Chapter 3 Chapter 3 First Trial of Destiny: Weekly Salary of Four and a Half Dollars

As soon as she crossed the river and entered the business district, she began to look around, not knowing which firm to go to find a job more securely. As she looked at the wide glass windows and the imposing signboards, she realized that someone was watching her , also realized that people knew what she was... a job seeker. She had never looked for a job before, so she was timid. Being seen as looking for a job made her feel unexplainable Ashamed, she hastened her pace, and put on the air of indifference common to busy people. In this way she passed many factories and wholesalers without looking in. At last, after a few After crossing the road, she thought it was impossible, so she started to look around again, but this time she did not slow down. After walking a short distance, she saw a shop door, which attracted her attention for some reason. A small copper signboard, it seems that this is the entrance of a six or seven-story building. "Maybe," she guessed in her heart, "maybe they need people." There was a distance of nearly two feet from the door, and through the window she saw a young man in a gray plaid suit. She didn't know if this man had anything to do with that firm, but this man happened to be looking in her direction, and she was caught by a Overwhelmed by this shame, she immediately backed off with guilt and hurried away. There was a tall six-story building across the road, and the signboard said "Fenglei Royal Company". She looked at the company, and hope revived .It was a wholesale silk and satin company, and therefore employed female shop assistants. She could see the female workers walking upstairs from time to time. Anyway, she decided to try her luck in this company. She crossed the road and went straight to the gate. But Just then two men came out and stopped at the door. A messenger in a blue uniform, delivering a telegram, ran past her, rushed up the steps, and disappeared in the door. On the sidewalk. Several people in the bustling stream of people passed her, and Carrie stopped hesitantly. She looked around helplessly, and when she saw someone looking at her, she retreated again. Embarrassed, she couldn't walk in in front of these people.

Such a serious failure made her very depressed. Her feet moved her forward mechanically, and each step was a little bit easier because she escaped farther. In this way, she walked block after block. At the intersection, she just looked at the street lights on the street names: Madison Avenue, Monroe Avenue, La Salle Avenue, Clark Avenue, Dibon Avenue, State Avenue... But she kept going , her feet started to ache from walking on the wide stone road. The street was bright and clean, which made her a little happy. The morning sun cast on the road, and the heat continued to rise, which made the shady side of the road even cooler Pleasant. She looked at the blue sky above her head, and felt that the blue sky had never been so bright and lovely as it is today.

She was now feeling a little annoyed at her stage fright. She turned and walked back, determined to go back to Fenglei Royal Company to try. On the way she passed a large shoe wholesale company. Through the large glass window, she saw Inside was a manager's office, partitioned off with frosted glass. Just outside the glass partition, by the street door, sat a gray-haired gentleman at a small table with a large ledger open before him. He hesitated in front of the company's door for a long time, but found that no one noticed her, so she walked in the screen door hesitantly, and stood there waiting with a low self-esteem.

"Well, miss," said the old gentleman, with a rather gentle look, "what can you do?" "I'm, you... I mean, do you need help here?" she stammered. "Not yet," he answered, smiling. "You can come and see sometime next week. We'll hire some people sometime." She listened to this reply in silence, and withdrew again in embarrassment. She was greatly surprised by such a friendly reception. She thought it was much more difficult, and she thought that some cruel and rough words would be said to her. . . . .She didn't know what to say. But now she was not humiliated, and no one made her feel unhappy, which impressed her.

Encouraged by this experience, she tentatively walked into another large company. This was a clothing company. She saw more people, well-dressed, over forty, sitting at desks surrounded by copper railings. beside. A servant came up to her. "Who do you want to see?" he asked. "I want to see your manager," she replied. He ran over and said something to three people who were discussing things together, and one of them came towards her. "What's the matter?" he asked coldly. The greeting immediately unnerved her. "Do you want help?" she stammered.

"No," he retorted rudely, and turned away. She went out in embarrassment, and the servant opened the door for her respectfully. She blended into the crowd and felt better. This blow severely dampened her spirits, which had been exuberant just now. She walked aimlessly on the street for a while, looked left and right, and saw one big company after another, but she didn't have the courage to go in and ask that simple question. It was noon, and she was hungry. She found An unremarkable small restaurant, and went in. But she was disturbed to find that the price there was too high to afford her wallet. She could only afford a bowl of soup. After drinking it quickly, And she came out. Her strength had recovered a little, so she was a little more emboldened to go on looking for work.

