Dorothy Parker Analysis

Dorothy Parker

Dorothy Parker was not your average twentieth century writer. She was full of wit, sarcasm, and scathe (Rathbone). Her bold personality does not fail to show through in her writing. Her reviews for Vanity Fair, as a staff writer and drama critic, have been described as “a combination of acumen and nonsense,” (Bloom). Dorothy often got fired for offending clients, however, she was a large part in changing the "humorless and prudish" reputation that women had (Beilke). She developed a reputation for witty and out of the ordinary writing. She won the O. Henry Memorial Award for her short story, “Big Blonde” ("Parker, Dorothy"). Dorothy Parker participated in the elite group, the Algonquin Round Table, where talented writers, editors, and actors -mostly men- would lunch and trade witticisms and make each other laugh (Grant). Things weren’t always great for Ms. Parker; she often had a hard time reaching deadlines due to her heavy drinking and writing anxiety which caused her work to be sporadic and unreliable (Bloom). Devastated by her miscarriage, Dorothy found writing tough and wrote less frequently (Grant). She kept her standards high, but her sarcasm was shadowed by her unhappiness and the unhappiness around her (Grant).

In the early stages of her life, Dorothy Rothschild Parker was a witness to many hardships. She was born into a loveless, broken family where she developed a lack of religion (Grant). This difficult way of life is evident in many of her writings. In her book of poems, Death and Taxes, Dorothy Parker’s sadness in her life became bitter cynicism that showed through in her writing (Grant). This bitter cynicism could be a result of her difficult upbringing. Her mother died when she was just four years...

... middle of paper ...

...nd critics- she was often surrounded by sharp and sarcastic conversations that later showed through in her writing (“Parker, Dorothy”). When Dorothy had a column in The Constant Reader she was said to give witty attacks on the contemporary literary scene (“Dorothy Rothschild Parker”). Dorothy later expressed regret about her reputation for sarcastic writing during the Algonquin Table days because she felt it overshadowed her serious writing (Rathbone). Dorothy’s work is said to still inspire writers and fans of today’s generation (“Dorothy Rothschild Parker”).

Dorothy Parker will continue to influence and inspire writers and fans for many years to come. Her writing is so different from any other woman writer of her time. She spoke her mind and she gained tremendous respect for that. Her work and the way she lived her life will be remembered for many years to come.