Transition Phase of the American Society in An American Tragedy: A Naturalistic Approach

Ojha, Guneshwor

Transition Phase of the American Society in An American Tragedy: A Naturalistic Approach

Summary

In his masterpiece An American Tragedy, the naturalist writer Theodore Dreiser depicts different pains of American society as it was stepping into the modern age. The youths from the lower rung of the society detested the traditional norms and values and sought ways of transformation in the job market and opportunities brought about by industrialization. However, their dreams, ambitions and efforts to ascend the social ladder ended up in a tragedy.
Dreiser, the pioneer of naturalism in the American literary arena effectively depicts such phenomena through the life of his protagonist, Clyde. Brought up in a strict religious family characterized by abject poverty, Clyde struggles to overcome the life of deprivation. However, he does not possess the mental ability and skills to overcome the difficulties of life and succumbs to vicious circle of circumstances.
Whereas realism portrays events and incidents of a society in a realistic manner naturalists go beyond realism to come up with the causes and explanations behind a real event. By relying on psychology, chemism, mechanism and social forces, Dreiser portrays how human life is devoid of free will. Dreiser effectively shows that lack of education, religiously stringent home environment and pangs of poverty throughout his childhood had charted out a gloomy fate for Clyde, who heads towards the death bed and is executed at the prime of youth.
In his works, Dreiser often uses animal metaphors and similes to effect his point that human beings are no different from animals for their lack of free will and, are prey to circumstances.
Though at the face value the school of naturalism seems gloomy, dark and negative it does offer optimism and hope. Naturalists believe on evolution and hence, human beings can improve themselves and can learn to overcome beastly nature. In the due process of evolution they can learn to live by reason instead of being ruled by instincts. Thus, human beings have the potential to achieve a similar ideal world as envisioned by spiritualism.
Works inspired by naturalism also impart a guiding lesson to the society that the society and its stake holders are responsible for existing social ills/evils. In the case of the tragic hero, it was the social structure that denied access to education and better opportunities for poor youths to embrace a good life.

Excerpt

Introduction

Theodore Dreiser (1871-1945) was born as the ninth child to Paul and Sarah Schanab Dreiser

in Terre Haute, Indiana. His parents were of German descent. Father ran a wool mill which

caught fire and the family plunged into poverty. Financed by his high school teacher Dreiser

went to Indiana University for one year. Later he joined newspaper and rose to be an ac-

claimed naturalist writer. Dreiser was brought up in a devout religious family. As a journalist

he was confronted with the stark reality and harshness of life. Dreiser himself was better

acquainted with poverty. He is said to have stolen money from a company (before joining

journalism) to buy an overcoat. As his realm of knowledge increased in pace with his

journalistic work he developed hatred for religion in his quest for the knowledge of human

existence and the universe. He is regarded as the pioneer of Naturalism in American literature.

However, his later works like The Stoic and The Bulwork bear spiritual marks. Dreiser turned

to spiritualism in his later years.

Dreiser's projection of deity onto the atoms seems likewise remarkably reminiscent

of Heckel's endowment of the atom with `soul.' `Even the atom,' Heckel had written,

`is not without a rudimentary form of sensation and will, or as it is better expressed,

of feeling (aesthesis) and inclination (tropesis) that is, a universal `soul' of the

simplest character.' And Dreiser's curious assertion that the divine love contained in

matter-energy caused the attraction of hydrogen and oxygen as well as the attraction

of the opposite sexes... (1)

However, Dreiser retains the strong image of a naturalist. His worth lies in his naturalistic

writings. His first novel is Sister Carrie (1900) whereas An American Tragedy (1925) is

considered his masterpiece. During his period, America was witnessing a significant change

of industrialization and modernization following the Civil War and World War I. Was the shift

from the genteel tradition to modernization easy for the American society? As we shall see in

these two works of Dreiser, it was not. The main tragedy (Clyde's ultimate execution) in An

American Tragedy is interpreted as to show how such a tragedy occurs when an ambitious

person from lower social strata desperately tries to climb the social ladder in a largely

capitalistic society. What supports this notion is also the fact that the novel is based on a real

incident and that Dreiser had recorded several such incidents before finally sitting to write the

novel with the tragic theme. As a naturalist, Dreiser also conveys through Clyde that human

life is regulated by instinctual, psychological and environmental circumstances and is thus

deprived of free will.