She walked through several streets, trying to find a suitable company. Just then, she came to the door of Fenglei Royal Company. This time she mustered up the courage to go in. Several gentlemen were discussing She was looking at something, but no one noticed her. She stood there by herself, her eyes drooping awkwardly. Just as her embarrassment was unbearable, one of the gentlemen sitting at the desk next to her was Greeted her. "Who do you want?" he asked. "Well, whoever. Well," she answered, "I'm looking for a job." "Then, you should see Mr. McManus," he replied. "Sit down." He pointed to a chair next to the wall, and continued to write slowly. After a while, a dumpy Mr Fat came in from the street.

"Mr. McManus," cried the gentleman at the desk, "this lady wants to see you." The little gentleman turned towards Carrie. She rose to meet her. "Miss, what can I do for you?" he asked, looking at her curiously. "I wonder if there's anything I can do here," she said. "What kind of thing?" he asked. "Anything is fine," she stammered. "Have you ever worked in the wholesale silk trade?" he pressed. "No, sir," she replied. "Can you take shorthand or type?" "No, sir." "Well...we don't have much work for you here," he said. "We only hire experienced people."

She began to retreat towards the door when he was touched by the sadness on her face. "Where have you worked before?" he asked. "No, sir," she said. "Then it's almost impossible for you to find something to do in a wholesale store like this. Have you tried going to a department store?" She admits she hasn't been there yet. "Well, if I were you," he said, looking at her kindly, "I'd try a department store. They often employ young girls as shop assistants." "Thank you," she said. This little friendly concern made her feel much better.

"That's right," he added, as she walked toward the door, "you must try a department store," and he walked away. At that time, department stores were just emerging, and there were not many of them. The first three department stores in the United States were all in Chicago, and they were founded around 1884. Carrie learned the names of these department stores from the advertisements in the "Daily News", and now she and set out to find them. Mr. McManus's words restored her slack courage somewhat, and she began to have a glimmer of hope that perhaps this new path would bring her something. She wandered the streets for a while. , fantasizing about finding those department stores by chance. This kind of thinking is the general mentality of people when they are faced with those embarrassing things that they have to do. , you can deceive yourself and others to make people feel at ease. But in the end she asked a policeman for directions. The policeman told her that two streets away was a "big shopping mall."

