Dreiserova Sister Carrie u kontekstu američkog potrošačkog društva

The influx of immigrants, expanding population, rise of metropolis, industrialization and urbanization gradually led the American nineteenth century society to change into a consumer society. People’s desire to not only buy but also to possess things, money, and even other people grew more and more until it became insatiable. Inspired by the consumer society of his time which led either to success or downfall, Theodore Dreiser wrote his most famous novel Sister Carrie. This paper explores how Theodore Dreiser critized the consumer society by depicting its negative outcomes. Having realized that America is everything but a middle class society, he was among the first to show that the society consists of the wealthy and the poor and that neither are contended. The points discussed in this paper show that Dreiser did not accept the world around him, did not want to adhere to the rules and norms imposed by society and critized people’s willingness to do just about anything in order to succeed