
An American Tragedy by Theodore Dreiser
Theodore Dreiser's An American Tragedy is a classic novel of ambition, tragedy, and morality. It tells the story of Clyde Griffiths, a young man from a poor family who dreams of a better life. He moves to the city and finds a job in a factory, but his dreams of success are quickly dashed when he falls in love with a wealthy socialite. When she becomes pregnant, Clyde is faced with a difficult decision: marry her and give up his dreams, or abandon her and pursue his ambitions. His decision leads to a tragic outcome, and the novel explores the consequences of his actions. Along the way, Dreiser examines the power of ambition, the consequences of social class, and the moral dilemmas of modern life.
By Theodore Dreiser · First published 1925 · Genre: Realistic Fiction, Tragedy, Social Commentary · 60 chapters · 359,371 words
First lines
Dusk--of a summer night.
And the tall walls of the commercial heart of an American city of perhaps 400,000 inhabitants--such walls as in time may linger as a mere fable.
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An American Tragedy is listed on Textopian as a novel by Theodore Dreiser, dated 1925 CE.
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- Work type: Novel
- Author: Theodore Dreiser
- Date: 1925 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Realistic Fiction, Tragedy, Social Commentary, Romance
- Length: 359,371 words
- Structure: 100 chapters, 4,793 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Fairly Easy (7th Grade)
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- Work identity for An American Tragedy by Theodore Dreiser
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- Genre and topic classification from the Textopian catalog
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Genres
- Realistic Fiction — Theodore Dreiser's 'An American Tragedy' is a realistic fiction novel that follows the life of protagonist Clyde Griffiths and his struggles with ambition, morality, and social class.
- Tragedy — The title of the book, 'An American Tragedy', implies that the novel is a tragedy, as it follows the downfall of the protagonist due to his own choices and the consequences of his actions.
- Social Commentary — The novel is a social commentary on the American Dream and the consequences of ambition, as well as the effects of social class on one's life.
- Romance — The novel contains a romantic subplot between Clyde and Roberta Alden, which serves to further illustrate the consequences of Clyde's ambition and the power of social class.
Tags
Crime Fictiontragedy · belknap · boat · city · clyde · clyde's · connection · day · eyes · family · father · feel
Contents
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