Sister Carrie

Sister Carrie

by

Theodore Dreiser

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Sister Carrie: Chapter 14 Summary & Analysis

Summary
Analysis
That night, Carrie is “in a fine glow, physically and mentally.” She rejoices in her affection for Hurstwood and looks forward to meeting him Sunday night. Mrs. Hale and the chambermaid notice that Carrie has gone to meet another man when Drouet is out of town and people in the house begin to gossip. Carrie thinks little of Drouet. This afternoon “was the first time her sympathies had ever been thoroughly aroused,” and Carrie feels a sense of initiative. She considers Hurstwood to be “a way out” and “a drag in the direction of honour.”
Carrie rejoices in her relationship with Hurstwood with little guilt—she does not deem Drouet’s feelings worthy of consideration. Carrie sees Hurstwood as a way out of her life with Drouet, just as she saw Drouet as a way out of her life with Minnie and Hanson. Carrie’s behavior is clearly improper by late 19th-century standards, as both Mrs. Hale and the chambermaid find her meetings with Hurstwood suspicious.
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On the other hand, Hurstwood only thinks of “pleasure without responsibility.” He does not think that a relationship with Carrie will disturb his home life. Hurstwood realizes that Carrie is more serious about his love than he expected, so he resists pursuing her too enthusiastically. He suggests they meet again on Tuesday, but Carrie rejects meeting “so soon.” The two decide to write to each other.
Hurstwood’s intentions are not as honorable as Carrie thinks—he has no plans to leave his life behind and marry her. In other words, his intentions towards Carrie are the same as those of Drouet. Carrie is too naïve to realize that this is the case. Indeed, her innocence and high expectations for Hurstwood take him by surprise and lead him to back off a bit. This shows that Hurstwood does not truly love Carrie—she is merely a pleasant diversion from his unbearable home life.
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Quotes
The next afternoon, Hurstwood sees Drouet at the resort. After exchanging cordial greetings, Hurstwood relays that he “called once” on Carrie and tells Drouet to visit her, as she is “rather anxious about [him].” Drouet leaves thinking Hurstwood is a “nice fellow,” while Hurstwood thinks to himself that Drouet is a “good fellow” but “no man for Carrie.”
Drouet’s complete ignorance with regards to Hurstwood and Carrie’s affair shows not only his senselessness, but also his amiableness: he is too good-natured to suspect that there can be something unpleasant going on between his lover and his friend.
Themes
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Drouet returns to Carrie’s rooms and greets her as usual, but Carrie “[responds] to his kiss with a tremour of opposition.” They briefly talk about Drouet’s sales in La Crosse and his plans to get a raise in a few months. Drouet then claims that if his real estate deal goes through, he will marry Carrie. Carrie responds that she believes Drouet has no intentions to marry her, as he’s been making such claims for a long time. Drouet reassures Carrie that he will marry her, but Carrie perceives how naïve her initial hopes about Drouet had been. In contrast to Drouet, Hurstwood seems “strong and sincere.” Drouet’s “easy manner of putting her off” gives Carrie a sense of justification with regards to her affair with Hurstwood.
Carrie indifference towards Drouet has shifted towards a sort distaste. Indeed, after realizing in full that Drouet has no plans to marry her, Carrie begins to attribute negative values to the salesman and sees Hurstwood all the more positively. This gives her a false sense of justice with regards to the affair. Carrie’s emotions toward Drouet and Hurstwood are too strong and keep her from assessing the situation objectively. Although she might not be wrong with regards to Drouet’s lack of commitment, she is utterly mistaken with regards to Hurstwood’s supposed desire to make a respectable woman out of her.
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Drouet then relates that he met Hurstwood, who invited them to attend the theater. Carrie accepts this invitation with reserve, which Drouet attributes to their earlier conversation regarding marriage. Drouet states that he heard Hurstwood visited once. Carrie accidentally reveals that Hurstwood visited twice. Drouet displays some confusion but imagines that “he must have misunderstood his friend” and “[does] not attach particular importance to the information.” Indeed, upon learning from Carrie that Hurstwood was attempting to alleviate her loneliness and ask after her supposed husband, Drouet is “rather gratified by his conception of the manager’s interest.”
Hurstwood evidently has little respect for Drouet—he invites the salesman and Carrie to the theater with no sense of guilt, and  has no scruples when it comes to making a fool out of Drouet. Carrie’s reserve shows that she has enough respect for Drouet to feel uncomfortable about being with her lover in his presence. Drouet’s good nature prevents him from suspecting that there is something unpleasant going on even after learning that Hurstwood visited more often than he claimed. 
Themes
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After seeing Drouet’s return, Hurstwood immediately writes to Carrie saying that he claimed to have visited once. Carrie writes back saying she accidentally revealed that Hurstwood visited twice, but Drouet seemed not to mind. Hurstwood tells Carrie not to worry and that they will arrange something so that she “won’t have to deceive any one.” Carrie thinks this means that Hurstwood means to marry her soon and decides to “make the best of the situation” until Drouet leaves again.
The lovers are careful to keep their affair hidden from Drouet. Nevertheless, it appears that they do not want to keep the relationship under wraps forever—Hurstwood does not want to make Carrie feel that they are deceiving Drouet. Carrie is too innocent to think that this entails living openly as Hurstwood’s mistress, and instead thinks that Hurstwood plans to marry her.
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At the theater, Carrie and Hurstwood secretly flirt. Carrie almost forgets about Drouet, “who babble[s] on as if he were the host.” Hurstwood is careful and does not “give the slightest indication of a change.” The play proves rather “an ironical situation” that is “due to Drouet alone”: in the play, a wife is seduced by another man in the absence of her husband, and Drouet claims that he hasn’t “any pity for a man who would be such a chump as that.” On the way out, the three encounter a beggar who asks for. Hurstwood hardly notices this, but Drouet gives a dime “with an upwelling feeling of pity in his heart.” and Carrie “quickly [forgets]” the occurrence.
The stage parallels reality—it is an extension of real life. The play essentially portrays the love triangle of Carrie, Hurstwood, and Drouet. Carrie and Hurstwood, of course, realize the situation. Drouet remains ignorant, just as the man being  cheated on in the play remains ignorant, and ironically calls the man in the play a fool. The incident with the beggar shows that although Carrie thinks Hurstwood superior to Drouet in all ways possible, Drouet, in truth, has a kinder heart. Hurstwood is not as great as he seems, and Drouet is not as terrible as he seems.
Themes
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