Items related to Jennie Gerhardt
Jennie Gerhardt is a classic story by Theodore Dreiser, telling the tale of the titular character as she struggles to get by working as a hotel cleaner.
Poverty stricken and beset by hardships, Jennie is nevertheless a strong and hardworking woman with a determination to better the lives of both herself and her family. A sudden change in her fortunes occurs when Brander - a powerful and well-off United States Senator - suddenly becomes infatuated with Jennie. The pair consummate their relationship, and this sets in motion events that define Jennie's life and circumstances.
Dreiser's novel is a romance beset by tragedy and the ever-present specter of social class, which influences the behavior of various characters. Social stigmas and economic realities determine the destiny of characters who would, unburdened of such conventions, behave differently. The pressures between genuine heartfelt feeling and the social attitudes of the era are a frequent theme throughout the novel.
Published in 1911, Jennie Gerhardt remains accessible and readable to this day. It has received praise for the depiction of both American and European societies as they appeared at the opening of the 20th century, and for its vivid characterisation of individuals conflicted and torn between their obligations.
Poverty stricken and beset by hardships, Jennie is nevertheless a strong and hardworking woman with a determination to better the lives of both herself and her family. A sudden change in her fortunes occurs when Brander - a powerful and well-off United States Senator - suddenly becomes infatuated with Jennie. The pair consummate their relationship, and this sets in motion events that define Jennie's life and circumstances.
Dreiser's novel is a romance beset by tragedy and the ever-present specter of social class, which influences the behavior of various characters. Social stigmas and economic realities determine the destiny of characters who would, unburdened of such conventions, behave differently. The pressures between genuine heartfelt feeling and the social attitudes of the era are a frequent theme throughout the novel.
Published in 1911, Jennie Gerhardt remains accessible and readable to this day. It has received praise for the depiction of both American and European societies as they appeared at the opening of the 20th century, and for its vivid characterisation of individuals conflicted and torn between their obligations.
"synopsis" may belong to another edition of this title.
From the Publisher:
James L. W. West III is Edwin Erle Sparks Professor of English at Penn State University. He is the author of many books, including American Authors and the Literary Marketplace since 1900, an expansion of his 1983 Rosenbach Lectures at the University of Pennsylvania, and The Making of This Side of Paradise, both available from the University of Pennsylvania Press. His most recent books are William Styron: A Life (1998) and The Perfect Hour: The Romance of F. Scott Fitzgerald and Ginevra King (2005).
From the Back Cover:
Focusing on Jennie Gerhardt, a poor young girl in Columbus, Ohio, Theodore Dreiser's novel depicts her inadvertently defying a host of conventions-of class, gender, family, and religion. Over a quarter of a century she is repeatedly victimized by circumstance, temperament, and most particularly the fact of her sex. Yet the triumph of the book lies in her incorrigibly loving nature. Cast out by society as well as by her family, she none the less fosters a far deeper understanding of relationships than anyone else. It is no surprise that she was her author's favourite heroine.
"About this title" may belong to another edition of this title.
- PublisherCreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform
- Publication date2016
- ISBN 10 1539889327
- ISBN 13 9781539889328
- BindingPaperback
- Number of pages246
- Rating
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