Real and imaginary cities in dreiser`s "Sister Carrie"

Re is a de Es udios No eame icanos, n! 4 ( 1996), pp. 129- 137 REAL AND IMAGINARY CITIES IN DREISER'S SISTER CARRIE DAN FYFE Uni e sidad de Las Palmas de G an Cana ias Richa d Ho s ad e once w o e ha «The Uni ed S a es was bom in he coun y and has mo ed o he ci y»(The Age o Re o m, 23). Wha he mean , 1 hink, is ha Ame ica has clung o u al alues- he Ag a ian my h-in spi e o he ac ha i has been de eloping, om he e y beginning, in o a comme cial socie y. Thomas Je e son idealized he simple i ues o he yeoman a a ime when «[ ]he a me himsel , in mos cases, was in ac inspi ed o make money»(Ho s ad e , 23). Fo Ho s ad e , « he ag a ian my h ep esen s a kind o homage ha Ame icans ha e paid o he ancied innocence o hei o igins»(24). In Ame ica he e has always been a con usion o he eal and he ideal. By he end o he nine e en h cen u y in he Uni ed S a es he Indus ial Re olu ion held sway; and Ame ican ci ies such as New Yo k and Chicago we e symbols o possibili y o a u al popula ion o Ame ican d eame s in pu sui o happiness- a pu sui ha so o en ca ne o be iden i ied wi h weal h and s a us, ma e ial success, ye which o en ended in ailu e. By he um o he cen u y Ame ica's ci ies had been g owing apidly, and no wi hou p oblems: One o he keys o he Ame ican mind a he end o he old cen u y and he beginning o he new was ha Ame ican ci ies we e illing up in e y conside a- ble pa wi h small- own o u al people. The whole cas o Ame ican hinking in his pe iod was deeply a ec ed by he expe ience o he u al mind con on ed wi h he phenomena o u ban li e, i s c owding, po e y, c ime, co up ion; impe sonali y, and e hnic chaos ... he ci y seemed no me ely a n ew social o m o way o li e bu a s ange h ea o ci iliza ion i sel . (Ho s ad e , 176) 130 DanF y e Ye despi e he ha sh eali ies o ci y li e; despi e he enomous he o ic o he Populis s and he jou nalism o he muck ake s, who wa ned o co up obbe ba ons and Wall S ee conspi ing wi h in ema ional banke s; he ci y was he place o go. The i n nense g ow h o Ame ica's ci ies o e ed new oppo uni ies o A ne icans in sea ch o be e hings. Wi h i s appings o weal h and s a us, i became a symbol o possibil i y in he Ame ican imagina ion. Theodo e D eise 's Sis e Ca ie is an impo an ex in any discussion ha conce ns i sel wi h he Ame ican ci y. As Donald Pize no es, «no majo Ame ican au ho be o e D eise pa icipa ed so ully in he new indus ial and u ban wo ld o Ame ica in he la e nine een h cen u y»(l). In Sis e Ca ie, Theodo e D eise depic s eal Ame ican ci ies, speci ically Chicago and New Yo k, in ali hei g andeu and squalo . Th ough he consciousness o Ca ie Meebe , D eise 's he oine, we glimpse he ci y as she imagines i could be o he - a place whe e happiness could be ound amid he weal h and s a us. Though he no el belongs o he school o Ame ican Realis n, D eise , «mo e adically han anyone o his gene a ion ... exposed as 'un ealis ic' he mo al ision ha con inued o be enac ed in so nany o he ealis no el s ... »(Mi chell, xi). In i s skill ul obse a ion o li e, along wi h an absence o e hical plo complica ion (Walcu , 191 ), Sis e C a íe is al so conside ed o be an example o Ame ican N a u alism. I s essence, howe e , is i s blending o he eal and he i nagina y. The main cha ac e s-D oue , Hu s wood, and Ca ie-a e assumed o be ic ional c ea ions, he p oduc o h e w i e 's imagina ion. Ye i is aken as a gi en oday ha much o he plo was in luenced by he scandalous a ai s o D eise 's sis e Emma, who li ed wi h a Chicago a chi ec be o e eloping wi h L.A. Hopkins, a u s ed employee o an a luen Chicago saloon, who, like Hu s wood, had s olen mon ey om he i n whe e he wo ked. D eise , weighing he po ssibili ies o wha could happen o bis sis e , ails o impose a e dic o guil y on Ca ie. Sis e Ca ie is no a me ely ealis ic accoun o his sis e 's illici doings. Ra he , i is a e x ha debunks he id ealis ic ene s o he my h o he Ame ican d eam ha mos o en held sway