Sister Carrie 373ment, much like a conundrum. Whatever alternative
they choose will bring horrific consequences in its
wake. However, the protagonists of ancient Greek
legend either accept or resign themselves to the
inevitable suffering and, by dint of their persever-
ance, resolve, and dignity, transcend it. This is not
the case with Clyde, who cannot accept the conse-
quences of his actions because he has no sense of
his perfidy in plotting the murder of Roberta Alden.
He is far more pathetic than tragic. While exciting,
the last book of the novel is actually anticlimac-
tic as far as Clyde is concerned, in that it focuses
exclusively on the machinations of the law to find
Roberta’s murderer and then to convict and punish
him. Orville Mason, the zealous prosecutor, and his
agents pursue Clyde with the fervor and relentless-
ness of the Greek Erinyes (Furies), albeit more out
of personal motives than for reasons of justice.
There is, regrettably, no record or commentary on
any moral improvement in Clyde.
Jerome L. Wyant
DREISER, THEODORE Sister Carrie
(1900)
Theodore Dreiser’s debut novel, Sister Carrie (1900),
relates the story of Caroline (Carrie) Meeber, who
leaves her modest small town at the age of 18 to
search for happiness in the big city. In Chicago,
she initially steps up from poverty after meeting a
salesman, Charles Drouet, who introduces her to
the world of urban wealth and comfort. Through
Drouet, she also meets George Hurstwood, a bar
manager with some social standing and an unhappy
marriage. The second half of the narrative is set in
New York City, where Carrie elopes with Hurst-
wood after leaving Drouet. For Carrie, each of her
significant male acquaintances—including the last
of them, Mr. Ames—represents another promise of
a better life. Eventually, her dreams are partially ful-
filled on the Broadway stage, while the abandoned
Hurstwood gradually falls to the very bottom of the
social ladder.
In keeping with the naturalist tradition, Drei-
ser places primary emphasis in Sister Carrie on
the daunting side of life in the metropolis and
individuals’ limited ability to determine their own
fate. Daily life comes across as a tragedy in which
the characters are repeatedly driven into action by
pain, lust, greed, and vanity. Strong human emo-
tion creates a counterforce to this sordidness in the
novel. The discomforting contrast between poverty
and luxury is most conspicuously visible in the plot
through the intertwined strands of Carrie’s ascent
to fame and Hurstwood’s dramatic downfall. The
novel’s disturbing content, including Carrie’s illicit
relationships with both Drouet and Hurstwood,
created controversy at the time of publication and
considerably delayed the book’s success.
Markku SamelainnOcence and experience in Sister Carrie
The first and last scenes of Theodore Dreiser’s
Sister Carrie (1900) illustrate the novel’s consis-
tent theme of disappearing innocence. As the first
chapter opens, the hopeful protagonist, nervously
anticipating her arrival in the great city of Chicago,
is described as “full of the illusions of ignorance and
youth.” After reaching the brink of adulthood in a
small town, 18-year-old Carrie feels the magnetism
of the city in her very bones. In the ensuing narra-
tive, Carrie moves through various stages of matu-
rity, only to realize that experience comes at a severe
price. In the last scene, sitting in her rocking chair
and gazing down to New York’s Fifth Avenue, she
feels “often disillusioned” despite having achieved a
social position of relative fame and material wealth.
Her disillusionment is increasingly apparent toward
the end of the novel. Besides having lost some of
her previous fascination with the metropolis and its
inhabitants in general, she has seen the hollowness
of people and ideas she used to hold in high regard.
The whole story implies that innocence can be
both a valuable resource and a serious liability. Car-
rie’s early attempts at finding employment in the
factories of Chicago repeatedly fail because she lacks
relevant experience; she encounters the same prob-
lem again while trying to launch her stage career.
Beauty is the decisive asset that ultimately allows
her to clear these hurdles. Similarly, in her private
life she benefits from men who are attracted to her
innocent beauty, suggestive of virginity. Both of
her male companions, Charles Drouet and George
Hurstwood, are initially motivated not only by