Theodore Dreiser gives us a double dose of Naturalism, American-style. (American-style Naturalism has American cheese on it.) Not surprisingly, given his tone and subject matter, Dreiser started off his career as a journalist before turning to writing fiction.

One of the big themes in his fiction is ambition—his novels often depict characters who come from poor backgrounds who want to escape their poverty and social marginalization. Too bad Naturalism is all about being shackled by circumstance, eh?

Dreiser's theme of ambition was especially relevant in an American society in which everyone wanted to make it big: to get rich fast, or move up the social hierarchy (or around the Monopoly board) quickly.

Sister Carrie (1900)

This novel traces the rise of Carrie, a girl from Wisconsin who moves to Chicago with the dream of becoming a famous actress. There she begins an affair with George Hurstwood, a married man. You already know this is not going to end well.

The novel explores the disintegration of Carrie's relationship to Hurstwood, as the couple leaves Chicago to go to Canada and then to New York. Even though Carrie achieves the stardom she's always dreamed of by the end of the novel, things aren't as wonderful as she'd imagined they would be. Huh. A pessimistic end to a Naturalist novel? Say it ain't so!

An American Tragedy (1925)

Another story about American ambition, An American Tragedy follows Clyde Griffiths, a man from a poor background who is taken under the wing of a wealthy uncle. For a while things look up for Clyde, but he becomes entangled in a couple of romantic relationships that lead to the death of one woman and lead Clyde himself to the electric chair for murder. What—you expected that a book titled An American Tragedy would be uplifting?

This novel—which made Dreiser into a household literary name—is another great example of Naturalist fiction. The social forces that pull Clyde down are greater than he is: they not only shape him, they destroy him.

Chew On This

Theodore Dreiser's Sister Carrie tells the tale of Carrie's rise to stardom. It's also a great example of a Naturalist novel… and a surefire recipe for depression. Check out this discussion of the work's genre here. 

An American Tragedy is, well, a tragedy about one man's descent to prison and execution. Theodore Dreiser doesn't let us readers feel very optimistic in this book. He's a Naturalist, after all. He's all about the pessimism. Delve into this novel here.