【正文】 urstwood was a typical egoist, sophisticated and apt to changing. These created environment for Carrie’s tragedy. In this paper, the author tends to analyze the causes of Sister Carrie’s tragedy from external and internal factors. II. External Causes A. Social Causes The American Dream had been one of the most ideal dreams throughout the world. At that time, everyone believes that through hard work, anyone can succeed. It has attracted millions of people to seek their dreams from all over the world. “American people, in e ven greater numbers, ceased to ‘labor in the earth’ and moved to towns and cities to labor on the machines of new industries.”1As a result, everywhere, people could see factory smoke and heard the clang of manufacturing. Industrialization was in full swing in a certain way, and really a lot of dreams had e true. However, when American history entered the transitional period, which was around the year 1900， the growth of business and industry worsened the conditions of the poverty, and gave rise to reform movements and labor unions that expressed the inequality of debtridden farmers and workers living in city slums and laboring in giant, impersonal factories. Beneath the glittering surface of prosperity, people were suffering for unhappiness. Dissatisfaction and frustration were widely felt. Another sign that needed to be noticed was, by that time, the United States had been seen profound changes in its social values. A lust for money and power took the place of traditional values. The accumulation of wealth seemed to be at once the symbol and the source of social position. What’s more, though economy seemed to be booming everywhere, in the quarter century after 1873, all sectors of the economy were troubled by business failures, heightening petition, chronic overproduction and wage cuts, and widespread unemployment which brought about hardship, sometime starvation, for industrial workers. The rich were less vulnerable in different ways pared with those who struggled to make ends meet on a farm or worked for a wage. Therefore, obviously, economy was not as flourish as people had envisioned. Even the rich can lose their social position very quickly, not to mention the mon people. “What had been expected to be a ‘Golden Age’ turned out to be Mark Twain’s ‘Gilded’ one” 2 The means of realizing American Dream deviated from its original track, so there appeared an abnormal phenomenon, that is, if you wanted to make your ideal dream e true, you had to do something immoral. Sister Carrie was a shadow of American society. So Carrie’s remarks, actions, and changes can never be separated from the society. For lack of personal discretion， she couldn’t reject a lust for money. We saw the inevitable function of economy on her growth. Talking about Sister Carrie, Bell pointed out, Carrie’s experience matters not because 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 ful