Sister Carrie :: essays research papers

     In August of 1889, Carrie Meeber leaves her sm either townsfolk to find employment in the city of Chicago. Theodore Dreiser, the author of Sister Carrie, informs the lecturer that, "Self-interest with her was high, but not strong. It was nevertheless her guiding characteristic.". With her youth and naturalness she hopes to seek employment so that she can get and buy all the nice things that she wants. Carrie does not have any idea how hard this is passage to be.     When she tries to find a job, she is scared. Carrie has no skills to offer an employer, no job experience, and her costume was of poor quality. Chicago was a large city, but society at that time did not have many job opportunities for works women. The unaccompanied jobs that Carrie could possibly get were in the factories that, paid low wages, had poor working conditions, and long hours. She knew that after she paid rent to her brother-in-law, she would have very undersize left to buy all the beautiful things that she longed for. When Carrie took the job at the clothe factory, she did not like the hard work and considered the other women who worked there to be common. When winter arrived, Carrie got sick and stayed home from work which caused her to lose her job.     On the contain to Chicago, Carrie had met a traveling salesman, Charlie H. Drouet. She is impressed by the way he duologue and dresses. When they meet again, Drouet is aware of her beauty and innocence and he hopes to charm and collide with her. He "lends" Carrie money to buy nice winter clothes, treats her to fine meals, takes her to the theater, and shows her the sights of Chicago. Because Carrie is adolescent and inexperienced in the world of men, she is not wise enough to ascertain where all Drouets attention is leading toward. Although she senses that the money should be given back, her trust and longing for the good things in life are so all-powerful that she ignores her beliefs in what is right and wrong.      Unable to find another job, Carries is forced to make a decision, returning to Wisconsin or letting Drouet keep her as his mistress. Choosing to lodge with Drouet was an extraordinary decision. This went against everything society taught. It was unthinkable for any decent woman to break down with a man without marriage.