It is well known that Dreiser disliked Puritanism. Here in this work, I will discuss Dreiser's

distaste for Puritan/Victorian practices in An American Tragedy. This aspect seems to have

drawn least attention in research works involving Dreiser's masterpiece. I also discuss how

during the transition phase or in the shift to modernization, American society had to bear

several pains.

I chose Dreiser among his contemporaries because in his works I find the best reflection of

American society of that period. I fully agree with the sentiment of Irving Howe that, "No

other novelist has absorbed into his work as much knowledge as Dreiser had about American

institutions: the mechanisms of business, the stifling rhythms of the factory, the inner hierar-

chy of a large hotel, the chicaneries of city politics, the status arrangement of rulers and

ruled." (2) Mostly, in An American Tragedy, one can see the whole facet of the then society

which covers history, religion, politics, economics, morality and ethics. Some critics have

also called it a historical document. In the words of Robert Penn Warren, "We also feel in this

book, the burden of a historical moment, the moment of the Great Boom which climaxed the

period from Grant to Coolidge, the half century in which the new America of industry and

finance capitalism was hardening into shape and its secret forces were emerging to dominate

all life." (3) I shall mainly deal with Dreiser's masterpiece also discussing his first work

alongside.

Not only is Dreiser the pioneer of naturalism but also a forerunner of modernism in the

American literary arena. He is regarded as a trailblazer. He boldly worked to break the chain

gate of genteel tradition paving way for literary modernism. Thus, Sherwood Anderson says,

"The feet of Dreiser are making a path for us, brutal heavy feet. They are tramping through

the wilderness, making a path." (4) Likewise, Donald Pizer says, "To read the criticism of

Dreiser is to receive an education in the ways in which art and society interact when an artist

devotes most of his career to attacking the prevailing assumptions of his society." (5) How-

ever, Dreiser had to pay a heavy price for his daring efforts of heralding the American literary

movement to a new era. Advocates of the genteel tradition tried to suppress his first work,

Sister Carrie and he even suffered a nervous breakdown. Yet, Dreiser pursued what he

conceived as the truth with reckless abandonment. Commenting on Dreiser's bold steps,

Alfred Kazin states,

To the young writers of the early twentieth century, Dreiser became, in Mencken's

phrase, the Hindenburg of the novel the great beast who pushed American life

forward for them, who went on, blindly, unchangeably, trampling down the lies of

gentility and Victorianism, of Puritanism and academicism. (6)

In Chapter one, I shall mention about the relationship between Dreiser and American natural-

ism. I shall also sketch an outline of An American Tragedy and shall draw a comparison

between Sister Carrie and An American Tragedy as Dreiser's naturalistic works. By depicting

the then American social classes and their characteristics, I shall also discuss factors marking

the transition/modernization of American society as seen in Dreiser's these two works in

Chapter II. In the final chapter, Chapter III, I shall present the analysis of the tragic hero,

Clyde in An American Tragedy. Finally, I shall place my own argument of Dreiser's distaste

over the conventional society in An American Tragedy.

Chapter I

Naturalism and Dreiser

Emlie Zola (1840-1902), a French literary giant is considered as the fountainhead of natural-

ism in the field of literature. Every literary trend has some inspirational factors or precedent

circumstances resulting to its birth. Artists, who can feel the pulse of a society and its

environment, react to those expressing what is genuine to them thus, giving birth to a new

literary trend or stream. As such naturalism is the consequence of astounding scientific

discoveries at the dawn of modernism, ushering human society to an era of modern science.

