In the late 1800s New York and Chicago were some of the largest cities in the world and both had populations exceeding one million. As the population grew, the stability of the economy began to falter. Instability within states has given rise to two distinct populations in America, the upper classes and the working classes. Theodore Dreiser, knowing the unstable state on which America was built, highlighted the economic differences between rich and poor in his novel Sister Carrie. During the eighteenth century, America had transformed from a simple farm into a decorated country. Within the bustling empire, the wealthy could live a lavish lifestyle that inspired the idea of ​​the “American Dream.” The “American Dream” was the common belief that the poorest person in the United States could achieve success. With the spread of this ideal there was a boom in immigration to America. People from all over the world came to America with the belief that they would be guaranteed freedom, security, and prosperity. Unfortunately for many, the “American Dream” was an elusive lifestyle that was in complete contradiction to the reality that existed in the country. Life in America was hard. There were few opportunities for advancement for most people, especially lower-class workers. Unemployment was steadily rising and working conditions were best described as atrocious. Salary In the late 1800s the American socioeconomic system began to change. There was a boom in commercial enterprises, which was the result of mass industrialization. Banks, railways and factories seemed to spring up in a matter of months. With the sudden change in businesses there has also been a shift in material longi... among the paper... haberdashery, pastry shops. . . the street was full of buses. Pompous doormen with immense coats, shiny brass belts and buttons. . .waiting for the carriage owner who was shopping inside. The whole street had the flavor of wealth and spectacle” (Dreiser, 227). While the poor working class citizens struggled to survive, the rich were busy seeking new processions. Conclusion In Sister Carrie, there is a distinction between social classes. Rising unemployment, unfair working conditions, wages, clothing, home life, and food were all traits that distinguished one social class from another. Dreiser plays with the two classes of New York and Chicago as a means of showing readers that the “American Dream” was an unrealistic ideal that few could achieve. America, a land of democracy and freedom, was a land of nightmares for the poor.