in he ea ly wen ie h- cen u y Ame ican imagina ion. Donald Piz e con ends ha D eise « e ined» h e cha ac e s o Ca ie and Hu s wood in o de o «exp ess an abs ae! u h-on e conce ning he na u e o li e in a g ea Ame ican ci y in which indi iduals o a ying makeups ha e hei na u es cla i ied and hei a es shaped by he aw o ces o li e»( 6) . And he ise o he Ame ican ci y-in eali y and in he Ame ican ima gina ion -has su ely been he place whe e we pu sue he Ame ican d eam o ma e ial success. D eise ques ions no ions o mo ali y, indus y, pe se e ance o ha d wo k, gi es us he d eam-a nd i s ailu e; indeed, i is Hu s wood who embodies any Ho a io Alge e hic o success: He had isen by pe se e ance and indus y, h ough long hou s o se ice, om he posi ion o ba kee pe in a commonplace saloon o his p esen al i- ude. (46) Real and Jmagina y Ci ies in D eise 's Sis e Ca ie 131 Ye i is Hu s wood who ails, alling headlong in o des i u ion, illness, and inally, suici de . As Cha les Child Walcu no es, «Hu s wood's degene a ion is a ema kable ep esen a ion o he meaningless, almos unmo i a ed so o agedy ha a had, un il hen, conspi ed o igno e»(l 88). Fo Richa d Lehan, « he ci y i sel is so much la ge han he in di idual ha he human scale is los -as well as he alues ha go wi h he human scale ... » (69). Lehan no es he lack o a «mo al cen e » in Sis e Ca ie: Wha we ge is human expe iencc as an amo al p ocess; cha ac e s mo e a ound like d i wood caugh in he ocean's ide, ne e able o con ex ualize hei place in he p ocess, always being spoken h ough by a la ge sel , which is he oice o he ci y i sel , and by he desi e i s ma e iali y p oduces. (67) D eise 's ealis ic accoun o success and ailu e in he big ci y- «The aga ies o o une a e indeed cu ious»(4 12 )-a oused he indigna i on o an Ame ican public (o i s li e a y c i ics, a leas ) weaned upan he my hic « ags o iches» success s o ies o such Ame ican icons as Benjamín F anklin, And ew J ackson, and Ab aham Lincoln- no o men ion he Alge boys; weaned upan he ideal o i ue being ewa ded. Bu in Sis e Ca ie he eal cily sub c s such ideals. D eise 's imagina y ci ies a e empe ed by ealism. He had his sis e 's s o y in mind, bu , mo e impo an ly, he had seen he eali y o Ame ica 's ci ies h ough joumalis ic eyes, which enabled him o desc ibe a de ailed, ealis ic se ing o he sad s o y o his «Wai amid o ces.» As Willa d Tho p has no ed, No Ame ican no elis had so ai h ully and minu ely ende ed Ii e in ou sp awling ci ies- he s ee s, mean and ashionable, he saloons and es au an s and ho els, he depa men s o es (newly a i ed on he scene), he hea e s, he apa men houses wi h ele a o s and doo men and dumbwai e s. He e was ou i s ull-scale ci y no el, so accu a e in i s de ails ha he much exed M . Doubleday [D eise 's unen husias ic publishe ] a he la s! momen be a e publica ion pe suaded D eise o mask he names o a ew ac ual pe sons and places o business les he e be libe! sui s. (A e wa d o Sis e Ca ie, 472) Though D eise may ha e changed a ew names o please his publishe , whose wi e objec ed o he «immo al» con en o he no el, h e ci ies o C hi cago and New Yo k depic ed in Sis e Ca ie a e as eal as any ci ies which ha e been lhe subjec o Ame ican w i e s: Th oughou , D eise is ca e ul o depic cha ac e s mo ing abou in a ealm o eal ho els, es au an s, ba s, and ail oad s a ions exis in g in Chicago and New Yo k du ing he l 880s and 1890 s. He o e s, as well, a ch onicle o h e ashionable plays, sen imen al no els, d ess s yles, consume p ices, popula 132 Dan Fy e music, and cu en slang ha anyone in he pe iod would ha e aken o g an ed. (Mi chell, x i) As a joumalis D eise leamed o dis inguish be ween he eal and he ideal: As Theodo e D eise , hen a young epo e , ecalled, hey became ale o hypoc isy, pe haps a li le cynical hemsel es, bu undamen ally enligh ened abou he immense gaps be ween he lo y ideals and public p o essions o he edi o ial page and he di y eali ies o he business o ice and he news oom.» (Ho s ad e , 191) D eise 's ision o u ban U.S.A.