Theodore Dreiser, who developed naturalism in American literature, was a writer who was concerned about the perishing morals and ethics, the state that had saturated material civilization in which the relationship between man and man is estimated not ...
Theodore Dreiser, who developed naturalism in American literature, was a writer who was concerned about the perishing morals and ethics, the state that had saturated material civilization in which the relationship between man and man is estimated not on understanding and trust, but on social position and from the viewpoint of the materialistic side of modern-day life. Through the characters in his novels, Dreiser realistically portrays the life of alienated and collapsed men in the dreary and rough society, and from the standpoint of this view, Dreiser showed his concern about the problems of the human society and how they could be settled.
Man's reasoning and free will cannot be displayed in a mechanical and material civilization. That is to say, human beings are helpless when their existence is determined by external circumstances and in terms of responding to physical-chemical impulses. Accordingly, the life of a man who acts mechanically according to impulse or instinct, ends in tragedy because of the many miserable factors, which Dreiser applied to his major works. The trait of Dreiser in his own naturalistic sphere, was that his characters were not responsible for their actions because they lived passively without free will.
At the time Dreiser was active in creating his works, life was harsh in the American society for the helpless ordinary people because the gap between the wealthy and poor was deepening at a time when America was in a state of financial difficulty, and people were rushing to the big cities from the rural communities. As a result of this growing number of poor people in the cities, the industrial policy switched from agriculture to industry. The violent capitalism that characterized the late 19th and early 20th centuries was an obvious example of the survival of the fittest.
In this period of time, the common goals of American youths were success, pleasure and money. But their desire to acquire them did not fulfill their expectations. These are the principle ideas in most of Dreiser's works, and as such, the substance of this study relates to those factors. Dreiser expressed the tragic lives of people who were controlled by unseen forces which were detrimental to the will of human beings on the viewpoint of "chemism."
Dreiser made an effort to understand the essence of human life to be able to show the reader the real inner heart of human beings and the limitations of desire, through depicting the contrast between rich and poor and between splendor and pitiableness. He is a writer who tried to take the form of human experiences to a more lofty dimension.
This thesis focuses on the motivation and distinction of the generation of naturalism in literature, the relationship French naturalism and American naturalism, and Dreiser's characteristic naturalism through his four major novels; Sister Carrie, Jennie Gerhardt, The Financier, and An American Tragedy.
In Sister Carrie, Carrie's life was instinctive rather than willful, due to external forces in the course of obtaining material success and security. Carrie aimlessly pursues the illusion of wealth and pleasure, but she eventually experiences an unsatisfactory state of heart. Dreiser also depicts Hurstwood as a victim of chance and circumstances. Hurstwood ended in ruin in this height of his life and a tragic death because he could not resist the external forces.
Dreiser found that the tragic factors of man's life are not in the violences and vices, but in the desires, circumstances and chances, which he reveals through this work.
In Jennie Gerhardt, through Jennie's various experiences, such as her relationship with her lovers, Brander and Lester, the social restraints and despisings stemming from her love affairs with the two men, her poor family circumstances, the death of her daughter, Vesta, and so on, she not only matures and becomes much more sensitive, but also develops a broad capacious mind and better understanding of the pains of others.
Though Jennie is in the state of poor family circumstances, Brander and Lester actively show their love and compassion to her, and because the relationship between Jennie and her lovers was based on the thought of providing help for her poor family, and not merely on physical desire and the illusion of wealth, she always had feelings of gratitude for those who had helped her, and never refused to make sacrifices willingly to those who help others.
In The Financier, Dreiser made Cowperwood a victim of his own temperament, reduced the main motives to chemical reactions, and made his central character the instrument or tool of a force beyond his control by connecting the business and love plots. Dreiser showed a new approach to the American dream. He depicted Cowperwood as a man of ability and energy instead of being relatively weak like Carrie, Hurstwood, Jennie, and Lester.
Dreiser depicts Cowperwood as a sort of superman. Cowperwood's morals may not be held up as exemplary in American society, but his intelligence and energy make him the center of affection and concern. Through this novel, Dreiser shows us that the strong and sly may win for a time, but eventually, human desires and emphasis on pleasure become destructive if one is lacking a sense of morality and ethics.
An American Tragedy relates the hopes and failures of the American dream through the life history of Clyde Griffiths. Dreiser shows Clyde as the weakest hero, and Clyde has the least of the inexplicable inner drive which makes a commanding personality.
Clyde's tragedy, caused by the course he took in accomplishing his personal desires, is a common case to ordinary American people. Clyde's "American dream" is confined to money, women, and social position. Therefore, through this novel, Dreiser defines "Tragedy" as the absence of conscience.
In conclusion, in his novels, Dreiser shows us living in the modern-day society the real meaning of mental poverty. It is a pitiable thing that life becomes more harsh and impersonal in an affluent society. This is caused by man's infinite desires which never fulfill his quest for satisfaction. Pursuing an aimless illusion of wealth and pleasure eventually leads to an unsatisfactory state of heart and existence. Dreiser shows us that if a man accomplishes his desires and pleasures based on morality and ethics, he can contribute to his society and will be a genuinely happy person.