An American Tragedy Summary
Theodore Dreiser

Everything you need to understand or teach An American Tragedy by Theodore Dreiser.

An American Tragedy Summary & Study Guide
17 Literature Criticisms
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30 An American Tragedy Lessons
20 Activities
180 Multiple Choice Questions
60 Short Essay Questions
20 Essay Questions
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An American Tragedy Summary

A driven but immature young man by the name of Clyde Griffiths hopes to escape from the world of poverty and devout religion established by his parents, who are street missionaries in Kansas City, Missouri. One of four children, Clyde’s entire family has moved from place to place promoting the Gospel for years. At the age of sixteen, Clyde makes a move toward improving his financial situation by obtaining employment...

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Theodore Dreiser Biographies (6)

Herman Theodore Dreiser

2,223 words, approx. 8 pages

American novelist Herman Theodore Dreiser (1871-1945) projected a vitality and an honesty that established several of his novels as classics of world literature.Like other naturalistic novelists of th... Read more

Herman Theodore Dreiser

11,203 words, approx. 38 pages

Biography EssayHenry David Thoreau, Living Thoughts of Thoreau, selected, with an introduction, by Dreiser (New York: Longmans, Green, 1938). Theodore Dreiser is one of the most significant and most... Read more

Theodore (Herman Albert) Dreiser

14,077 words, approx. 47 pages

Theodore Dreiser now seems securely established as the principal American novelist in the tradition of naturalistic fiction, which includes his European counterparts Emile Zola and Honoré de B... Read more

Theodore (Herman Albert) Dreiser

10,522 words, approx. 36 pages

Theodore Dreiser is one of the most significant and most problematical of American writers. His place in American literary history is secure. The acknowledged "trailblazer" for a generation of early t... Read more

Theodore (Herman Albert) Dreiser

7,388 words, approx. 25 pages

Although Theodore Dreiser--generally considered the foremost writer in the tradition of American literary naturalism--is principally important as a novelist, he made a significant contribution to the ... Read more

Theodore (Herman Albert) Dreiser

4,474 words, approx. 15 pages

Theodore Dreiser's position in American literature is undeniably secure, primarily based on his novels Sister Carrie (1900) and An American Tragedy (1925). However, in addition to Dreiser the novelist... Read more