Sister Carrie: Carrie and Hurstwood

-Neither Carrie is not a usual Villain. She certainly isn't an outright villains like the other books I have read but I think she is a good example of a more every day villain.

-In the beginning, it would see she was the victim. Drouet feels sympathy for her low-income situation but he also wants to use his money as a way to sleep with her. But it is Carrie's own obsession with money and material items that lets Drouet do this. In return for clothes and nights out on the town, Carrie agrees to live with him without getting married. But Carrie is far from innocent. As soon as she sees Drouet next to Hurstwood, her attention begins to transfer to the more fashionable and wealthier man.

-Carrie dances between the two men, taking all that they give to her. She bathes in Hurstwood's love and the prospect of a good marriage, but accepts material gifts and acting roles from Drouet. Drouet was not the only one using Carrie, they were using each other. As soon as she found someone who she thought she could marry and bring her into even greater luxury, she leaves him.

-Carrie is so caught up in her own wants, that she does not realize the lengths in which Hurstwood has gone to runaway with her. After years of loyal service, he steals ten thousand dollars from work. Not that Hurstwood is completely innocent here. On the contrary, he lied to Carrie to get her to runaway with him, didnt tell her he stole the money, and married her without divorcing his wife. However, these are not the reasons why their relationship begins to fall apart - it is the lack of money.

-Once Carrie becomes friends with her neighbor, Mrs. Vance, she once again has a taste of the upperclass in New York, which is on an even higher scale than Chicago. Carrie begins to become dissatisfied again. When Hurstwood loses his job, stops dressing well, and puts a cut off on Carrie's spending, things begin to go very sour. It was at this point in the book that I began to wonder if Carrie had ever loved Hurstwood in the first place or if it is as I have said in this blog - it was only his wealth and status in Chicago's society that fascinated her.

-They begin to resent each other, until finally Carrie finds work on her own as an actress under the name, "Carrie Madenda," which Drouet had given her. Carrie ends up leaving Hurstwood with 20 dollars and note to live with Lola. Free of Hurstwood, Carrie's career begins to take off. After becoming successful she encounters both Drouet and Hurstwood the same night. She feels pity for Hurstwood and gives him money, but does not seem to take any responsibility she may have had in his fall. Hurstwood ends up killing himself, Carrie remains successful but unhappy. She does not seek out information about him and dos not know that he has died.