The Ironies of Social Standards in Sister Carrie

To this day, Sister Carrie remains one of the most controversial novels of its time. The
remarkably realistic characters and contentious situations created by Theodore Dreiser
illustrate the double standards within a growing American society at the turn of the
twentieth century. Naturalism plays a large part in the development of each character and
their pathetic inability to evade their trivial fates (Theodore). The perverse fascination and
distaste surrounding this incapability mirrors a society's hypocrisy of its own social
standards.

For his first novel, Dreiser opted to paint a realistic portrait of America for what it really was-
materialistic (Gerber 52). "The money ideal would be exposed as the great motivating
purpose of life in the United States: one's relative affluence at any level of society
determining the degree creature comfort one might enjoy, the measure of prestige one
might own, and the extent of social power one might command" (Gerber 52-53). Sister
Carrie completely reiterates America's obsession with money because there is not one
character whose own status symbol isn't determined economically (Gerber 53).

At the end of the Civil War, big business boomed and there was now a preoccupation with
"conspicuous consumption" (Ward). Capitalism roared and consumers began to see each
other for what they thought they really were: money. Dreiser first describes his Caroline
Meeber not by her opinions or actions, but by what she owns: "a small trunk, a cheap
imitation alligator-skin satchel, ...and a small yellow snap purse" (Dreiser Sister 3). Although
Carrie cannot afford a real alligator-skin satchel, she owns an imitation so that she appears
to be something she is not (Ward). False appearances are a reiterated theme throughout
Sister Carrie.

Upon entering Chicago and meeting Drouet, the reader becomes attentive to Carrie's
fascination with the upper class. "In addition to representing consumerism, Carrie also
serves as a symbol of the American middle class. Carrie is `ambitious to gain material things'"
(Ward). Entering a department store to find a job, Carrie leaves with an unsatisfied desire to
own things that she cannot. Carrie sees how much the city has to offer her. She longs for the
luxury and wealth of the other shop dwellers (Balling 23). All of the fancy items tempt Carrie
although she cannot manage to pay for any of them; "thus a capitalist economy manipulates
the desire of the consumer without ever completely satisfying it" (Ward). This unfulfilled
yearning compels the consumer to work long hours just to struggle to buy more items
(Ward). With each purchase, the need for material things grows while never completely
satisfying the consumer. Carrie's dream of satisfaction is hastily broken when she realizes
she must work in an unpleasant job to get what she wants.

In Sister Carrie, money is a main objective at the beginning of many relationships. Carrie's
fascination in Drouet is instigated by his money. "Handing her the money gives him the
opportunity to touch her hand, the first step of physical intimacy with her" (Ward). In a
society in which wealth is associated with individual merit, Drouet begins to stir up yet
another person into materialism. Through this, he can "conduct his life on a splendid basis"
because Carrie looks to him with desire (Balling 25). A world of possibilities is opened to
Carrie through Drouet. She has now become an "insider" to the world of prosperity,
excitement, and satisfaction (Balling 29).
Schafer 3 In meeting Hurstwood, Carrie can only look further upward. He is the symbol of
the enlightened, capitalist man (Ward). His life with Julia is one greater than Drouet's. Unlike
Hurstwood, Drouet is awkward and imitative in his dress and actions. This flashy lifestyle
screams that he is performing a role (Ward). Hurstwood spends just as noticeably, but he
does it with a great deal of taste. Overall, while Hurstwood looks like the legitimate article,
Drouet just comes off as a fake (Ward). Carrie soon takes notice.

Although they live a far more affluent lifestyle than Drouet and Carrie, Hurstwood's family is
not satisfied. As Carrie craves nice clothing and trinkets, Julia and Jessica are saddened that
they cannot afford a European summer vacation (Ward). Again, the reader is introduced to
the reoccurring theme of the compelling influence behind consumer society: unfulfilled
desire (Ward).

After Hurstwood and Carrie's affair and escape to New York, Hurstwood soon finds himself
having to think carefully about small disbursements like rent and cab fare. Although he has
sufficient money to invest in new businesses, he turns down many prospects because they
are too low-class for him (Ward). Not only is his money very important to him now, but so is
his respectability. Having to live so frugally as he searches for a job humiliates him (Balling
61). The importance of Hurstwood's reputation to himself underscores the materialism in
America. Being who you are to yourself is not as important as being someone to others
(Gerber 60-61).

Once Carrie meets Mrs. Vance, she reenters the world of "conspicuous consumption"
(Ward). As soon as she finds someone wealthier than she, Carrie again becomes displeased
with her life. It seems as if Carrie then sets new goals for herself as she is exposed to new
socio-economic levels (Ward).

Hurstwood's decline pushes Carrie further away from him. Mrs. Vance's decision to cut off
her connection with Carrie because of Hurstwood's appearance exposes the "dehumanizing
nature of consumer society" (Ward). While Hurstwood gradually sinks toward deprivation
and suicide, Carrie once again moves forward and appears on stage (Thorp 472). Carrie's
"constant drag to something better was not to be denied" (Thorp 472). Her choice to leave
him is almost completely motivated by finances, as was her decision to marry him (Ward).

The richer Carrie gets, again, the farther up she looks. "Despite hardly knowing what to do
with all of her money, however, she still suffers from unsatisfied desires" (Ward). Carrie's
newfound theatrical success does not bring her happiness as she expected, just more urges.
"Although she has now gained an identity that is independent of Hurstwood's and Drouet's
desire for her, she is still dependent on the desire of the public" (Ward). Even after Carrie
has come so far, she still looks towards others' opinions of her to make her happy.

