Theodore Dreiser Summary

Dreiser, Theodore (1871-1945) A journalist turned novelist, Dreiser was at the forefront of the battle for social fact and sexual candor in the early twentieth-century novel, treating popular sentimen... Read more

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 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

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

In the following essay, Gammel examines the treatment of female sexuality in Theodore Dreiser's “Emanuela,” contending that in his work he “celebrates sexuality as the majo... Read more

In the following essay, Pizer addresses ethical aspects in the nineteenth-century debate regarding realism and uses Dreiser's arguments to present realism as a means for social progress and cha... Read more

In the following essay, Gerber explores the reaction of the legal community to the questions raised in An American Tragedy, particularly the question of whether or not Clyde Griffiths was guilty of fi... Read more

In the following essay, Graham compares two versions of "The Shining Slave Makers" and notes how Dreiser stressed the struggle for life and "humanistic" values in the latte... Read more

In the following essay, Hakutani examines Dreiser's treatment of women characters in A Gallery of Women, paying particular attention to the character's dream of success. I Although Th... Read more

In the following essay, Hussman illustrates how in his "marriage group" tales, which Hussman argues are the best of Dreiser's short stories, Dreiser explores his thematic struggle... Read more

In the following essay, Griffin discusses the stories that came after the publication of Chains: "Fine Furniture," "Solution," "Tabloid Tragedy," "A St... Read more

In the following review of Chains, which was originally published in The New York Times Book Review on May 15, 1927, Stuart dismisses the collection as tedious and carelessly written. One of those ... Read more

In the following essay from a collection that was originally published in 1947, Fast asserts that "Dreiser has no peer in the American short story," and argues that the key to Dreiser&#x... Read more

In the following essay, Shapiro examines several of Dreiser's short stories, asserting that while some of them are effective literary achievements, Dreiser's style was more suited to the... Read more

In the following excerpt, Voss surveys several of Dreiser's short stories, and maintains that while the short story form did not lend itself to Dreiser's particular writing style, ... Read more