Or naturalism is the shift of belief from mysticism and spiritualism to science and psychology,

trying to diagnose human life and cosmic phenomena from natural laws that can be explained

scientifically. In the case of American literature, Dreiser is regarded as the pioneer of natural-

ism. An avid seeker of ultimate knowledge, Dreiser emerged as a naturalist in his late

twenties with the publication of his first novel, Sister Carrie. Brought up in a strict puritan

family, Dreiser did not turn a naturalist all of sudden. "Dreiser believed in mental telepathy

hypnotism, Ouija boards, psalmists, and other occultisms; old folk sayings and practices; and

charms."(1) It is obvious that the puritan belief in Dreiser did not give up so easily to the

promises laid down by modern science.

Unlike other American naturalists, Dreiser is regarded as a born naturalist. Stating that

Dreiser had not read Zola when he wrote Sister Carrie, Malcolm Cowley says, "He had

become a Naturalist almost without premeditation, as a result of everything his life had been

or had lacked. Unlike Norris he couldn't choose among different theories or move from the

drably pitiful to the boisterous to the sentimental." (2) Besides the lure of science, circum-

stances involving his own life experiences were enough to turn a puritan child like Dreiser

into a bold naturalist writer. He had experienced the bitterness of poverty and had also

witnessed tremendous changes brought about by science. Moreover, journalism as a career

also provided him with ample of opportunities to be acquainted with the harshness of life.

The period Dreiser lived was crucial in this that important scientific discoveries had marked a

major leap in the history of human civilization. As Louis J. Zanine says, "The development of

the electric light bulb, the gasoline engine and the atomic bomb were only the tangible result

of that revolution products of a technology that was spawned by the growing understanding

of the physical world." (3) Equally astounding was Darwin's theory of evolution. Though his

belief in Christianity was deep rooted, the tree of spiritualism in Dreiser's heart withered

slowly loosing its branches as he came to the contact of several scientists and intellectuals of

his days. He was so enamored with science that according to Louis J. Zanine, "Dreiser's

introduction to science not only shattered his orthodox religious beliefs but left him con-

vinced that science would replace those beliefs with an alternatives, more accurate vision of

the cosmos." (4) Thus, he studied different branches of science, ardently. He was mostly

fascinated with intellectuals like Spencer, Darwin, Huxley, Loeb and Freud. His natural

philosophy revolves around mechanism, determinism, chemism and Freudian psychology

which shall be discussed gradually. Dreiser firmly believed that science and psychology

would alone explain the life phenomenon.

Next to science, American capitalism in its early phase was another strong driving force in

shaping Dreiser as a hard boiled naturalist. The poor led a wretched life whereas the elites

enjoyed life to its fullest glory. Humanity seemed to have lost its meaning and the society

represented a jungle where every beast strived for success through every brutal means.

"While a young reporter in Pittsburgh in the early 1890s, he found his deepest responses to

life confirmed by his reading of Herbert Spencer and Balzac. There were, he believed, no

discernible supernatural agencies in life, and man was not the favored creature of divine

guidance but an insignificant unit in a universe of natural forces." (5) Mentioning on Drei-

ser's journey towards being a naturalist, Robert Shafer states,

The crowning stage of Mr. Dreiser's education, however, was not to come, while he

was still in Pittsburgh, with his discovery of certain of the writings of Huxley, Tyn-

dall, and Herbert Spencer. Huxley, Mr. Dreiser credits with finally dispelling the

`lingering filaments' of Christianity still trailing about him; and Huxley's work of

dispersion was completed by Spencer's First Principles. (6)

This is how a solid puritan Dreiser turns into a pure atheist and a naturalist propelled by his

own experiences, readings and association with scientists. Though many critics credit Dreiser

for making a major breakthrough in American literature freeing it from the shackles of

puritan and genteel traditions there is no dearth of critics who blame him for his inept writing

style and his naturalistic approach in understanding and interpreting the human society.

