abstract

sister carrie, published in 1900, is one of the best-known story of american dream, tracing the material rise of carrie meeber and the tragic decline of g. w. hurstwood.
carrie meeber, penniless and full of the illusion of ignorance and youth, leaves her rural home to seek work in chicago. on the train, she becomes acquainted with charles drouet, a salesman. in chicago, she lives with her sister, and work for a time in a shoe factory. meager income and terrible working condition oppress her imaginative spirit. after a period of unemployment and loneliness, she accepts drouet and becomes his mistress. during his absence, she falls in love with drouet’s friend hurstwood, a middle aged, married, comparatively intelligent culture saloon manager. they finally elope. they live together for three years more. carrie becomes mature in intellect and emotion, while hurstwood steadily declines. at last, she thinks him too great a burden and leaves him. hurstwood sinks lower and lower. after becoming a beggar, he commits suicide, while carrie becomes a star of musical comedy. in spite of her success, she is lonely and dissatisfied.