“The most futile thing in this world is any attempt, perhaps, at exact definition of character. All individuals are a bundle of contradictions-none more so than the most capable.”-Theodore Dreiser
Theodore Dreiser by Frank Harris, 1919
Theodore Dreiser died on 28 December 1945.
Interesting quote.
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I agree!
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It sounds like he put a lot of thought into what makes up character and perhaps as a writer, he had to think about that and how he would form the characters in his novels.
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That is exactly what I was thinking, Judy! I know I put a lot of thought into that, and I am no Dreiser!
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This observation is so true! The other day I watched a quirky French-Canadian Indie movie about a boy coming of age by playing baseball, and the father in that movie was exactly as Dreiser describes: a bundle of contradictions. He was chauvinistic and seemed unaffectionate towards his son, but then he was capable of inspiring everyone he knew, including the audience. Dreiser could have been writing about this man.
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I think that it makes for a more interesting reading experience when characters are not perfect. I love how you applied Dreiser’s concept to a movie. It definitely translates.
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