American Dream
...icago on it so she will have a place to stay. Dreiser tells his reader that when a young girl leaves her home, one of two things can happen. Either the girl will be saved by someone and become "better", or the girl will fall into the "cosmopolitan virtues" (meaning vices) and become worse. Carrie is then described as being a "half-equipped little knight" (2) venturing out into the world. The man sitting behind her soon leans over and tells her that the town the train just passed through is one of the prettiest resorts in the state. She starts to become interested in him when she sees that he is wearing a business suit and happens to be much better dressed than she is. They start to chat politely until the man asks her where she will be living in Chicago. Carrie decides to tell him, and they end up trading names and addresses. She learns that his name is Charles H. Drouet and he tells her he will visit her on Monday night. The train arrives in Chicago and Drouet starts to point out the different parts of the city. Once the train stops, they get off together but Carrie refuses to allow him to carry her bags. She meets her sister Minnie at the station, looks back at Drouet one time, and then starts to feel alone in spite of the fact that her sister is now with her. Analysis The first chapter sets up a great deal of the overall plot and theme of the novel. Sister Carrie leaves home, makes her first entrance into the world, and is forced to immediately start growing up. The train ride away from home, such a traditional image of departure, parallels Dreiser's own escape from home when h...