Sister Carrie’s Identity Crisis

Sister Carrie is the first novel by Theodore Dreiser. It shows the great changes of American society at the turn of the 19th and the 20th centuries by depiciting the story of how Carrie, a poor country girl, becomes a famous star in Broadway.This thesis attempts to apply American social psychologist Erikson’s identity crisis theory to analyze the protagonist Carrie’s identity crisis. Erikson divides self consciousness into eight stages, the fifth of which being the adolescence stage, or the stage of ego identity versus identity diffusion. It is a stage, in which the adolescents attempt to explore who they are and who they are going to be. In this stage, the adolescents are faced with many new choices and social requirements. Only through successful transition from childhood to adulthood can they form a new self identity. Otherwise, they will develop some kind of role confusion.Based on such a theory, this thesis shall try to approach Carrie’s identity crisis from three aspects:the causes, the manifestations, and the overcome of her identity crisis. First, the causes of her identity crisis. This thesis argues that the causes of Carrie’s identity crisis comes from two factors. One is the social background the novel depicts, or the capitalistic industrialization and the oppression women suffer in such an environment, including the indifference among people, worship of money and spiritual alienation. The other is her sister Minnie who is also a major reason why Carrie has suffered her identity crisis.Secondly, the manifestations of her identity crisis. This thesis shall analyze and interprete the manifestations of Carrie’s identity crisis from three perspectives:the worship of money, her attitude towards marriage.and her spiritual and physical loss. According to Erickson’s identity crisis theory. if the adolescents who are in this crisis stage cannot form their complete self identities. they may develop negative identities. Carrie catches a cold bychance and loses her job. It’s quite difficult for her to find a new one and, after seeing the prosperity of big cities, she is reluctant to go back to her hometown. At this dilemma, she meets the drumnler Drouet again. In order to stay in the city and lead a comfortable life, she becomes the mistress of Drouet. Carrie exchanges her body for her material interest. She expects to enjoy the man’s wealth by marriage, she is experiencing what Erikson has claimed as "moratorium".Finally, the overcome of Carrie’s identity crisis. Through her understanding of real life and epiphany, she has experienced a miraculous transition which enables her to finally get both spiritual and physical independence. When Hurstwood becomes down and out, Carrie decides to live on herself. Carrie becomes a famous performance star. When she gets economic independence, she gets away from home and Hurstwood and returns to complete physical independence. Under the influence of Ames, Carrie has shifted her pursuit from pure material desire to a rich spiritual world. She begins to pursue the beauty of art thereby she succeeds in finding her true identity.