With his "Theory of the Leisure Class" (1899), which is nowadays considered one of his most popular works, Veblen made himself a social outsider because his criticism of society was harsh and provoking. Although he accepted utilitarianism and praised the industrial efficiency of the engineering professions, he rejected what Mills calls the American value of the "heraldry of the greenback" and the "pecuniary fanatism of the business chieftain". Still his work was widely read and many of the problems which he saw in contemporary American society are even nowadays still quite relevant.
Dreiser's first successful novel "Sister Carrie" was written in 1900, only one year after Veblen's main work had been published. This fact, as well as the widespread interest in Veblen's theories throughout America may have influenced Dreiser at least indirectly. More important though, is whether there is some textual evidence to prove their agreements and disagreements concerning their critique of society.
In contrast to Veblen, Dreiser did not have a solid educational background and was in fact "almost a generation behind the sweep of American intellectual life" (Noble, "Dreiser and Veblen and the Literature of Cultural Change"), so many of his explanations of human hehaviour were made in terms of "chemisms" (Noble 149). Dreiser at times tended to believe Spencer's theories of social-Darwinism and that man was not much more than a „machine“ and mainly controlled by physical laws, while Veblen had rather moved beyond such notions (Noble 149). On a deeper level though, Noble considers the supposedly post-Spencerian Veblen to have unconsciously clinged to Spencer's belief in optimistic progressivism, while Dreiser had in fact transcended such notions and raised some doubts about the belief in inevitable and controlled progress in his works (Noble 148). Noble states that the "America described by Dreiser in Sister Carrie is an entirely different world from that of Thorstein Veblen." (Noble 150). In contrast to this position, Eby states that many of the behaviours and motivations of the protagonists in "Sister Carrie" are in accordance to Veblen’s concepts. She even calls Hurstwood’s fall the „Tragedy of Noninvidiousness“ (Eby 128).
In how far the characters in Dreiser's "Sister Carrie" actually behave accordingly to Veblen's concepts or not, is the topic of this work. Through my findings I will form a conclusion, in how far Veblen's and Dreiser's views of America are congruent.
Table of Contents
1 INTRODUCTION
2 VEBLEN’S THE THEORY OF THE LEISURE CLASS
2.1 THE LEISURE CLASS
3 CONSPICIOUS LEISURE AND CONSPICIOUS CONSUMPTION
4 SECONDARY LEISURE CLASS
5 MAIN ANALYSIS
5.1 CARRIE MEEBER
5.1.1 Carrie’s Obsession for Clothes
5.1.2 Carrie’s Attitude Towards Work
5.1.3 Theater and Theatricality
6 CHARLES DROUET
7 G. W. HURSTWOOD
8 BOB AMES
9 SUMMARY
10 WORKS CITED
10.1 PRIMARY SOURCES
10.2 SECONDARY SOURCES
Objectives and Research Focus
This work examines the extent to which the characters in Theodore Dreiser’s novel "Sister Carrie" embody the socio-economic concepts established by Thorstein Veblen in "The Theory of the Leisure Class," specifically focusing on the intersection of status-seeking, material consumption, and human motivation in turn-of-the-century America.
- Application of Veblenian concepts like "invidious comparison" and "pecuniary emulation" to literary characters.
- Analysis of the relationship between clothing, social status, and personal identity.
- Evaluation of the "secondary leisure class" and the moral implications of labor versus idleness.
- Contrast between the deterministic naturalism in Dreiser's work and the social theories of Veblen.
Excerpt from the Book
5.1.1 Carrie’s Obsession for Clothes
In Sister Carrie (Dreiser, Theodore. Sister Carrie. Special Centennial Edition, introduction by David Lingeman, New York: Signet 2000), the narrator pays close attention to the clothes and accessoires the characters wear. Carrie’s fascination for clothes goes much further than the mere desire to possess them, she develops a fetishism for them. Clare Virginia Eby expresses this in psychological terms: „Carrie’s eros has been sublimated to acquisition“ (Eby 118). Shortly after she has left her family and is on the train to Chicago she pays very close attention to the clothes Drouet is wearing: "His suit was of a striped and crossed pattern of brown wool, new at that time, but since become familiar as a business suit. The low crotch of the vest revealed a stiff shirt bosom of white and pink stripes. From this coat sleeves protruded a pair of linen cuffs of the same pattern, fastened with large, goldplate buttons, set with the common yellow agates known as 'cats-eyes'. His fingers bore several rings - one, the ever-enduring heavy seal - and from his vest dangled a neat goldwatch chain, from which was suspended the secret insignia of the Order of Elks. The whole suit was rather tight-fitting, and was finished off with heavy-soled tan shoes, highly polished, and the grey fedora hat. He was, for the order of intellect represented, attractive, and whatever he had to recommend him, you may be sure was not lost upon Carrie, in this, her first glance." (SC 3-4)
As Juras states, both Drouet and Hurstwood are for Carrie „mere composite[s] of coat lapels, vest, shoes, buttons, and cravat“ (Juras 189; cited from: Corkin, Stanley. „Sister Carrie and Modern Industrial Life: Objects and the New American Self.“. Modern Fiction Studies 33 (1987): 605-19, here: 613) which illustrates that she does not really care for them. But, as Eby notes, it is not primarily the clothes that Carrie desires in terms of conspicious consumption as some critics claim (Eby 117, 128), but what they represent.
