Sister Carrie by Theodore Dreiser (best book clubs .TXT) ๐
Description
Caroline Meeber, known as Sister Carrie to her family, moves to Chicago at the tender age of eighteen to try to make something of herself. Living with her sister and brother-in-law, she quickly finds that life, and work, are hard in the big city. She soon takes up with a traveling salesman she met on the train into town. Months later her eye is turned by one of the salesmanโs acquaintances, George Hurstwood, and vice-versa. A series of events lead Carrie and Hurstwood to New York City, where both struggle to live out the aspirations that brought them there.
Theodore Dreiser was one of the earliest naturalist writers, but he wrote Sister Carrie while the United States was still very Victorian in its morals. The book therefore caused a stir from the beginning: Carrie Meeber was clearly, even in the disguised language of the time, a sexually active, unmarried female, who wasnโt made to suffer for her indiscretion to the extent considered necessary at the time. Dreiserโs depiction of rough language merely added to the controversy. The first printing sold only 456 copies in two years; it was to be another five years before Dreiser could convince another publisher to carry the book. Today itโs considered a classic and one of the โgreatest of all American urban novels.โ
The text of Sister Carrie was unchanged until 1981, when the University of Pennsylvania Press published a new version with 36,000 words restored. The edition was not without controversy: the cuts were originally made before the first printing at the suggestion of Dreiserโs wife, or his friend Arthur Henry, and Dreiser had approved all of them. Although the new Pennsylvania Edition, as it is called, made a good case for restoring the changes, it is the 1907 text that remains the most widely available today, and it is that text in this edition.
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- Author: Theodore Dreiser
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So severe a defeat told sadly upon her nerves. Her feet carried her mechanically forward, every foot of her progress being a satisfactory portion of a flight which she gladly made. Block after block passed by. Upon street-lamps at the various corners she read names such as Madison, Monroe, La Salle, Clark, Dearborn, State, and still she went, her feet beginning to tire upon the broad stone flagging. She was pleased in part that the streets were bright and clean. The morning sun, shining down with steadily increasing warmth, made the shady side of the streets pleasantly cool. She looked at the blue sky overhead with more realisation of its charm than had ever come to her before.
Her cowardice began to trouble her in a way. She turned back, resolving to hunt up Storm and King and enter. On the way she encountered a great wholesale shoe company, through the broad plate windows of which she saw an enclosed executive department, hidden by frosted glass. Without this enclosure, but just within the street entrance, sat a grey-haired gentleman at a small table, with a large open ledger before him. She walked by this institution several times hesitating, but, finding herself unobserved, faltered past the screen door and stood humbly waiting.
โWell, young lady,โ observed the old gentleman, looking at her somewhat kindly, โwhat is it you wish?โ
โI am, that is, do youโ โI mean, do you need any help?โ she stammered.
โNot just at present,โ he answered smiling. โNot just at present. Come in some time next week. Occasionally we need someone.โ
She received the answer in silence and backed awkwardly out. The pleasant nature of her reception rather astonished her. She had expected that it would be more difficult, that something cold and harsh would be saidโ โshe knew not what. That she had not been put to shame and made to feel her unfortunate position, seemed remarkable.
Somewhat encouraged, she ventured into another large structure. It was a clothing company, and more people were in evidenceโ โwell-dressed men of forty and more, surrounded by brass railings.
An office boy approached her.
โWho is it you wish to see?โ he asked.
โI want to see the manager,โ she said.
He ran away and spoke to one of a group of three men who were conferring together. One of these came towards her.
โWell?โ he said coldly. The greeting drove all courage from her at once.
โDo you need any help?โ she stammered.
โNo,โ he replied abruptly, and turned upon his heel.
She went foolishly out, the office boy deferentially swinging the door for her, and gladly sank into the obscuring crowd. It was a severe setback to her recently pleased mental state.
Now she walked quite aimlessly for a time, turning here and there, seeing one great company after another, but finding no courage to prosecute her single inquiry. High noon came, and with it hunger. She hunted out an unassuming restaurant and entered, but was disturbed to find that the prices were exorbitant for the size of her purse. A bowl of soup was all that she could afford, and, with this quickly eaten, she went out again. It restored her strength somewhat and made her moderately bold to pursue the search.
In walking a few blocks to fix upon some probable place, she again encountered the firm of Storm and King, and this time managed to get in. Some gentlemen were conferring close at hand, but took no notice of her. She was left standing, gazing nervously upon the floor. When the limit of her distress had been nearly reached, she was beckoned to by a man at one of the many desks within the nearby railing.
โWho is it you wish to see?โ he inquired.
โWhy, anyone, if you please,โ she answered. โI am looking for something to do.โ
โOh, you want to see Mr. McManus,โ he returned. โSit down,โ and he pointed to a chair against the neighbouring wall. He went on leisurely writing, until after a time a short, stout gentleman came in from the street.
โMr. McManus,โ called the man at the desk, โthis young woman wants to see you.โ
The short gentleman turned about towards Carrie, and she arose and came forward.
โWhat can I do for you, miss?โ he inquired, surveying her curiously.
โI want to know if I can get a position,โ she inquired.
โAs what?โ he asked.
โNot as anything in particular,โ she faltered.
โHave you ever had any experience
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