Sister Carrie: Chapter 33 Summary & Analysis

Carrie does not see Ames anymore and goes on leading life as usual. Still, Ames becomes “an ideal to contrast men by—particularly men close to her.” During this time, Hurstwood’s financial situation remains stable; however, his psychological situation declines. He is aging and “[feels] the depression of it.” Furthermore, Hurstwood always compares his current state to his old state. His friends are no longer celebrities and his “step [is] not as sharp and firm.” He is “left to brood.” Every day, Hurstwood reads the papers and often sees announcements about those he knew from Chicago. He feels “forgotten.”

During the third year in New York, Hurstwood’s business declines: “The tide of patronage dropped a little below what it had been at its best since he had been there.” This irritates him. He finally confesses to Carrie that he is losing money and tells her to spend less. Carrie perceives that “[Hurstwood] did not seem to consult her about buying clothes for himself.” She acquiesces to Hurstwood but with rebellious thoughts.

Carrie depends on the Vances “for her enjoyment.” Unfortunately for Carrie, Mrs. Vance moves during the spring. Carrie feels “genuine sorrow,” as “she had enjoyed Mrs. Vance’s company so much.” At the same time, Hurstwood is in a gloom over decreased profits. With the departure of Mrs. Vance and Hurstwood’s mood, Carrie grows dissatisfied.

One night, Hurstwood, “after thinking about a way to modify Carrie’s desire for clothes and the general strain upon his ability to provide,” tells Carrie that he wants to open a place of his own and, thus, needs to save money. Hurstwood suggests a smaller flat. Carrie agrees, though she thinks “a smaller flat [sounds] like poverty.”

This affects Carrie “more seriously than anything that had yet happened.” Carrie starts to see Hurstwood’s flaws and also begins “to feel that she had made a mistake.” The new apartment and neighborhood do not appeal to Carrie. She makes the new home “charming enough, but could not make it delight her.”

Hurstwood tries to show Carrie that “there [is] no cause for financial alarm, but only congratulation over the chance he would have at the end of the year by taking her rather more frequently to the theater and by providing a liberal table.” Hurstwood wishes more and more to think alone. He begins to brood and finds less joy in Carrie: “The delight of love had again slipped away. It was a case of live, now, making the best you can out of a very commonplace station in life.”

Hurstwood’s business partner, Shaughnessy, finds Hurstwood’s gloominess disagreeable and “[begins] to wish that Hurstwood was out of [the business].” However, “the owner of the land [arranges] things even more effectually than ill-will could have schemed”: the owner sells the land to a new man who plans tear down the saloon for a “modern office building.” Shaughnessy does not wish to start another business with Hurstwood. Hurstwood grows worried at “the loss of his thousand dollars” and becomes depressed.

Hurstwood begins to look for other jobs, “but opportunities [are] not numerous.” By the end, of the business, Hurstwood is still jobless. Hurstwood informs Carrie that he is “going to get the worst of [his] deal.” Carrie asks if he thinks he can find another job. She can see that Hurstwood is “broke.” Hurstwood responds with a solemn, “I can try.”