【正文】 ause of its individuality or immediacy， but because it illustrated general assertions about what happened” when a naive girl leaves home at eighteen, She does on of two things. Either she falls into saving and bees better or she rapidly assumes the cosmopolitan standard of virtue and bees worse.”3 Therefore, Carries story was essentially a case study. Carrie’s importance in the scheme of the novel was at least in part that she was a blank personality, reflecting the world rather than shaping it. On the one side, the material wonders of American life seemingly grasped and enjoyed, What’s more, her working mates, the evidence of many who were confined to a life of permanent distress, served as a powerful. The society, with its vivid examples told her the differences caused by economic gap. Carries first experience in the department store was impressive. Though she had no economic power to buy anything, she discovered in Chicago’s de partment stores a likely door, a door that suggests possibilities. Naturally, she began to associate modities with satisfaction and social status, for those who dressed well were warmly received by the salesgirls. On the other hand, Carries smalltown upbringing taught her to read meaning on the surface of things, she was attracted by Drouet at first glance because men seemed to be contented with her beauty .It took for granted that social position was reflected through people’s dressing, residence, and entertainment． Under this condition, Carrie followed suit without further thinking． Bell had quoted that “her [Carrie’s] definition of money, was popular’...”.4. In a world where value depended on the increasing of wealth, everyone was anxious to promote his social status through economic ways. To conclude, because of Carries personal characteristics, the establishment of her worldly values couldn’t be separated from the social environment. On the one hand, she connected “success” with material achievements. Carrie was always a careful observer and a quick learner. She always tried to learn from others and better herself her later experiences with Drouet, Hurstwood, Mrs. Vance helped her learn to make distinctions, which were largely connected with the dominant social values at that special time. As a matter of fact, not only Carrie, but other characters held the similar view. Under the social surrounding, especially the big city full of deceiving and temptations, she only had a mind rudimentary in its power of observation and analysis, she couldn’t pletely judge right or wrong in society, so society was one of causes of her tragedy. She distorted the relationship between happiness and material. She was eighteen years old， bright， timid. What forced her to go to Chicago is to look for a job. It is another cause of her tragedy — family causes B. Family Causes Family factors, which play an important role in everyone’s growth, result in success or failure of people to some extent. Sister Carrie was born in countryside. Her father was a worker。 her mother was an ordinary labor woman. At that time, she was eighteen years of age. She was possessed of a mind rudimentary in its power of observation and analysis, so she was interested in her appearance, quick to understand the pleasures of life， ambitious to gain material things. But his family couldn’t supply anything with her. Poverty threatened her, so she wanted to depend on her sister who lived in Chicago. Sister Carrie boarded the afternoon train for Chicago with a small base and purse. When Carrie came to the Hansons, she could easily saw that they were living a very hard life， she described their room like this, “the walls of the rooms were discordantly papered. The floors were covered with matting and the hall lay with a thin rag carpet. One could see that the furniture was of that poor, hurriedly patched together quality sold by the installment houses.”5 .Her sister was thin though woman of twenty seven, her husband affected her and fast hardening into narrower conceptions of pleasure and duty than had ever been hers in a thoroughly circumscribed youth. Minnie thought her sister got into her home for the first time. She let her live with them. But Minnie thought of the resource which Carries board would add. When Minnie timidly talked about the board after Carrie found a job. It would pay the rent and would make the subject of expenditure a little less difficult .When Minnie talked about with her husband .Her husband Hanson had the same idea and said: “To him the p resence or absence of his wife’s sister was a matter of indifference.”6 His brother in – law helped her to find job for relieving their burden and suggested her work Franklin Street. Because she got home easy, It was not very far. Brother – in – law wanted wife’s sister to leave them or get a job quickly. She may pay for board. She may relieve their burden. His one observation to the point was concerning the chances of work in Chicago， and better their present life. Her sister’s expression and their actions aff ected her. She realized family relationship was largely economically determined. Their relationship can never simply be the sisters’ relationship. After she found a job， Minnie became the landlady while Carrie the lodger. Moreover, as Minnie has no say at home