Theodore Dreiser, Sister Carrie (1900), events under study

Résumé du document

This event is the crucial event of the book. Indeed, it's the first confrontation between two people from totally opposite social situations. Drouet is a prosper businessman while Carrie is going to Chicago to get a job in a company to fulfill her needs. If Carrie had not met Drouet here, her destiny would have been totally different. It makes Carrie entered in a world she should never have been able to go without Drouet's help. Carrie has the chance to be a pretty girl and their meeting is not without any relation to it. She could have rejected this totally stranger but she was appealed by what this man represented. Indeed Drouet was fancy, well educated, thoughtful and nice to her, and Carrie was probably flattered that such a man would be interested by her. This scene is the confrontation between two different worlds, and the key of Carrie's fate.

Carrie is unhappy in her life with her sister and husband. She is dreaming about bright, pleasure and luxury while the two others were pragmatic. She is confronted to the reality of the life for people of her conditions. Indeed, in this world, she is just one girl among the others who needs to work to survive. This is a shy, reserve and uncertain Carrie that is looking for work. She is at the beginning of her life and doesn't have any experience about searching a work. She realized that her expectations about the nature and the paid for the work would have to be revised downwards as her thoughts showed us «While the appearance of the shop and the announcement of the price paid per week operated very much as a blow to Carrie's fancy, the fact that work of any king was offered after so rude a round of experience was gratifying.»

She found a job at Adams Shoe Co and gave quite all of her income to pay her rent to her sister. Carrie here has to face the gap between her wish to shop and the money she has, that's why shopping with Drouet was so appealing for her. While she worked hours in so difficult conditions she couldn't afford any clothes. At the opposite, one hour of shopping with Drouet and he paid to her everything that she wanted. This facility attracted her and that's why she left her sister to follow Drouet.

Extraits

[...] This event completely destroyed the image of this man who seemed indestructible Carrie's amazing rise in the theater Carrie's rise in the theatre is the embodiment of the American Dream. A girl from nowhere, and no poor origins succeeded to become a famous actress in New York. After she discovered her talent in Chicago, Carrie always wanted to try her luck on the stage. But as long as she was provided by a man, it was not possible. Carrie's amazing rise in the theatre also marks her growing independence. [...]

[...] This event is the final attempt for Hurstwood to get a job. After that he is only going to live on the rest of the money he has. This event also shows us again what was a striking at that time and how far strikers were going to obtain satisfaction. Indeed, every time workers were on strike, they were replaced by other volunteered men who needed to get a job to survive. So it was extremely hard to have their conditions improved. [...]

[...] Moreover, Hurstwood started to restrain his spendings and asked Carrie to do too. She personally felt inferior to her friend who is always fashionable, pretty and with so good manners. That night when Hurstwood is not coming home she decided to pretend that she was a part of this luxury world by going to Sherry's. She first admired the splendor of the place and enjoyed being surrounded by the upper class. But then arrived Ames, who disrupted all his opinions about her interest for that world. [...]

[...] Theodore Dreiser, Sister Carrie (1900), events under study 1. Carrie meeting Drouet on the train from Columbus City to Chicago This event is the crucial event of the book. Indeed, it's the first confrontation between two people from totally opposite social situations. Drouet is a prosper businessman while Carrie is going to Chicago to get a job in a company to fulfill her needs. If Carrie had not met Drouet here, her destiny would have been totally different. It makes Carrie entered in a world she should never have been able to go without Drouet's help. [...]

[...] He tried to hurt Carrie by announcing her that Hurstwood was married. Carrie realized that she was only Drouet's toy and that she deserved better considerations from both the two men Hurstwood's role at work and his family crisis—his selfish children and the endless carping and avaricious demands of his wife Hurstwood is the manager of Fitzgerald and Moy saloon. Theodore Dreiser describes it as a «really gorgeous saloon from a Chicago standpoint» ( . ) was a truly swell saloon, with rich screens, fancy wines, and a line of bar goods unsurpassed in the country». [...]