-his eal ci y- i es he imagina ion o a young p o incial gi l om Columbia Ci y, Wisconsin: The gleam o a housand ligh s is o en as e ec i e as he pe suasi e ligh in a wooing and ascina ing eye .. .. A bla e o sound, a oa o li e, a as a ay o human hi es, appeal o he as onished senses in equi oca! e ms. Wi hou a counselo a hand o whispe cau ious in e p e a ions, wha alsehoods may no hese hings b ea he in o he ungua ded ea ! (Sis e Ca ie 8) Ca ie comes o he ci y wi h he nai e hope o inding be e hings han could be had ou side he ci y walls; like many o he Ame icans we e doing, she !ca es he olling, g een ields o he epublic in sea ch o an imagina y ci y: To he child, he genius wi h imagina ion, o he wholly un a eled he app oach o a g ea ci y o he i s ime is a wonde ul hing. Pa icula ly i i be e ening- ha mys ic pe iod be ween he gla e and gloom o he wo ld when li e is changing om one sphe e o condi ion o ano he . Ah, he p omise o he nigh . Wha <loes i no hold o he wea y! Wha old illusion o hope is no he e o e e epea ed! (13) This e oca ion o he nigh , and he wonde i can bes ow upon he ci y, esona es wi h Haw home 's app aisal o he moon shining h ough his window as he con empla es he eal and imagina y ci y o Salem in The Cus om-House: ali hese de ails, so comple ely seen, a e so spi i ualized by he unusual ligh , ha hey seem o lose hei ac ual subs ance, and become hings o in ellec . ... Thus, he e o e, he loo o ou amilia oom has become a ai y- land, whe e he Ac ual and he Imagina y may nee , and each imbue i se l wi h he na u e o he o he . (CH, 28) Real and lma gi na y Ci ies i11 D eise 's Sis e Ca ie 133 In Sis e Ca ie he ac ual and he imagina y me e when Ca ie a i es in Chicago: «Amid ali h e maze, up oa , and no el y she el cold eali y aking he by he hand }> ( 15 ). She comes o Chicago looking o wo k; she will eside wi h he sis e , paying boa d in an aus e e la un il she can ind so ne menial employmen . Bu she sees ha « [h] e sis e ca ied wi h he mos o he g imness o shi and oi1»(15). In a s a e o po e y, Ca ie inds hankless wo k as a ac o y gi l; in he ha sh eali y o he si ua ion, she can only imagine he wonde s she migh ind in he b igh ligh s and opulence o Chicago: The en i e me opoli an cen e possessed a hi gh and migh y a i calcula ed o o e awe and abash he common applican , and o make he gu l be ween po e y an d success seem bo h wide and deep ... .l was ali wonde ul, all a s , all a emo- ed, and she sank in spi i inwa dly and lu e ed eebly a he hea ... (20 -21 ) The im ag in a y Chica go o he d ea ms only exace ba es Ca ie 's disenchan men wi h he a duousness o he oil a h e ac o y and he ugal na u e o he accommoda ion a he sis e 's la . He meag e exis ence is a odds wi h he beau y and wcal h o Chicago ha s i s he imag in a ion: Ca ie ... had he blood o you h and s o n e imagina ion .... She co uld hink o hings s he would like o do, o clo hes she would like o wea , and o places she would like o isi ....The li e o h e s ee s con inued o a long ime o in e es Ca ie. She ne e wea ied o wonde ing whe e he people in he ca s we e going o wha hei enjoymen s we e. He imagina ion od a e y na ow ound, always winding up a poin s which concemed money, looks, clo hes, o enjoymen . (52-53) Fo a coun y gi l wi h ague d ea ms o a be e li e in he big ci y, he d udge y o ac o y li e is demeaning and dispi i ing. Ca ie 's imagina i on is he majo cause o he disillusion: The machine gi ls [whe e she wo ked] imp essed he e en less a o ably han he o ema n!. Th ey seemed sa is ied wi h he i lo , and we e in a sense «common.» Ca ie had mo e imagina ion han hey. (54) Ca ie's im agina ion- e d upon Ame ican id ea l s-is he ca u se o he discon cn wi h ba e subsis ence. In i ia ed in o h e mo e a luen ways o he ci y h ough he in ol emen wi h D oue , whose money and ine appea ance a e in s a k con as o he eali y o Ca ie 's lowe class exis ence a he sis e 's la , Ca ie gains en an ce o he ype o