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SisterCarriebyTheodoreDreiserContents•TheAuthor•Summary•ThemesTheAuthorTheodoreHermanAlbertDreiser(/ˈdraɪsər,-zər/;[1]August27,1871–December28,1945)wasanAmericannovelistandjournalistofthenaturalistschool.Hisnovelsoftenfeaturedmaincharacterswhosucceededattheirobjectivesdespitealackofafirmmoralcode,andliterarysituationsthatmorecloselyresemblestudiesofnaturethantalesofchoiceandagency.MajorWorks•SisterCarrie«嘉莉妹妹»（1900）•JennieGerhardt«珍妮姑娘»（1911）•TheTrilogyofDesire«欲望三步曲»TheFinancier«金融家»（1912）TheTitan«巨人»（1914）TheStoic«斯尔葛»（1947）•TheGenius《天才》（1915）•AnAmericanTragedy《美国的悲剧》（1925）•TheBulwark《堡垒》（1946）Summary•SisterCarrietellsthestoryoftwocharacters:CarrieMeeber,anordinarygirlwhorisesfromalow-paidwageearnertoahigh-paidactress,andGeorgeHurstwood,amemberoftheuppermiddleclasswhofallsfromhiscomfortablelifestyletoalifeonthestreets.NeitherCarrienorHurstwoodearntheirfatesthroughvirtueorvice,butratherthroughrandomcircumstance.Theirsuccessesandfailureshavenomoralvalue;thisstancemarksSisterCarrieasadeparturefromtheconventionalliteratureoftheperiod.Themes•AmericanDream•ChangeandTransformation•ChoicesandConsequences•ClassConflict•Identity•SexAmericanDream•EachofDreiser'scharactersinSisterCarriesearchfortheirownAmericanDreams—Carrieisfilledwiththeexpectationsofacquiringthefinerthingsinlife—Drouetpursuestheotherappointmentsthatrepresenthisdream,suchasabeautifulwomantoadornhisarmandhisownhome.ChangeandTransformation•CarrieandHurstwoodundergodramaticchangesfromthebeginningofthenoveltotheend.—Carrie'stransitiontakesherfromcountrybumpkintoglamorousactress.—Hurstwood'stransitionmoveshimfromprominentandtrustedbusinessman,husband,andfathertohomelessstreetbeggar.ChoicesandConsequences•Hurstwoodmakesonechoicethatdramaticallyaffectstherestofhislife.Whileallchoicesresultinconsequences,thoseconsequencescanbepositiveornegative.Hurstwood’sdecisiontotakethemoneyfromhisemployer'ssafestartshiswaytotheeventualsuicide.ClassConflict•IndustrialgrowthbroughttheUnitedStatesaperiodofprosperityduringthelate1800sandearly1900s.Withfactoriesflourishing,jobopportunitieswereabundant.Peoplemadegoodmoneyinfactorymanagementpositionsandotherwhite-collarjobs.Factoryworkers,however,notonlyearnedlowincomes,buttheyalsoworkedlonghours.Consequently,awidedivisionexistedbetweenthewealthyandthepoor.Identity•Experiencescontributegreatlytoshapingpeople’sidentities.Carrie’stransformationfromthebeginningofthenoveltotheendoccursasaresultofherresponsestoherexperiences.sheneverreallyhasanidentitybutadjustsher“act”tofitthesituation.Sex•Intheearly1900s,themoralsandvirtuesoftheVictorianerastillguidedpeople'sactions.Peoplewithproperupbringingdidnotspeakofsex.ThepublicwasshockedthatDreiser'scharacterssoopenlyparticipatedinexplicitrelationshipsandthatDreiserseemedtotakeitgranted.•SinclairLewissaidthatSisterCarriecametohouseboundandairlessAmericalikeagreatfreeWesternwind,andtoourstuffydomesticitygaveusthefirstfreshairsinceMarkTwainandWhitman•OneofthegreatestAmericanurbannovels.