Sister Carrie

by Theodore Dreiser

"Sister Carrie" by Theodore Dreiser is a novel published in 1900 about a young woman who leaves rural Wisconsin for Chicago in pursuit of the American Dream. Eighteen-year-old Caroline Meeber becomes entangled with two men—a charming salesman and a married bar manager—as she navigates the harsh realities of urban life. Through chance and ambition, she discovers her talent for acting and begins her ascent to stardom, while those around her face dramatically different fates in the unforgiving big city.