Jennie Gerhardt (Magill’s Survey of American Literature, Revised Edition)
At a glance:
- Author: Theodore Dreiser
- First Published: 1911
- Type of Work: Novel
- Genres: Long fiction, Naturalistic literature
- Subjects: Family or family life, Love or romance, Nineteenth century, Marriage, Midwest, Chicago, Wills, Illegitimacy, Ethics, Loneliness, Gossip, Sacrifice
- Locales: Chicago, IL, Cincinnati, OH, Cleveland, OH, Columbus, OH
Dreiser's second novel, Jennie Gerhardt, is often considered his most popular, having sold more than five thousand copies in its first six months. Not only does the author show his characters through their own dialogue (rather than relying on description and narration), he also injects a bit of realistic humor in the “baby talk” conversations between a toddler and her grandfather. Moreover, he presents a heroine whose sexual liaisons stem not from a longing for possessions but from a sense of family responsibility.
Because Jennie's father is an unemployed glassblower...
[The entire page is 987 words long]
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