Sister Carrie

Theodore Dreiser's late 19th-century book Sister Carrie follows the tale of Carrie Meeber a young lady who leaves her little Wisconsin community in order to pursue her aspirations in Chicago. The storyline follows Carrie as she pursues her goals while dealing with a variety of obstacles and chances. As she gets to know several guys in the city Carrie starts to date them in an effort to boost her career and social standing. Carrie's decisions affect her future and reveal the reality of ambition desire and the effects of cultural expectations as she transitions from being a factory worker to being a mistress and finally a successful actress. Dreiser examines topics like consumerism social class and the quest of pleasure throughout the whole book. He illustrates the glaring differences between riches and poverty as well as the sacrifices people make in order to pursue the American Dream with great clarity. As Carrie succeeds in gaining fame and riches she comes to the realization that happiness cannot be bought with money. The movie Sister Carrie is renowned for its accurate depiction of urban life and its examination of ethical and social conundrums. With themes of ambition gender roles and the pursuit of pleasure it was considered a great work of American literature and questioned the moral norms of the period.