sister carrie

Chapter 51 (1)

Chapter 30 In the Kingdom of Great Things: A Pilgrim's Dream (1)
No matter how capable Hurstwood may have been in Chicago, it was obvious that in New York he would be an inconspicuous drop in the ocean.In Chicago, with a population of about 50, there are not many millionaires.The rich are not so rich that even the middle-income people are unknown.The attention of the inhabitants has not yet been so dazzled by the theatre, art, and notable personalities of society and religion, that people of good social standing are generally ignored.In Chicago, the two paths to fame are politics and business.In New York, there are about fifty roads to fame, and each road is pursued by hundreds of thousands of people, so there are countless famous people.There are already countless whales on this sea.An ordinary little fish is not in people's eyes - people turn a blind eye.In other words, Hurstwood could say nothing.

A situation like this has a very noteworthy consequence, which, although people are often indifferent to it, leads to human tragedy.Great things create an atmosphere whose effects greatly injure small things.Those majestic residences, exquisite equipment, resplendent shopping malls, restaurants and all kinds of amusement places: you just have to walk around these places, the fragrance of flowers, those silks, famous brand wines, those because of very With contented laughter, with those eyes that gleam like spears, those smiles that pierce like sharp swords, those of noble birth striding forward, you can see the noble and the powerful What's up with the atmosphere.It goes without saying that these are not kingdoms of great things.

But as long as the world is attracted by these, and the mind sees these as the only spheres of fulfillment of its desires that must be won, it will always be the realm of great things to such a mind.In the same way, the atmosphere of this heaven and earth must have an effect on the human heart, causing desperate consequences.This is like a chemical reactant.A day's delay here is like a drop of reactant, which affects people's ideas, purposes, and desires, causing them to change their color, and they will be stained with this color forever and ever.To an inexperienced mind, this day is equivalent to a puff of opium for an inexperienced person.From this arises a longing which, when satisfied, results in dreams and death.O dreams that can't be satisfied--those gnawing, teasing, and vain fantasies beckoning, leading the way, to death, to destruction, to melt away their strength, and return us unconscious The heart of nature. (This paragraph is the famous "chemical effect" theory used by the author to observe the world and life. The essence, the dross, and the miscellaneous are combined.)
A man of Hurstwood's age and temperament could no longer bear the sway of youthful fantasies and burning desires, but he no longer had the spring of hope, the power to come.It was impossible for such an atmosphere to arouse youthful longing from his heart.But since the thrill was a fact, the lack of hope made him feel correspondingly bitter.Wealth and luxury are everywhere.It is impossible for him not to see this.He had been in New York before, and he knew that the possibility of doing something stupid was almost everywhere.For him, this place is a bit scary, because here, all the things he respects most in the world are gathered here-wealth, status, fame.Most of the famous people he drank with as a manager back then were from this populous, self-centered place.Some of the famous residences and famous people are told here, and touching stories of pleasure and extravagance are told.

He deeply knows that the following facts are true, that is, he meets rich people all day long without knowing it; It is a privilege to be able to live beyond the usual standard of comfort in such an affluent city.To be fashionable and rich requires a lot of money, and therefore the poor are nothing.Now facing the city, severed from his friends, deprived of his modest assets and even his name, forced to start a new battle for status and comfort, in such a Under the circumstances, he has experienced all of the above.He's not old yet, but he's not that dull, and he can still figure out what to do in the present.So all of a sudden, all the trappings of fancy dress, status, power, took on special meaning.Compared with his own unfortunate situation, the importance of these things is all the more prominent.

The situation is indeed unfortunate.He soon discovers that freedom from the fear of arrest is not the only condition of his existence.The danger of arrest was removed, and the next thing—poverty—became a worry.More than 300 yuan will be used to pay for rent, clothing, food, and entertainment for the next few years. Compared with the two, for a person who is used to spending five times this amount every year, it is not a big deal. What a peaceful scene.In the first few days of his arrival in New York, he gave this problem serious thought and decided that immediate action must be taken.So he consulted the business opportunities advertised in the morning paper and started his own research.

It wasn't done before he was settled, though.Carrie and he set out to find an apartment according to the original plan, and finally found one on No. 70 Bajie Street near Amsterdam Boulevard.It was a five-story building, and the suite they found was on the third floor.Because the houses on this road have not been fully built, you can see the green treetops in Central Park to the east, and the wide river of the Hudson River to the west, which is unobstructed from the west window.In order to enjoy a row of six rooms and a bathroom, they had to pay 35 yuan a month-at that time, this was a common and high rent.Carrie noticed the difference in size between the rooms here and Chicago.She also touched on this.

"You won't find a better one, my dear," said Hurstwood, "unless you find one of those old-fashioned houses, which don't have all the conveniences."

Carrie chose this new abode because it was new and the woodwork was brightly colored.It is a very new building and has heating, which is a great plus.Stationery racks, hot and cold water, special elevators for carrying vegetables, meat, garbage, and waste downstairs, microphones, and bells for the waiter were all available, which made her very happy.Starting from her housewife instinct, she is very satisfied with these things.

Hurstwood contracted with installment furniture stores to furnish the furniture for an initial payment of fifty dollars and then ten dollars a month.Then he made a little sign with Mr. G. U. Wheeler's name on it, and he hung it over his mailbox in the hall.Carrie found it very awkward that the waiter called her Mrs. Wheeler, but in time she got used to it, and took the name as her own.

With the details of these rentals settled, Hurstwood, in accordance with the solicitation advertised, visited a number of places to see if it was possible to participate in a shareholding in one of the hotels in the city centre.After his stay in the palace-like hotels on Arden Street he had disliked the ordinary bars he had been advertised for.He spent days looking for such places, and was not satisfied.However, he also gained a lot of knowledge through the visits, because he discovered the power of Dameny Hall (that is, the headquarters of the American Democratic Party in New York City. - Translator) and the importance of maintaining a good relationship with the police.He found that the most profitable and prosperous places were not the legally operated stores like those controlled by Fitzgerald and Moai.The rooms at the back with gorgeous furnishings and private wine seats on the upper floor are often places attached to very profitable shops.The big bellies of the bosses, the big diamonds shining on the front of their shirts, and their well-tailored clothes showed that the hotel business here, like other places, brought in money like gold.

Then he found a man who owned a hotel in Warren Street, which seemed to be doing well, had a good appearance, and was easy to improve.The boss says business is good, and it looks like it is.

"We entertain a lot of high-class guests," he said to Hurstwood. "Businessmen, salesmen, workers, it's a well-dressed class. There are no vagabonds. We don't allow them to come in."

Hurstwood listened to the ringing of the cash register and watched the business for a while.

(End of this chapter)