The city of Chicago is such an important setting that it's almost its own character in Sister Carrie. It's painted as an urban juggernaut that is vibrant, teeming with life, and brimming with opportunities. The narrator tells the reader:
In 1889 Chicago had the peculiar qualifications of growth which made such adventuresome pilgrimages even on the part of young girls plausible. Its many and growing commercial opportunities gave it widespread fame, which made of it a giant magnet, drawing to itself, from all quarters, the hopeful and the hopeless—those who had their fortune yet to make and those whose fortunes and affairs had reached a disastrous climax elsewhere. [...] Its population was not so much thriving upon established commerce as upon the industries which prepared for the arrival of others.
In the 19th century, Chicago transformed rapidly from its beginnings as a small frontier town into one of the world's largest and most influential cities. The Great Chicago Fire of 1871 devastated much of the city, but it also paved the way for innovative architectural and urban planning. As the century progressed, Chicago became a nexus for industry, commerce, and immigration. It attracted a diverse population from all over the world, who arrived in search of employment and opportunity. However, this rapid growth also brought significant challenges, including intense labor disputes, crowded living conditions, and stark economic disparities made worse by its intense weather and lack of charitable infrastructure. Dreiser's detailed portrayal of Chicago makes the city seem enormous and labyrinthine. It’s depicted as being a place of opportunity but also of great danger, where “those who had their fortune yet to make and those whose fortunes and affairs had reached a disastrous climax” can switch roles at the drop of a hat. The city, with its burgeoning industries and “growing commercial opportunities,” promises jobs in plenty. However, all of this underscores the bitter irony of a city overloaded with both work and workers: while job opportunities abound, financial stability remains a distant dream for many.
Later in the book, as the setting shifts to New York, Dreiser introduces readers to a world punctuated by theater scenes and glaring opulence. However, the affluence of Carrie’s new city is juxtaposed with its moral ambiguities. The author suggests that the kind of success and fame Carrie achieves often comes at a significant moral cost.
What's more, the overarching setting of the 19th century in Sister Carrie serves as a backdrop for the entire narrative. On the one hand, the novel grapples with lingering Victorian attitudes: people’s responses are often dictated by their conservatism and moral rigidity. On the other hand, the book also confronts newer, more modern perspectives that take a more realistic approach to life and morality in the face of economic hardship.
