Set in the nineteenth century, Sister Carrie is a novel that grapples with prominent themes that

continue to resonate today. By examining the plot, point of view, and setting of Sister Carrie, the
two themes that stand out in the novel are women and femininity and loneliness. By examining
the narrative of Carrie and the journey she embarks on, we gain insights into the evolving role of
women, the constraints imposed on them, and the longing for connection within a bustling but
isolated urban environment.
One of the standout themes in Sister Carrie is women and femininity. In the late nineteenth
century, women had less political, social, and economic power than men. This was the era when
women would not even cast ballots. Dreiser 121 states, “In the interval which marked the
preparation of the meal Carrie found time to study the flat. She had some slight gift of
observation and that sense, so rich in every woman – intuition.” Dreiser implies that women
were irrational and unfit to participate in political life. However, in Sister Carrie, the main
character is Carrie, a female who achieves more social and economic success than the novel’s
male characters. Additionally, Carrie rises from a small-town nobody to a big star, showing she
can master particular femininity codes and look super girly. Therefore, the novel urges the leader
to take a closer look at women’s role in the novel.
The second theme that Dreiser explores is the pervasive experience of isolation displayed by
Carrie. Although Carrie might have attracted many admirers and become a big success, she is
disconnected from everyone around her. According to Dreiser 199, “Carrie was sad beyond
measure, and yet uncertain, wishing, fancying.” By the novel’s end, Carrie is disconnected from
everyone around her, leaving the image of her sitting alone in her chair. It’s important to note
that Carrie is not the only one in Sister Carrie who struggles with loneliness – Hurstwood is also
lonely. Throughout the novel, his situation does not improve. According to Dreiser 477, “it was
after a long series of appeals to pedestrians, in which he had been refused and refused – everyone
hastening from contact.” In conclusion, the novel vividly shows that although people surround
individuals or live in bustling cities, it doesn’t mean they can’t feel lonely.
Work Cited
Dreiser, Theodore. Sister Carrie. Writing From Your Inner Voice: Fiction Writing, edited by
Tatyana Surenya Krech, Kendall Hunt, Dubuque, IA, 20AD, pp. 109-485