The “Genius”: Analysis of Major Characters
"The 'Genius': Analysis of Major Characters" explores the intricate emotional and relational dynamics of its protagonist, Eugene Witla, a young man grappling with artistic aspirations and personal failures. Eugene's journey is marked by his search for beauty, which he initially seeks through romantic entanglements and later through social and financial success, both of which leave him unfulfilled. Central to his narrative is his relationship with his wife, Angela Blue, whose tragic death during childbirth catalyzes Eugene's reconnection with his artistic dreams through their daughter, Angela Witla.
The story also features a diverse cast of characters that influence Eugene's life, including his first love, Stella Appleton, and various mistresses like Ruby Kenny and Christina Channing, each representing different facets of his pursuit of beauty and connection. Other characters such as Anatole Charles, an art dealer, and Suzanne Dale, a woman he falls in love with, highlight Eugene's challenges in the competitive world of art and personal relationships. The interplay between these characters provides a rich backdrop for the exploration of themes such as ambition, loss, and the quest for artistic identity. This analysis invites readers to consider the profound impact of personal relationships on creative endeavors and the complexities of finding fulfillment in both art and life.
The “Genius”: Analysis of Major Characters
Author: Theodore Dreiser
First published: 1915
Genre: Novel
Locale: Alexandria and Chicago, Illinois, and New York
Plot: Naturalism
Time: 1889–1914
Eugene Witla, a sensitive young man with vaguely artistic aspirations. Haunted by an ideal of beauty, he is led to become an artist and to fall in love with many women. Finding no enduring peace in his search for beauty, he seeks it in social and financial success with the same negative results. After years of dryness, his impulse toward beauty is reawakened by his infant daughter, around whom he begins to weave impossible dreams for their future together.
Angela Blue, a young schoolteacher seduced by and later married to Eugene. In an attempt to save their marriage, she has a baby against all medical advice, and she dies in childbirth, leaving her husband with a daughter who revives his interest in artistic endeavor.
Angela Witla, the daughter of Eugene and Angela. She becomes her father's inspiration for a renewed interest in his artistic life.
Stella Appleton, Eugene's first love.
Margaret Duff, Eugene's first mistress.
Ruby Kenny, an artist's model and mistress of Eugene.
Miriam Finch, a sculptress Eugene meets in New York.
Christina Channing, a singer. She and Miriam become friends of Eugene and help educate him in the ways of the New York artistic world. Christina becomes Eugene's mistress briefly.
Anatole Charles, an art dealer and exhibitor of Eugene's paintings.
Frieda Roth, a young woman attractive to Eugene.
Carlotta Wilson, a gambler's wife with whom Eugene has a passionate affair.
Daniel Summerfield, Obadiah Kalvin, Marshall P. Colfax, and Florence J. White, Eugene's associates in the publishing and advertising businesses. White is jealous of Eugene's rise in the company and cheerfully helps Mrs. Dale get him fired.
Suzanne Dale, a young woman with whom Eugene falls in love. Her influential mother takes her away and has Eugene fired from his job.
Mrs. Emily Dale, a wealthy socialite, mother of Suzanne.
Thomas Witla, Eugene's father.
Sylvia and Myrtle Witla, Eugene's sisters.
Mrs. Johns, a Christian Science practitioner.