Summary of Chapters
1 INTRODUCTION: This chapter contextualizes the study by linking Veblen's social theories to Dreiser's literary work and defines the scope of the comparative analysis.
2 VEBLEN’S THE THEORY OF THE LEISURE CLASS: This section defines key Veblenian terms such as "leisure class" and examines the historical and sociological origins of his critique of predatory and wasteful social structures.
3 CONSPICIOUS LEISURE AND CONSPICIOUS CONSUMPTION: The chapter explores the shift from agrarian to urban life and how the need for social recognition drives individuals to display wealth through consumption.
4 SECONDARY LEISURE CLASS: This analysis focuses on the phenomenon of middle-class individuals struggling to maintain the appearance of status, often leading to psychological strain and financial instability.
5 MAIN ANALYSIS: This section applies theoretical frameworks to Carrie Meeber, examining her evolving obsession with clothes, her rejection of lower-class labor, and her theatrical rise.
6 CHARLES DROUET: This chapter highlights the differences in status aspiration between Drouet and Carrie, illustrating how Drouet balances his desire for status with satisfaction in his current life.
7 G. W. HURSTWOOD: This analysis traces Hurstwood’s downfall, framing his personal tragedy as a failure to detach his identity from outdated concepts of social standing.
8 BOB AMES: This chapter discusses Ames as an embodiment of the "ideal" engineer, examining his failure to serve as an effective role model or influence on Carrie's materialistic outlook.
9 SUMMARY: The final chapter synthesizes the findings, concluding that while Dreiser does not purely illustrate Veblen’s theories, the novel’s character dynamics are deeply rooted in the concepts of emulation and invidious comparison.
10 WORKS CITED: This section provides a comprehensive list of primary and secondary sources used in the analysis.
Keywords
Thorstein Veblen, Theodore Dreiser, Sister Carrie, Invidious Comparison, Pecuniary Emulation, Conspicuous Consumption, Secondary Leisure Class, Social Status, Naturalism, Industrialization, Urbanization, Bildungsroman, Identity, Materialism, American Dream
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary focus of this study?
The study investigates the relationship between the socio-economic theories of Thorstein Veblen and the character development, motivations, and social dynamics presented in Theodore Dreiser’s novel "Sister Carrie."
What are the central themes discussed in the work?
The central themes include social status, the psychology of emulation, the visibility of wealth through consumption, and the conflict between individual desires and class identity in turn-of-the-century America.
What is the primary research question?
The research asks to what extent the characters in "Sister Carrie" exhibit behaviors that align with or diverge from Veblen's theories regarding the "leisure class" and "pecuniary emulation."
What scientific or analytical method is applied?
The work employs a qualitative, textual analysis method, applying sociological frameworks from Veblen’s "The Theory of the Leisure Class" to analyze character interactions, motivations, and the narrator’s social commentary within the novel.
What is covered in the main body of the work?
The main body systematically analyzes the three central characters—Carrie Meeber, Charles Drouet, and G. W. Hurstwood—against Veblen's theories, followed by an examination of Bob Ames as a contrastive figure.
Which keywords best characterize this research?
Key terms include pecuniary emulation, invidious comparison, conspicuous consumption, secondary leisure class, and the sociological critique of industrialized American society.
How does the work interpret Hurstwood’s downfall?
It interprets his fall not merely as a loss of money, but as a "tragedy of non-invidiousness," where his inability to adapt his identity to a new, lower social status leads to his total collapse.
Why is Carrie’s relationship with clothes considered more than mere vanity?
The analysis argues that for Carrie, clothes are a tool for "pecuniary emulation"; they are a form of identity construction that allows her to feel a sense of social belonging and worth beyond her actual economic reality.
Does the work view Bob Ames as a successful antidote to the novel's materialism?
No, the work concludes that while Ames represents Veblen's "ideal" engineer, he ultimately fails to influence Carrie’s materialistic path, rendering him a helpless spectator rather than a transformative force.
- Quote paper
- M. A. Oliver Steinert-Lieschied (Author), 2006, The Representation of Veblen‘s Concepts from the "Theory of the Leisure Class" in Dreisers "Sister Carrie", Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/145306
