American Tragedy
An American Tragedy and the futility of the American Dream An American Tragedy is an intriguing, frighteningly realistic journey into the mind of a murderer. ... While society has changed dramatically since 1925, Dreisers novel, which shows the futility of "The American Dream" and the tragedies that trying to live it can cause, accurately summarizes social mores of this and any time period. ... After a beam hit his head, Dreisers father was subject to dramatic mood swings; this brain damage caused him to became an evangelist (Survey of American Literature 571). ... For most Americans, these were collectively "The American Dream." For Dreiser and his most famous character, Clyde Griffiths, living the American Dream -- the evasive pinnacle of success -- became an obsession. ... After eight abysmal novels, Dreiser published his best selling novel An American Tragedy. ... To add detail to Book Three of An American Tragedy, he visited Sing-Sing prisons death row and the courthouse where Gillette was tried, and even discussed the psychology of murder with renowned psychiatrist Dr. ... Both spent their adolescent lives searching for the American Dream, had in-office love affairs with underlings, struggled to gain footing in the elusive high society, and lost everything because of their greed. An American Tragedy was based on the infamous Chester Gillette case. ... Gillettes trial and An American Tragedy have surprising similarities. ... Clyde, the main character in An American Tragedy, is an attractive, morally weak, stupid 20-year old in the 1920s. ... His pursuit of the American Dream quickly becomes machinelike. ... He begins to read scriptures and thinks that he is similar to fellow seekers of the Elusive American Dream. ... An American Tragedy is the definitive guidebook to the futility of pursuing The American Dream. ... The poster child for the futility of the American Dream is Clyde Griffiths. During his short life, he wants only wealth, social status, and sex (together, the American Dream). ... Each characters emphasis on material success is the cause of tragedy. ... Despite her sons electrocution and her daughters illegitimate child, Elvira is not ruined by the American Dream, and all because of religion. ... While An American Tragedy contains many psychological insights, its dominant mode is naturalistic. ... Despite their occasional successes, all characters in An American Tragedy are failures; they live fragile, futile lives, and never become successful. For example, Sondra is the American Dream, but wealth, good looks, and a high social status do not guarantee her success or happiness -- her lover is electrocuted, and she is forced to move away. ... At the end of An American Tragedy, Clyde discovers that life would have been better had he followed his parents moral and religious guidelines. However, he realizes that religion will not save his earthly life, nor will his death change the outcome of anyone elses miserable life; people ignore Clydes failure and suffering, and continue chasing the American Dream. ... An American Tragedy is a classic -- its moral is timeless.