Dreiser is assailed for unnecessary details and nitty-gritty in his works. Poking at Dreiser's

writing style T.K. Whipple comments, "Not that the reader is unaffected but the disparity

between the author's perturbation and the inadequacy of his expression is almost grotesque. If

Clyde and Roberta and the rest were not half concealed by a deluge of inept verbiage, An

American Tragedy might well be on of the world's great novels." (7)

Besides his writing style, Dreiser is accused of reducing human society to that of animals for

his heavy reliance on animal metaphors in explaining human nature. Thus, undermining the

extra-ordinary traits of human beings that have aptly distinguished homo sapiens from rest of

the living beings. Dreiser is accused of undermining human civilization and culture and thus,

the humanity as a whole. The sharpest accusation in this line comes from Stuart P. Sherman

with his remarks on Dreiser as, "He has evaded enterprise of representing human conduct; he

has confined himself to a representation of animal behavior. He demands for the demonstra-

tion of his theory a moral vacuum from which the obligations of parenthood, marriage,

chivalry, and citizenship have been quite withdrawn or locked in a twilight sleep (8)."

Sherman's ire has nothing to do personally with Dreiser. He attacks Dreiser because Dreiser

is a leading hero of naturalistic school of thought in American literature. Sherman's dissatis-

faction is with naturalism itself. Thus he further says,

A naturalistic novel is a representation based upon a theory of animal behavior. Since a

theory of animal behavior can never be an adequate basis for a representation of the life

of man in contemporary society, such a representation is an artistic blunder. When half

the world attempts to assert such a theory, the other half rises in battle. And so one turns

with relief from Mr. Dreiser's novels to the morning papers. (9)

This is the reason why opponents of naturalism detest it. Naturalism seeks to equate human

beings with animals. It professes that all living beings are governed by the same natural laws.

Equally true is also the fact that naturalist works have tragic themes and are rather pessimistic.

In the course of performing anatomy of American naturalism, Walcutt begins with the date of

its origin towards 1890 and goes on to say,

Literary naturalism moves among three patterns of ideas: the religion of reason-nature,

revealed in an enraptured contemplation of Process; the attack on the dualist (therefore

unscientific) values of the past; the recognition and slowly growing fear of natural forc-

es that man might study but apparently could not control. (10)

It is obvious that such three patterns of naturalism offer nothing but bleak perspective to

mankind. We may understand natural laws and nature, yet our fate is still the same an

infinitesimal being or a speck of dust before the vast natural forces. This certainly does not

provide much hope. However, this is not all with naturalism and things with naturalism do

not stop just there. Advocates of naturalism have gone one step further in revealing its other

facets. Convincing argument is that naturalism is as promising and equally optimistic as any

school of spiritual ideology. Such positive arguments are made on two grounds. One is that

we can still be hopeful because science can ultimately reveal the mystery of nature for us.

And that in the process of evolution, homo sapiens can eventually attain the state of perfec-

tion. Question of such a perfection can be doubted, yet to return to Walcutt again, "But

Spencer affirmed that once society had evolved to perfection it could maintain itself in that

state indefinitely." (11) Walcutt believes that naturalism, when seen from positive light has

enough room to offer us with full hope and optimism. He asserts,"...scientific knowledge can

release man from superstition, from fear, from the tyranny of tradition, from physical ail-

ments, and from poverty release him into an era of personal enrichment and fulfillment

beyond anything the world has seen." (12) Thus it is not surprising to see now that the

devotees of naturalism can be as optimistic as spiritualists are on their world of paradise and

God. Or that naturalists can be as cheerful as the transcendentalists or romantics who cherish

the idea of over-soul.

