited any circumstances that were present in their environment to carry out actions that seemed to be in their best interests. The story of Old Rogaum and his wife Theresa by Theodore Dreiser and the tale of Dreiser and Yoshinobu Hakutani in their literary work are two examples of stories that are used to support this case.
The Story of Old Rogaum and His Wife Theresa
Rogaum was a family man who worked hard in his market business to ensure that the family was in a good living standard. His wife Theresa was an old German lady who was a good mother and wife to the family. Rogaum and his family lived in the upper floors of a building which was having its bottom floors left for business activities specifically meat business. One day during summer, Mr Rogaun was still away for daily duties, the family that is Mrs Rogaun and the children were already indoors. The outer door which was the only entrance to the upstairs was not locked because he would not have any other route to the living rooms upstairs.
The Advice to Lock the Door
It is told that belated people in their journeys used to seek refuge there in that building, therefore it was not very safe for them to leave the outer door unlocked. The officer in that premise advised them to lock since he knew something could happen there and he never wanted them to suffer, but the door was not locked. Rogaun closed his business and went home, while the children on the other side enjoyed seeing the passing vehicles in the street as Mrs Rogaum made rounds in the rooms to make sure all was in order. Theresa who was their daughter (now turning eighteen) had liked watching boys walking and even talking with them, wished that she could have a walk in the streets. Shortly the children were called sharply by the parents, Mr Rogaum from the doorstep below and the mother from the window above.
Theresa's Desire to Go Out
Time to time, Theresa develop an inner desire to be freed and be given an opportunity to go out and mingle with friends. She had neighbourhood friends- Kenrihan, George, and Almerting who had taken the attention of the girls on the block. They had enlisted the attention of the girls in the block and Theresa was having an eye on Almerting, and they began having walked on the dusty red streets until maybe late hours sometimes coming home after eight in the evening. She saw this as an opportunity to make satisfaction of her desires. Almerting was a canning boy, and he knew how to play around with girls, he was a fine looking fellow when cocked his cigarette at an angle in his mouth at her presence, he made all he could to ensure Theresa was wholly falling for him.
The Father's Disapproval
She severally met with his father while in her occasional walk, and the angry father who could hold back his feelings roared to her. He cautioned her individually, and she seems to be sorry but never left the habit. At times Mrs Rogaun could feel insecure when the father started arguing with the daughter because he was very harsh on her. On the other side, Almerting kept convincing her to maintain her attention on him by comforting her. "Aw, whaddy ya want to be such a coward for? Y' don't have to go. He won't do nothin' tuh yuh. My old man was always hollerin' like that up tuh a coupla years ago. Let him holler! Say, kid, but yuh got sweet eyes! They're as blue! An' your mouth," (Dreiser 3). By this he meant, she need not be fearful by her father's teases because he could do nothing to harm her, and he further gave an example of his father who was also hard on him when he did wrong.
The Story of Yoshinobu Hakutani
Theresa made the time his father was going to work every day to be an opportunity that she could do all her wishes and not be restrained from accomplishing them. Thus it is said when the preventing factor goes to the new world's waters; then a new name "opportunity" is obtained. Second, is the story of philosopher and artist, Yoshinobu Hakutani? As Dreiser began trying to write his first short story in 1898, there was an old man Hakutani who was experienced in journalism and literature writing. Dreiser was facing so many challenges when he tried to present his writing to the press; he faced severe restriction and control from editors over the selection of news materials. He could do a collection of news materials, and his interpretation would be sent to the press before he drafted it. In his assignment given at St. Louis, he interviewed an old millionaire and out of his expectations the man was ancient, and feeble and could not say anything so important about a project which was to be constructed. However, his few less important words were published just because he had published a lot in the scholarly journals. As Dreiser advanced in an experience of his free-lancing articles, his freedom in the press significantly improved especially when he joined magazine work, so the restrictions that he was facing in his newspaper became less severe, and he managed to be considered in influential decision-making about important activities (Hakutani).
Differences in Literary Writing
The literature writing differences arises from the literary criticism, which is mostly driven by the fact that critics and theorists are not always same. "Theory and Criticism draw no distinction between literary theory and literary criticism." This is why there is always a conflict between the old and the new versions of literature works (Dreiser, Reedy & Junior).
Works Cited
Hakutani Yoshinobu.” The making of Dreiser’s early short stories: The philosopher and the Artist.” Studies in American Fiction6.1 (1978): 47-63
Putzel, Max.” Dreiser, Reedy and” De Maupassant, Junior”.” American literature 33.4 (1962):466-484.
Riggio, Thomas P.’Theodore Dreiser: hidden ethnic.’ Melus11.1 (1984) 53-63
