sister carrie

Chapter 16

Chapter 9 The Destructive Effects of Customs: The Eye of Envy

Hurstwood's house was in the North End near Lincoln Park. It was a brick building style popular at the time. It had three floors and the ground floor was slightly lower than the street level.A large hanging window on the second floor protrudes from the upper floor.Dotted in front of the gate is a small lawn, twenty-five feet wide and ten feet long.There is a small yard behind the house, which is separated from the neighbor's house next door by a wall.There is also a stable with horses and a boxcar.

There are ten rooms in the family, where he lives with himself, his wife Juliet, his son, and his daughter, George Jr. and Jessica.There was also a maid, chosen from time to time from girls of all backgrounds, for Mrs. Hurstwood was not so easy to please.

"George, I let Mary go yesterday." It was not the first time she had said that at the dinner table.

"Okay." That was his only answer.It was enough for him to keep discussing such tiresome issues.

There is nothing softer, more graceful, and more conducive to making the natures raised in it strong and righteous than a lovely home atmosphere, which is a flower in the world.One who has not experienced such beneficent influences cannot appreciate why tears should come to anyone's eyes at the wonderful sounds of lovely music.That mysterious string connects and stirs the hearts of the countrymen, but they will never understand it.

The Hurstwood home could never be said to have such a domestic atmosphere.It lacks that necessary tolerance and mutual concern without which family is nothing.There is handsome furniture, arranged as far as the master's artistic taste can go.There were soft rugs, stately chairs and couches, a grand piano, an unknown marble Venus by an unknown artist, and some small brass collection from God knows where Come, though, generally sold by the big furniture stores, among other things, to the "perfectly furnished home."

In the dining room there was a closet, with round gleaming decanters and other glassware for use and decoration, all furnished beyond words.This is where Hurstwood's housekeeping skill lies.He has studied this for many years in his line of work.Whenever a maid came, he always gave a cheerful lecture on the art of furnishing.He's not much of a nag.On the contrary, he is a person who has a reserved attitude towards all matters of family life. In a word, in a common saying, he is a gentleman.He doesn't like to argue, he doesn't like to talk.There was a touch of dogmatism in his manner.And he ignored everything he couldn't correct.There is a tendency in his character that whenever he encounters unthinkable things, he walks away and ignores them.

There were times when he doted on Jessica, especially when he was young and focused on his career.However, at the age of 17.Jessica tends to be a little reserved, and she likes to speak for herself, which makes it difficult to arouse a father's love for his daughter.She was in high school, and the life concepts she learned were obviously the set of aristocratic society.She loved to dress beautifully, and was always asking for new clothes to be made.Love, an elegant family home, these thoughts were constantly in her head.She met some girls at school, her parents were indeed rich, and her father was a shareholder or boss of a big company.These girls have a style befitting their prosperous families.Jessica's only friends were those she met at school.

The young Hurstwood was already working in a large real estate company at the age of 20 and had a promising future.He does not subsidize his family's expenses. Others think he is saving money and planning to invest in real estate.He had some ability, was rather vain, and liked to play, but not so much as to interfere with work.He came and went, pursuing his own plans and fantasies, occasionally saying a few words to Mama and telling little stories to Father, but mostly limited to those general things, and talked mostly to these.He is not frank with anyone about his desires.He didn't find anyone in his family who loved him particularly.

Mrs. Hurstwood was one of those types of women who are always trying to show off, but who are troubled by the obvious superiority of others.Her knowledge of life reached out to that little traditional circle of society--one of which she longed to be, but was not yet.It's not that she doesn't have self-knowledge. Taking her as an example, this is impossible.As for her daughter, she hopes things are better.Through Jessica, she might be able to raise her social status a little bit.Through little George's possible accomplishments, she might earn her share of the glory of pointing her son out to others with pride.In Hurstwood's case, he was not doing badly, and she was anxious to see his little estate business succeed.His estate was still relatively small, but his income was satisfactory, and his position in the Fitzgerald-Moai hotel was secure.The two gentlemen got along well with him, even very casually, without restraint.

The atmosphere created by these characters is obviously well known to everyone.This is manifested in thousands of small conversations, all of which come from the same caliber.

"I'm going to Fox Lake to-morrow," said George Jr. at supper on Friday night.

"What's there?" asked Mrs. Hurstwood.

"Eddie Farway's got a new boat to launch, and he wants me to see how it goes."

"How much did he spend?" his mother asked.

"Oh, more than 2000 yuan, he said it was a fashionable thing."

"Old Farway must be making a lot of money," put in Hurstwood.

"He does, I think. Jack told me they're going to ship Vika-Kola to Australia now--said they sent a big shipment to Cape Town last week."

"Just think of it!" said Mrs. Hurstwood. "They've only been on the ground floor of Muddy Street for four years."

"Jack told me they're going to build a six-story building on Robert Street next spring."

"Think about it!" said Jessica.

On this particular occasion, Hurstwood was going first.

"I think I still have to go downtown." He said as he stood up.

"Shall we go to the McVicker's on Monday?" asked Mrs. Hurstwood.She didn't stand up.

"Yes." He said casually.

He went upstairs to get his hat and coat, and they continued eating.After a while, the door slammed.

"Looks like Dad's gone," Jessica said.

Jessica's news about the school is unique.

"They're going to play upstairs at Ransim," she reported the news one day, "and I'm going to be there."

"Really?" said his mother.

"Yes, and I'd like a new dress. Some of the prettiest girls in the school are going. Miss Balmore is going to play the part of Portia." )
"Really?" said Mrs. Hurstwood.

