Instead, the focus is put on her dreams of becoming wealthy and obtaining power. Her pursuit of money and power is what drives her throughout the novel, not her romantic feelings for men.
To heighten the theme of industry and its importance in the novel, Dreiser goes into detailed descriptions of money itself. When Carrie gets a job offer at the clothing factory, the author gives precise information regarding the salary she earns, $3.50 per week. When she locates another job in a shoe factory later in the story, she is excited to find that her salary will rise to $4.50 per week. This technique of giving the exact dollar figures continues throughout the novel. When Hurstwood becomes poor, the novel comments on every penny he loses.
There are several reasons for Dreiser's intense focus on commerce and financial matters. First, Dreiser himself grew up much like Carrie. He was preoccupied with fantasies and thoughts about money throughout most of his life. Having grown up in extreme poverty, Dreiser was interested in the security and comfort that money could provide. Another factor that contributed to Dreiser's focus on money is the time period in which the novel was written. During his childhood, the nation emphasized that anyone could become rich in this great land of opportunity. Dreiser felt these Gilded Age misconceptions. His novel reflects both the difficulties and possibilities presented by the rapid expansions of American commerce at the end of the nineteenth century (Moss 329).
When Sister Carrie was first published, the public was appalled at Dreiser's work. They did not like his realism and portrayal of American life during that period. Similarly, when critics read his work, at first they did not appreciate his realistic portrayal of life in the United States. Only later did they applaud Dreiser's style. Critics did, however, immediately praise Dreiser's sensitivity and viewed it as a powerful storytelling tool.