li e she had ea li e been able only o imagine: He e was he g ea , mys e ious ci y which was s ill a ma gne o he . Wha she had seen only sugges ed i s possibili ies. (66) 134 DanFy e Ca ie is one o Ame ican li e a u e's o emos d eame s: «S he had ain imaginings abou place and powe , abou a -o lands and magni icen people .... She was ... he ic im o he ci y's hypno ic in luence»(78-9). Wi h D oue suppo ing he , Ca ie's imagina y ci y seems o be wi hin he g a sp: She imagined ha ac oss hese ichly ca ed en ance ways, whe e he globed and c ys alled lamps s hon e upon paneled doo s se wi h s ained and dcsigned panes o glass, was nei he ca e no unsa is ied desi e. She was pe ec ly ce ain ha he e was happiness. (113) Th ough D oue Ca ie is in oduced · o he wo ld o he h ea e -a n imagina y wo ld ha ca e s o he eal-and e én manages o ge a pa as an ac ess in a small p oduc ion. « When D oue was gone, she sa down in he ocking chai by he window o hink abou i . As usual, imagina ion exagge a ed he possibili ies o he »(15 l) . Ca ie does no succeed, in Chicago, in becoming a amous ac ess; she lea es D ou e o he cha ming Hu s wood, only o di sco e ha Hu s wood has decei ed he by concealing om he he ac ha he is a ma ied man. Hu s wood hen s eals a la ge s um o money om his employe s and, despe a e bo h o lee Chicago and o ha e Ca ie, de ce i es he in o absconding wi h him , in wha u ns ou o be mo e an abduc ion han an e lopem en . Ci cums ances o ce Hu s wood o e u n he bulk o he money he has s olen and, a e a b ie e ea in o Canada , he pai descend upon New Yo k, which becomes, o Ca ie, ano he imagina y ci y whicb she d eams o conquc ing. Fl ee ing Chicago in disg ace, Hu s wood loses his secu e posi ion, and Ca ie, a leas o he momen , he d eam o he good li e. Like he i s a i al in Chicago, Ca ie 's a i al in New Yo k makes he awa e o he in signi icance amid he bu s le o Ame ica's g ea es ci y. On ce again, she is a «wai amid o ces.» And, once again, h e allu e o he ci y cap i a es he imagina ion o he coun y gi l. She is be iended by a neighbo , M s. Vanee, who is ob iously o a highe social class han Ca ie. She shows Ca ie he high side o New Yo k socie y, which se es o eawaken in Ca ie he longings which she had en e ained in Chicago: Wi h a s a she awoke o ind ha she was in ashion 's c owd, on pa ade in a show place-and such a show place! Jewele 's windows gleamed along h e pa h wi h ema kable equency . Fl o is s hops , u ie s, habe dashe s , con ec ione s- all ollowed in apid succession. (289) D eise depic s New Yo k Ci y's allu e o ma e ialism, he p oduc s o he ci y, eadily a ailable o !hose wi h he money o a o d hem. Fo Ca ie, such iches can only be possessed in he imagina ion. She bccomes pain ully awa e o he ci y's class dis inc ions: Real and lmagina y Ci ies in D eise 's Sis e Ca ie 135 The s ee was ull o coaches. Pompous doo men in immense co a s, shiny b ass bel s and bu ons, wai ed in on o expensi e sa les ooms. Coachmen in an boo s, whi e igh s, and blue ja cke s wai ed obsequiously o h e mis e sses o ca iages who we e shopping inside. The whole s ee bo e he la o o iches and show, and Ca ie el ha she was no o i . (289) In New Yo k c i y Ca ie is made awa e-mo e !han e e ---0 he in e io social s a us. He eeling o inequali y causes shame; she hinks ha he iches o he ci y can b ing happiness: She could no , a he li e o he , assume h e a i ude and sma ness o M s. Vanee, who, in he beau y, was all assu ance. She could only im agine ha i mus be e id en o many ha she was he less handsomely d essed o he wo. I cu he o he quick, and she esol ed ha she would no come he e again un il she Jooked be e . Ac he same ime she longed o eel he deligh o pa ading he e asan equal. Ah, h en she would be happy! (289) Ca ie, beguiled by he splendo o New Yo k ci y, is again en anced by he «i ma gina y wo ld» o he s age. A che hea e she is able o d eam abou he li e which has hus a eluded h e g asp. Indeed, i is he hea e which ha s a p o ound