SisterCarrietellsthestoryoftwocharacters:CarrieMeeber,anordinarygirlwhorisesfromalow-paidwageearnertoahigh-paidactress,andGeorgeHurstwood,amemberoftheuppermiddleclasswhofallsfromhiscomfortablelifestyletoalifeonthestreets.NeitherCarrienorHurstwoodearntheirfatesthroughvirtueorvice,butratherthroughrandomcircumstance.Theirsuccessesandfailureshavenomoralvalue;thisstancemarksSisterCarrieasadeparturefromtheconventionalliteratureoftheperiod.
DreisertouchesuponawiderangeofthemesandexperiencesinSisterCarrie,fromgrindingpovertytoupper-middleclasscomfort.Thenoveldwellsonthemomentasitisexperienced;thecharactersareplungedintothenarrativewithoutthereaderbeingtoldmuch,ifany,oftheirhistories.Theiridentitiesareconstantlysubjecttochange,reflectingthemodernAmericanexperiencethathadbeenusheredinbythedevelopingcapitalisteconomy.Intheprocessofthisdevelopment,thousandsofruralAmericansrushedtothecitiestofindjobsandtobuildthemselvesnewlivesandidentities.SisterCarriecapturestheexcitementofthatexperience.