Department stores are huge systems of department store retailing, and even if they disappear permanently, they will leave an interesting page in the commercial history of our country. Never before has the world seen a business so insignificant as retailing It will develop into such a large-scale business. These stores are organized according to the principles of the most effective retail organization. One store integrates the business of hundreds of stores. The design and layout of the mall are both magnificent and economical. These department stores are lively and lively , the business is booming, a large number of shop assistants are employed, and customers are in an endless stream. Carrie walks among the bustling shelves, attracted by all kinds of beautiful jewellery, clothes, stationery and jewelry on display. The things displayed on each counter are glorious Dazzling, dazzling, lingering, she could not help but feel that every adornment and jewelry beckoned to her, but she did not stop. There was not a commodity here that she could not use, and there was nothing she did not want to have of: those exquisite dancing shoes and stockings, the skirts and petticoats with their fine frills, and their lace, their ribbons, their combs, their purses; Realized that there was nothing she could afford here. She was a job seeker, a bum, almost instantly recognizable by the clerks, broke and in desperate need of employment. Don't you think that anyone could mistake her for a nervous, sentimental, excitable person who has the misfortune to be thrown into a society that is cold, calculating, and unpoetic. She is certainly not that kind of person. things that are of particular concern. Carrie was not only envious of all new and beautiful women's clothing, but was sad to note that the richly dressed ladies passed by and ignored her as if she didn't exist. They pushed and hurried to go. Looking at the various wares in the mall that caught their eyes. Carrie was not familiar with the attire of the lucky women of the city, nor did she know the appearance and temperament of the shopgirls. Compared with them now, she felt that she was being compared. Go down. Most of them are good-looking, some even pretty, with an air of independence and indifference which adds to the charm of the lucky ones among them. They are well-dressed, and many are richly dressed. Whenever she made eye contact with a shopgirl, she could see her looking sharply at her situation...a flaw in her dress and a bit of rusticity in her manner.... She thought it was rustic all over her, that people could see who she was and what she was doing at a glance, and she couldn't help being jealous. She had a dim awareness of what the city had. ...wealth. Fashion. Ease...all the garments that a woman desires, and she longs for them and all that is beautiful. The manager's office is on the second floor. After being pointed out, she walked there. In the manager's room, other girls had come before her. They were also looking for jobs, but they had an air of confidence and independence, because They already had experience in city life. These girls looked at her carefully, which made her feel uncomfortable. After waiting for about 3 quarters of an hour, it was her turn to go in. "Come on, have you ever worked in another shop?" asked a snappy Jew, sitting at a flip-top writing-desk by the window. "No, sir," answered Carrie. "Oh, you haven't," he said, looking at her sharply. "No, sir," she answered. "Well, what we need now is an experienced young girl. I don't think we can use you." Carrie stood there waiting for a while, wondering if the interview was over. "Stop dawdling!" he growled, "we're busy here." Carrie hurried towards the door. "Wait a minute," he called her back, "leave your name and address. We sometimes use girls' too." When at last she was safely outside in the street, she could hardly hold back the tears. Not simply because of the rebuff she had just received, but because of the disappointing results of the day's work. She was tired and exhausted, and her heart was restless. She didn't intend to go to other department stores to apply for a job, and now she just walked aimlessly in the street, mingling with the crowd on the street, feeling a sense of safety and relief in her heart. In the midst of her absent-minded wanderings, she turned into Jackson Street, not far from the river. She was walking along the south side of this stately and handsome street, when a placard tacked to the door aroused Her attention. It was a revelation written on wrapping paper, with indelible ink on it: "Women Wanted...Packers and Sewers." She hesitated and went in. The Spegerheim firm, which specialized in boys' hats, occupied one floor of a building fifty feet wide by eighty long. The place was dimly lit, with electric lights in the darkest places. Machines and workbenches were everywhere. Many girls and some men were working at the workbenches. The girls looked sloppy, with motor oil and dust on their faces, wearing thin and ugly cloth clothes, and shoes on their feet were different. Frayed. Many had their sleeves rolled up, showing their arms; A little pale. They are not shy and timid. They are bold, curious, rough-talking, savage women. Carrie looked around, feeling distraught and not a fan of working in a place like this. People were looking at her out of the corners of their eyes, which made her uncomfortable, but no one answered her. She waited until the whole workshop Everyone noticed her. So someone sent word to the foreman, and the foreman came towards her. The man was wearing a shirt and apron, with the sleeves rolled up to his shoulders. "Are you looking for me?" he asked. "Do you need men?" Carrie had learned to be direct. "Do you know how to sew a hat?" he retorted. "No, sir," she answered. "Have you had any experience with this kind of work?" he inquired. She replied no. "This..." the foreman scratched his ears thoughtfully. "We do need a seamstress. But we want to hire experienced women. We don't have much time to teach newbies." He paused, and looked to Out the window. "But maybe we can let you do the finishing touches." He finished his sentence thoughtfully. "What's the weekly wages?" asked Carrie tentatively. The man's gentle manner and plain language emboldened her. "Three and a half