Eighteen Quote by Theodore Dreiser
““When Caroline Meeber boarded the afternoon train for Chicago, her total outfit consisted of a small trunk, a cheap imitation alligator-skin satchel, a small lunch in a paper box, and a yellow leather snap purse, containing her ticket, a scrap of paper with her sister's address in Van Buren Street, and four dollars in money. It was in August, 1889. She was eighteen years of age, bright, timid, and full of the illusions of ignorance and youth. Whatever touch of regret at parting characterised her thoughts, it was certainly not for advantages now being given up. A gush of tears at her mother's farewell kiss, a touch in her throat when the cars clacked by the flour mill where her father worked by the day, a pathetic sigh as the familiar green environs of the village passed in review, and the threads which bound her so lightly to girlhood and home were irretrievably broken.””
About This Quote
Source Novel: Sister Carrie by Theodore Dreiser, 1900
Caroline leaves home, carrying modest belongings and a mix of hope and fear, marking her transition to independence.
In simple terms: She departs with few possessions, feeling both hopeful and anxious.
Key Takeaway
Embrace change while honoring roots.
Themes
departure
growth
independence
Mood
nostalgic
reflective
Type
literary
historical
When to use this quote
- train travel
- family farewells
- young adulthood
Key Concepts
coming‑of‑age
urban migration
Questions to Reflect On
- What does Caroline leave behind?
- How does the setting shape her journey?