e ec upan he mi nd: Almos in a iably she would ca y he i id imagina ions away wi h he and b ood o e hem he nex da y alone. She li ed as much in he se hings as in Lhe eali ies which made up he daily li e. (2 90 ) The wo ld o he hea e -a eal place o imagina i on-a nd he opule n side o he ci y which she glimpses h ough he ie nd ship wi h M s. Vanee o ce Ca ie o con empla e h e disillusion wi h he mundane eali y o h e own si ua ion: «l ached h e o know ha she was no one o hem- ha , alas, she had d eamed a d eam and i had no come ue»(29 ! ). Ca ie 's imagina y wo ld is a odds wi h h e aus e i y o h e exis ence wi h Hu s wood, who s uggles o make ends mee in New Yo k. I is Ca ie 's penchan o imagina ion which, o g e h e wi h Hu s woo d's g adually declining economic si ua ion, Jeads o ouble be ween he ill- a ed pai : When Hu s wood ca ne, Ca ie was mood y. She was si ing, ocking and hinking, and did no ca e o ha e he en icing ima gi na ions b oken in upan; so she said li le o no hing. (292) When Hu s wood loses his in es men in he New Yo k ci y saloon whe e he has been wo king, he spec e o po e y lo oms upon Ca ie 's ho izon. She is awa e o he 136 Dan Fy e con as! be ween he li e in Chicago and he inc easingly dingy exis ence wi h Hu s wood in NewYo k: The glamo o he high li e o he ci y had, in he ew expe iences a o ded he by he o me , seized he comple ely. She had been augh how o d e ss and whe e o go wi hou ha ing ample means o do ei he . Now, he se hings-e e -p esen eali ies as hey we e- illed he eyes and mind. The mo e ci cumsc ibed became he s a e, he mo e en ancing seemed his o he . And now po e y h ea ened o seize he en i ely and o emo e his o he wo ld a upwa d like a hea en o which any Laza us migh ex end , appealingly, his hands. (313) Hu s wood alls in o he w e ched abyss o homeless-ness, despai ingly decla es «Wh a 's he use», hen u ns on he gas in a seedy oom in down own New Yo k. Fo him, he s a k eali y o his des i u ion is some hing he could ne e ha e imagined. Ca ie ises o s a dom, by chance, he a es seemingly dealing kindly wi h he : «The showy wo ld in which he in e es lay comple ely abso bed he »(406). Bu he money and s a us, he ine clo hes and ood, he ca iages and ho el sui es, do no b ing happiness o Ca de. The ealiza ion o he d eams has no eclipsed he pe pe u a! yeaming ha s alks he imagina ion o he Ame ican d eame . She ha s a ained ha which she had c a ed, bu in he loneliness she s ill d eams o some hing mo e. Ca ie 's pu sui o he imagina y, he omance o h e beau i ul, has no led o he happiness ha she imagined would be he s when she i s a e sed he da k olling ields o he epublic in sea ch o some hing she hough he b igh ligh s o he ci y migh bes ow: ... she saw he ci y o e ing mo e o Io eliness han she had e e known, and ins inc i ely, by o ce o he moods alone, clung o i . In ine aimen and elegan su oundings, men seemed o be con en ed. Hence, she d ew nea hese hings. Chicago, New Yo k; D oue , Hu s wood; he wo ld o ashion and he wo ld o s age- hese we e bu inciden s. No hem, bu h a which hey ep esen ed, she Ionged o . (463) Fo he Ame ican d eame o ea l ci ies, he a ainmen o he ideal is ne e as sa is ying as he d eam which spu s i s pu sui . In he s uggle o ame and o une- and he happiness she belie es will come om he se-Ca ie mo es om one eal Ame ican ci y o ano he . She ans o ns hese u ban places in o imagina y ci ies whe e success-howe e g andly ealized-will ine i ably pale in compa ison wi h he idyllic concep ions os e ed by he imagina ion. D eise ends his no el on a cau iona y no e: he Ame ican d eam is no wha i appea s o be in he eal Ame ican cily: Real and Imagina y Ci ies in D eise 's Sis e Ca ie 137 Know, hen, ha o you is nei he su ei no con en . In you ocking chai , by you window d eaming, shall you long, alone. In you ocking chai , by you window, shall you d eam such happiness as you may ne e eel. (465) WORKSCITED DREISER, THEODORE. 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