dollars," he replied. "Oh," she almost cried out, but she restrained herself from expressing her thoughts. "We don't really need people," he continued vaguely, looking her up and down as if he were a package. "But you can come to work on Monday." He added, "I'll give You arrange to live." "Thank you," said Carrie listlessly. "Bring a bib if you come," he added. He walked away, leaving her alone by the elevator without even asking her name. Although the appearance of the shop and the weekly wages were a blow to Carrie's expectations, it was always a relief to find a job after looking for work in a circle and hitting nowhere. She did not, however, She is not used to this kind of life, though her expectations are low. She has had a better life than this. She has never been a working girl, and the freedom of the country life out of doors has given her a taste for workshops. I can't help being disgusted by the isolation and confinement. She has never lived in a dirty environment. Her sister's house is also clean. But this place is low and dirty. Look. She guessed they must be bad characters. But someone finally offered her a job. Since she got a job on the first day, Chicago seems to be good. Find a better job somewhere. But her ensuing experience was not encouraging. In all the better and more respectable establishments, she was dismissed with icy kind words. In other places where she went to seek employment, only skilled workers were hired. She Being rejected everywhere made her miserable. The most embarrassing time was in a garment factory. She came to this factory on the fourth floor to apply for a job. "No, no," answered the foreman. It was a rough, fat fellow who presided over a dimly lit workshop. "We don't want any of them. Go away!" Her hope, courage and strength are also gradually disappearing with the passing of the afternoon. She has shown amazing perseverance and tenacity all day, as she works so hard to find a job, there should be a better result. But every time after hitting a wall , when she was exhausted, this big commercial area seemed more and more unattainable and indifferent. It seemed that she had been left out and had no way to enter. This kind of struggling was really hard, she saw She was at a loss. The bustling stream of people, both men and women, hurried past her. She felt that this constant stream of people was like the rolling waves of life, struggling for profit. Although she didn't fully realize that she seemed to be floating on A small grass on the tide of life, but fully aware of her loneliness and helplessness. She searched for jobs in vain, but couldn't find a door she dared to step in. Every time the situation was always the same: she slumped She was sent away with a few words. Feeling exhausted, she turned west, in the direction of Minnie's house. She knew the address of her sister's house by heart. She looked like the others. Unable to find a job, she walks heavy and listless like a frustrated person who returns home in the evening. When she passed Fifth Avenue and walked south toward Van Buren Street to catch a tram, she passed the gate of a large shoe wholesaler, passed through Through the plate-glass window, she saw a middle-aged gentleman sitting at a small writing desk. After a series of frustrations, a desperate impulse seized her suddenly. This is when people are frustrated and confused. The last thought that came to her mind. She resolutely walked into the door and walked up to the gentleman. The man looked at her tired face and couldn't help feeling a little interested. "What's the matter with you?" he asked. "Can you give me a job?" said Carrie. "I don't know," he said kindly, "what kind of work you want to do? You're not a typist, are you?" "No," said Carrie. "Well, we only employ accountants and typists here. You can go around the side door and go upstairs and ask. There are still people needed upstairs for the first two days. You go to Mr. Brown." She hurried around to the side door and took the elevator to the fourth floor. "Go and call Mr. Brown, Willie," said the liftman to a boy next to him. Willie came back after going away for a while, and told her that Mr. Brown wanted her to sit down, and that he would be right there. The place was part of a warehouse, of no apparent line of business. Carrie could not imagine what business they were doing. "So you want a job," said Mr. Brown, after asking her why she came. "Have you ever worked in a shoe factory?" "No, sir," said Carrie. "What's your name?" he asked. When Carrie told him, he added, "Well, I don't know what I've got for you. Will you do it for four dollars and a half a week?" Carrie had been discouraged by repeated setbacks. She couldn't help feeling a great relief. Although she didn't expect his wages to be less than six dollars, she acquiesced. He took down her name and address. . "Well," he said at last, "you report here at eight o'clock on Monday morning. I think I can get you some work." When he went away, she believed that she had found a job at last, and every hope revived in her heart. The blood ran quietly through her body at once, and her tension relaxed. She went out into the busy street, She felt that the atmosphere on the street was very different from that just now. Look, the pedestrians were walking briskly one by one. She also noticed that men and women were smiling, and intermittent words and laughter floated into her ears. The atmosphere around was brisk. After a day's work, they rushed out of those buildings. She could see that they were in a happy mood. Thinking of her sister's house and the dinner waiting for her, she couldn't help quickening her pace. She walked hurriedly, although she was tired, her pace But it wasn't heavy any more. Minnie would be babbling with excitement when she knew it. Ah, staying in Falgargo all the long winter... lights, crowds, entertainment! An exciting metropolis. The firm that employed her was a fine looking establishment, with windows of great plate glass. She hoped to do something there. Then she thought of Drouet again, and thought of The things Drouet told her made her feel good, light, and lively. She boarded the trolley happily and felt her blood flow happily. She kept saying to herself that she would live in Chicago, that she would Live a better life than ever...she will be happy.