Sister Carrie: Chapter 43 Summary & Analysis

Carrie is now installed in her “comfortable room.” She fears bumping into Hurstwood, but “as day after day [passes]” without his appearance, Carrie forgets him and becomes fully absorbed in her work. With Lola’s help, Carrie becomes “wise in theatrical lore.” As she reads “newspaper notices” about the opera, Carrie begins to wish for fame: “She longed to be renowned like others.” At this time, newspapers and magazines begin to print pictures of “the faces and forms of well-known theatrical celebrities.” Carrie wonders if “some paper [would] think her photo worth while.” One day, Carrie sees that the papers have printed a notice about her part as a country maid and is thrilled. Lola encourages her and Carrie begins “to think the world was taking note of her.”

Carrie’s new salary is more than she can spend: she “found her purse bursting with good green bills of comfortable denominations.” Carrie buys many “pretty clothes and pleasing trinkets,” in addition to eating well and decorating her room. She meets a few young men, one who takes an interest in her, but Carrie does not return his interest. The young man notices that Carrie is “not so inexperienced as she looks.” Nevertheless, Carrie “could not help sharing in Lola’s love for a good time” and immerses herself in “the metropolitan whirl of pleasure.”

One day, Carrie’s picture appears in the newspaper. Carrie is thrilled and thinks of “going down and buying a few copies of the paper, but [remembers] that there [is] no one she [knows] well enough to send them to.” Carrie notes that “only Lola, apparently, in all the world [is] interested.” She finds the metropolis “a cold place socially” and that a little money brings her no happiness: “the world of wealth and distinction [is] quite as far away as ever.”

Carrie learns that her opera plans to go on the road and decides to audition for a summer play at the casino. The manager at the casino has “never heard of Carrie,” but upon learning of her notices in the papers, offers her a silent part at $30 a week. Carrie’s looks earn her another photo in the newspaper announcement regarding the play.

Unbeknownst to Carrie, the author of the play “had fancied a great deal could be made of such a part, given to the right actress, but now, since it had been doled out to Carrie, he would as leave have had it cut out.” Carrie’s feels that she was “effectually shelved” and is disconsolate at rehearsal. However, the stage manager finds this pleasing and tells her to frown more, as it looks “quaint and droll.”

On opening night, the audience notices Carrie by the second act and begins to laugh. The chief comedian is annoyed that Carrie has taken attention away from him; however, the manager likes Carrie’s performance and decides that she should continue frowning. Carrie becomes a “hit” and the newspapers praise her endlessly. The author of the play writes a part for Carrie to sing. The manager then raises her salary to $150 a week and extends her contract for twelve months. For Carrie this development opens the door to “a world of possibilities.”

Hurstwood reads about Carrie’s success from “a third-rate Bleecker Street hotel,” “without at first realising who was meant.” After realizing that the newspaper is covering Carrie, Hurstwood reads the item “over again” and broods. Carrie seems to Hurstwood “a creature afar off—like every other celebrity he had known.” Hurstwood resolves not to contact Carrie, out of “a bent, bedraggled, but unbroken pride.”