"They brought Mada Grisuut in again, and she thought she could do it."

"Her family isn't much, is it?" said Hurstwood sympathetically. "They haven't got much money, have they?"

"No," replied Jessica, "they're as poor as church mice."

She was also very aware of the individual situations of the boys at the school, many of whom were attracted by her beauty.

"What do you think?" she said to her mother one night, "that Herbert Cranner wants to be my friend."

"Who is he, my dear?" asked Mrs. Hurstwood.

"Oh, nothing." Jessica pursed her beautiful lips.

"Just a student there, he has nothing."

It was a different story when the young son of the soapmaker Briford saw her home.Mrs. Hurstwood was reading in a rocking chair on the third floor when she happened to look out.

"Jessica, who's with you?" she asked as Jessica came upstairs.

"Mr. Briford, Ma," she answered.

"Really?" said Mrs. Hurstwood.

"Yes, he wants me to go to the park together." She went upstairs with a little flush on her face.

"Nothing, my dear," said Mrs. Hurstwood, "don't stay long."

She glanced out the window with interest as they walked out into the street.It's a pleasing sight, yes, very pleasing.

In such an atmosphere Hurstwood lived for many years without giving much thought to it.He is not by nature one to fret over something better, unless there is an immediate benefit, and the contrast between good and bad is striking.In fact, he had always received and given favors, sometimes to chagrin at their selfish and indifferent gestures, and at other times to the grace of others, which was in favor of his own dignity. and social identity.The hotel he took care of was his own life.This is where he spends most of his time.He came home in the evening and thought the house was not bad.With occasional exceptions, the food was decent, and the average servant could handle it.Sometimes he was also interested in what his sons and daughters said, and they always looked very good.Mrs. Hurstwood's vanity made her dress richer, but it was better for Hurstwood than poor attire.There is no emotion between them.

There was no great dissatisfaction, and there was nothing surprising about her opinion on any topic.They didn't talk much among themselves, so they couldn't argue.As the saying goes, she has her ideas, and he has his.Occasionally, he will meet a woman whose youthfulness and sense of humor make his wife look awkward. However, the temporary dissatisfaction caused by this encounter will be offset by his social status and some considerations of gains and losses. Offset, he can't complicate his family life because it might affect his relationship with his bosses.They don't want any scandal.To keep one's position, one must have a solid demeanor, a clean reputation, and an impeccable family.Therefore, whatever he did, he was always cautious, and in the afternoons or on Sundays, in public places, he was always with his wife and sometimes with his children.He would also go to the local playground, or one around Wisconsin, and spend a few days in a routine, going for traditional walks, doing traditional things, and knowing the need to do so.

If any of the many rich middle-class people he knew was in trouble, he'd shake his head.It's no good talking about such things.When talking to his close friends, he always looked down on such follies. "It's all right to do it--everybody does it--but why don't you pay attention?" Anyone who made a mistake and found out lost his sympathy.

For this reason, he still finds some time to walk around with his wife--a tiring time, too, if it weren't for the people he would meet, and things that had nothing to do with her presence or absence. Little entertainment.Sometimes he looked at her with considerable curiosity, because she still had a certain charm, and the men still looked at her.She was kind, vain, and flattering.He was well aware that all this combined could produce tragedy for a woman in her family position.Because of his state of mind, he doesn't have much faith in women.His wife had never had the virtue to win the confidence and love of a man of his nature.As long as she still loved him passionately, he could see what trust would look like, but once the link was no longer the link—ah, something might happen.

Over the past year or two, household expenses have seemed like a big deal.Jessica wanted beautiful clothes, and Mrs. Hurstwood couldn't compete with her daughter, and she kept adding clothes.Hurstwood had never said anything about it before, but one day he began to murmur.

"Jessica must have a new dress this month," Mrs. Hurstwood said one morning.

Hurstwood was putting on his dainty waistcoat before the mirror.

"Didn't she just buy one?" he said.

"It's made for evening wear," said his wife rather triumphantly.

"I see," replied Hurstwood, "that she's been spending quite a bit on her clothes lately."

"Well, she will go out to socialize more times in the future than before." His wife came to such a conclusion.But listening to her tone, he felt that there was something in it that he had never heard before.

He is a person who doesn't travel much, but if he does, he is used to taking her with him.A delegation of city senators recently visited Philadelphia—a ten-day tour.Hurstwood was also invited.

"Nobody there knows us," said one gentleman.The face of this man is simply a portrayal of ignorance and sensuality, and he always wears a high-spirited top hat on his head. "We can have a good time with it." His left eye seemed to twitch. "Would you like to join, George?"

The next day Hurstwood made his intentions known to his wife.

"I'm going away, Juliet," he said, "for a few days."

"Where are you going?" She raised her head and asked.

"To Philadelphia, to run errands."

She looked at him intently, as if expecting something.

"I'm not going to take you this time."

"Okay," she replied.But he could see that what was on her mind was that there was something odd about it.Before he left, she asked him a few more questions, which annoyed him.He began to feel that she was a burden.

He had a great time traveling this time.At the end of the trip, he regretted coming home.He was not one to prevaricate, and he hated having to explain it.The whole story was explained away in general terms, but Mrs. Hurstwood thought it over for a while.She made up for the loss by going out in her carriage more often than before, by dressing better, and by going to the theatre.

Such an atmosphere can hardly be said to belong to the category of family life.Family life is based on the force of habit, on the force of traditional ideas.Over time, it will inevitably become more and more boring-in the end, it must become gunpowder, easy to ignite, easy to burn.

(End of this chapter)