An American Tragedy by Theodore Dreiser
"An American Tragedy" is a novel by Theodore Dreiser that explores the life of Clyde Griffiths, a young man caught between his humble beginnings and his aspirations for wealth and social status. Raised in a religiously strict but impoverished family, Clyde's early life is marked by shame and a desire to break free from his parents' values. After securing a job as a bellboy, he experiences newfound financial freedom, leading him into a world of indulgence and moral compromise.
As Clyde rises socially, he becomes romantically involved with two women: Roberta Alden, a factory worker, and Sondra Finchley, a wealthy socialite. His inability to navigate the complexities of these relationships culminates in a desperate act when Roberta becomes pregnant. Faced with the prospect of losing everything he desires, Clyde hatches a plan that leads to tragedy.
The novel examines themes of ambition, social class, and moral decay, highlighting how Clyde’s relentless pursuit of a better life ultimately leads to his downfall. Dreiser's portrayal of Clyde's psychological turmoil and the societal pressures he faces serves as a critique of the American dream and its darker consequences. Through Clyde's story, the novel raises profound questions about human nature and the impact of economic and social structures on individual lives.
An American Tragedy by Theodore Dreiser
First published: 1925
Type of work: Novel
Type of plot: Naturalism
Time of plot: Early twentieth century
Locale: Kansas City, Missouri; Chicago; Lycurgus, New York
Principal characters
Clyde Griffiths , the protagonistRoberta Alden , his mistressSamuel Griffiths , Clyde’s wealthy uncleGilbert Griffiths , Samuel’s sonSondra Finchley , a society girl whom Clyde loves
The Story
When Clyde Griffiths was still a child, his religious-minded parents took him and his brothers and sisters around the streets of various cities, where they prayed and sang in public. The family was always very poor, but the fundamentalist faith of the Griffithses was their hope and mainstay throughout the storms and troubles of life. Young Clyde was never religious, however, and he always felt ashamed of the life his parents were living. As soon as he was old enough to make decisions for himself, he went his own way.
At age sixteen, he gets a job as a bellboy in a Kansas City hotel. There the salary and the tips he receives astonish him. For the first time in his life he has money in his pocket, and he can dress well and enjoy himself. Then a tragedy overwhelms the family. Clyde’s sister Hester, or “Esta,” runs away, supposedly to be married. Her elopement is a great blow to their parents, but Clyde does not brood over the matter. Life is too pleasant for him; more and more, he enjoys the luxuries that his job provides. He makes friends with the other bellhops and joins them in parties that revolve around liquor and women. Clyde soon becomes familiar with drink and brothels.
One day, he discovers that his sister is back in town. The man with whom she ran away deserted her, and she is penniless and pregnant. Knowing his sister needs money, Clyde gives his mother a few dollars for her. He promises to give her more; instead, he buys an expensive coat for a girl in the hope that she will yield herself to him. One night, he and his friends go to a party in a car that does not belong to them. Coming back from their outing, they run over a little girl. In their attempt to escape, they wreck the car. Clyde flees to Chicago.
In Chicago he gets work at the Union League Club, where he eventually meets his wealthy uncle, Samuel Griffiths. The uncle, who owns a factory in Lycurgus, New York, takes a fancy to Clyde and offers him work in the factory. Clyde goes to Lycurgus. There his cousin, Gilbert, resents this cousin from the Midwest. The whole family, with the exception of his uncle, considers Clyde beneath them socially and will not accept him into their circle. Clyde is given a job at the very bottom of the business, but his uncle soon makes him a supervisor.
In the meantime, Sondra Finchley, who dislikes Gilbert, invites Clyde to parties that she and her friends often give. Her main purpose is to annoy Gilbert. Clyde’s growing popularity forces the Griffithses to receive him socially, much to Gilbert’s disgust. In the course of his work at the factory, Clyde meets Roberta Alden, with whom he soon falls in love. Since it is forbidden for a supervisor to mix socially with an employee, they have to meet secretly. Clyde attempts to persuade Roberta to give herself to him, but the girl refuses. At last, rather than lose him, she consents and becomes his mistress. At the same time, Clyde is becoming fascinated by Sondra. He comes to love her and hopes to marry her and, thus, acquire the wealth and social position for which he yearns. Gradually, Clyde begins breaking dates with Roberta in order to be with Sondra every moment that she can spare him. Roberta begins to be suspicious and eventually discovers the truth.
Roberta also discovers that she is pregnant. Clyde goes to drugstores for medicine to terminate the pregnancy, which does not work. He attempts to find a doctor of questionable reputation. Roberta goes to see one physician, who refuses to perform an operation. Clyde and Roberta are both becoming desperate, and Clyde sees his possible marriage to the girl as a dismal ending to all his hopes for a bright future. He tells himself that he does not love Roberta, that it is Sondra whom he wishes to marry. Roberta asks him to marry her for the sake of her child, saying she will go away afterward, if he wishes, so that he can be free of her. Clyde will not agree to her proposal and grows more irritable and worried.
One day he reads an item in the newspaper about the accidental drowning of a couple who went boating. A plan begins to form in his mind. He tells Roberta that he will marry her and persuades her to accompany him to an isolated lake resort. There, as though accidentally, he lunges toward her. She is hit by his camera and falls into the water. Clyde escapes, confident that her drowning will look like an accident, even though he planned it all carefully. He was careless, however, and letters that he and Roberta wrote are found. When her condition becomes known, he is arrested. His uncle obtains an attorney for him. At his trial, the defense builds up an elaborate case in his favor. Yet, in spite of his lawyer’s efforts, he is found guilty and sentenced to be electrocuted. His mother comes to see him and urges him to save his soul. A clergyman finally succeeds in getting Clyde to write a statement—a declaration that he repents of his sins. It is doubtful that the religious statement is sincere. Clyde dies in the electric chair, a young man driven to betrayal, murder, and his own destruction by desire for luxury and wealth.
Bibliography
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