As in the novel, the real case featured an overturned boat and the body of young woman found in a lake in Upstate New York. Origins: Dreiser apparently based the book on an infamous criminal case. Setting: Kansas City, Chicago, and Lycurgus – a fictitious small town in New York And the tall walls of the commercial heart of an American city of perhaps 400,000 inhabitants – such walls as in time may linger in a mere fable. The novel is also a tragedy in the true sense of the word, as Clyde’s downfall is brought about by his own innate weaknesses.ĭusk – of a summer night. So, even in the very title, Dreiser appears to be questioning this notion. Broadly speaking, the American Dream can be said to represent opportunity for all and the possibility of each man reaching ever greater levels of success, riches and happiness. Meaning of the title: I guess that Dreiser is subverting the well-known notion of “the American Dream”. Length: my edition runs to a whopping 856 pages Here are some titbits and highlights from this large novel: I did in fact finally finish reading An American Tragedy a while ago, but this is the first time that I’ve had the chance to sit down and update this blog.
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