By the end of the novel, Carrie is still dissatisfied. She still experiences the unceasing
discontent that is the major force behind consumerism (Ward). A consumer-based society
can only survive if there is always something more to want. "With eyes so fixed on
mountaintops yet to be attained, they never stop to wonder this way madness lies" (Gerber
53). As Carrie reaches the top, she and the reader no longer know what she desires. "The
brutal forces governing life dictate that any achievement permitted a human creature be
diluted by dissatisfaction" (Gerber 56).
At this time in America "life had much to do with `chemisms' and `magnetisms'; it was
dominated by invincible material forces; and of these the drives for power, money, and sex
were primary" (Gerber). Sex and the relationships between men and women were solely
based on finances, just as were Carrie's relationships with Drouet and Hurstwood. Even
Dreiser himself expects Carrie to do nothing more than rely on a man. "When a girl leaves
her home at eighteen, she does one of two things. Either she falls into saving hands and
becomes better, or she rapidly assumes the cosmopolitan standard of virtue and becomes
worse" (Dreiser Sister 3). This statement also implies that Carrie (or women in general) uses
seduction to get what she wants (Thorp 472).

"Dreiser makes of her a symbolic figure who must sacrifice a certain amount of innocence in
order to make progress of any kind. Thus Carrie's dream is the American Dream as well; it is
a dream of rich finery, financial success and power" (Balling 30). When Drouet offers Carrie
the twenty dollars, he is essentially buying the prospect for sex (Ward). Because she owes
him money, she feels tied to return his kindness with the only material object she owns- her
body. Exposed of all its trimmings, Drouet and Carrie's relationship is no more than a form of
prostitution. Because Carrie is paid more for her body than she is for her employment, she
realizes that "a woman's most marketable product is sex" (Ward).

While Carrie illustrates the life of a modern single woman, Julia demonstrates the typical,
unhappy married women. Hurstwood attributes his wife as an ornament of his success by
regarding her as one of his possessions (Ward). Again the marriage serves as a contract to
declare her job as a wife: to give Hurstwood sex in exchange for his money (Ward).

The pragmatic morality and hypocrisy of a male's role in a marriage is apparent through
Hurstwood's actions. While he keeps a close eye on Julia and all of her interactions, he does
not condemn men's extramarital affairs; he only approves if they are carried out discreetly
(Ward). This disjunction between people's conduct and the figure they stage is maintained
by a web of lies (Ward).

Paying close attention to Drouet as he compliments other women, Carrie takes note and
tries to develop her identity largely based on what he craves. Through this imitation, she
becomes simply a manifestation of masculine desire; Carrie substantiates the conventional
idea that women are nothing more than role players (Ward). "Sister Carrie presents
women's identity as virtually non-existent: men can be genuine, but women can only try to
imitate" (Ward). Carrie, again, knows no identity without conceding to a man (Markels 533).

As a reflection of masculine desire, Carrie cannot express any desires of her own- except for
her need for conspicuous consumption. Rather than feeling happiness from her own desires,
Carrie is pleased only when others desire her (Ward). Carrie's need for attention again
upholds the conventional standard that a woman only has social standing when a man
desires her (Phillips 553).

Dreiser's approach of retelling life how it really has created a great deal of unexpected
controversy. "The sum and substance of literary as well as social morality may be expressed
in three words- tell the truth" (Dreiser True 473). This statement made by Dreiser himself
was in response to critics against the publication of Sister Carrie. The depiction of a "fallen"
woman in a success story was considered completely immoral (Riggio).
As Dreiser entered the literary scene in the early 1900s, a conventional style of writing had
already been set into tradition. The function of literature "was to appeal to man's `higher
nature', to inspire him through the depiction of man's capacity to achieve the ethical life to
seek such a life for himself" (Pizer Dreiser's). Basically, the didactic method of literature was
there to create an ideal society. When Sister Carrie came along, most reviewers held upon
the fundamental circumstances of the novel- a young woman has two forbidden sexual
affairs without experiencing either "material loss or moral degeneration" (Pizer Dreiser's).
Also, since God was not mentioned once in the novel, Sister Carrie was considered
immediate grounds for dismissal.

Such debate surrounding a novel can really only prove one point: "it is a story of real life, of
their lives" (Notman 474). All of these situations- materialism, seduction, adultery, bigamy,
and theft- were actually occurring in real life (Thorp 469). This denial of Americans' own lives
further reiterates the hypocrisy in a growing capitalist society. In a brief essay entitled "True
Art Speaks Plainly", Dreiser concluded "a true picture of life, honestly and reverentially set
down, is both moral and artistic whether it offends the conventions or not" (Dreiser True
474).

Dreiser's Sister Carrie deals with the sordid side of everyday life. Although his characters are
mixtures of moral and corrupt, "unable to assert their will against natural and economic
forces", he rarely passes judgment on them (Theodore). These extraordinarily convincing
individuals and the litigious circumstances created by Theodore Dreiser demonstrate the
ironies within an emergent American culture after the Civil War. Materialism and capitalism
in a booming economy, conventional standards of men and women's roles, and the denial of
the American public in response to the novel all prove that Sister Carrie was ahead of its
time in portraying the authentic and pessimistic view of real existence.