In fact, the optimism of natural school of thought is even more promising. One can be fully

optimistic in this school of thought without any fear of God who constantly judges his

subjects. One can relax from the constant fear of being thrust into the eternal fire of hell if

he/she falls from God's grace. And human beings will remain no more poor creatures at the

disposal of natural forces once science unravels them the mystery of nature. That day, human

beings will gain eternal freedom. However, religious school of thoughts do not offer such a

bright perspective. In the world of religion, one is always under the mercy of God and one

can never attain ultimate freedom for one can never be equal to God. God forbids mankind to

feed from the tree of knowledge. Any attempts to violate God's laws result to disaster as

undergone by Adam and Eve or Prometheus. Besides, God is simply beyond the grasp of

human mind so any attempts to know God is futile. In contrast to such ideologies, naturalism

is far more optimistic because it ever encourages human beings for progress towards perfec-

tion. Echoing similar sentiments in defending optimism of naturalism, Walcutt says,

Some critics insist that the essence of naturalism is `pessimistic determinism,' ex-

pressing resignation or even despair at the spectacle of man's impotence in a mech-

anistic universe; other claim that the naturalistic novel is informed with a bright,

cheerful, and vigorous affirmation of progress of man's ability through science to

control his environment and achieve Utopia. (13)

This argument on the positive aspect of naturalism is on a par with any idealistic vision put

forth from spiritual front. Besides such idealistic optimism, naturalism also has practical

positive features, according to Walcutt. He argues that naturalistic works are indeed not

devoid of free will as they seem at the face value. In naturalistic works the free will of a

tragic hero is transferred to the readers. That is to say, readers share every emotion and

feeling of a tragic hero. Thus, the practical aspect of such works lies in the fact that they

make readers pay attention to the weakness of their society. Readers share the responsibility

for the tragedy of the hero. Hence, naturalistic works act as an eye-opener to the society. Such

works evoke a sense of social awareness and responsibility paving the path for social reforms

thus, furthering the cause of human civilization as hinted by Walcutt in the following lines,

The answer lies, surely, in the fact that the will is not really absent from the naturalistic

novel. It is, rather, taken away from protagonist and the other characters and transferred

to the reader and to society at large. The reader acknowledges his own will and respon-

sibility even as he pities the helpless protagonist...What appears as an error of choice or

a weakness of character in the plays of Aeschylus and Shakespeare is thus transferred to

society in the naturalistic tragedy; society has destroyed the hero and thus has destroyed

a part of its immortal self and pity and guilt result. (14)

Thus, any naturalistic works can be seen from two optimistic views one, idealistic and the

other practical as discussed above. Both the views are equally enriching and important in

their own stand. Therefore, these two aspects are enough to shatter the belief that naturalistic

works are all dark and negative and contribute nothing to the human society except gloom

and despair. These two bright aspects of naturalism are apparent in Sister Carrie and An

American Tragedy as well, which shall be discussed in part three of this chapter. Also worth

discussing here is the third important aspect of naturalism, that it is science-oriented. Natu-

ralism is science-oriented because it leans heavily towards science and psychology. In fact, in

this aspect lies the major difference between realism and naturalism. Whereas realist artists

are satisfied in presenting the fact as they stand, naturalists go further in exploring causes

behind the factual incidents. So, in Sister Carrie, we are not just informed of Hurstwood's

elopement with Carrie but are also explained why that happened and what led to Hurstwood's

downfall. Likewise, we are not just told about the boat accident in An American Tragedy, but

also the causes that triggered the accident. These three aspects of naturalism: positively

idealistic, practical and scientific, shall be discussed in part three of this chapter and also

partly in the final chapter.

An American Tragedy, A Tragic Novel

Clyde Griffiths is the main character of the novel. His parents are poor street preachers in

Kansas city who intend to keep their children away from the material world. Clyde is

ambitious and sensitive since childhood. He is exposed to the outer world after he starts

working as a bell-hop at Green Davidson hotel in the city. Meanwhile, Clyde's sister Esta,

who had eloped with an actor returns home pregnant. Clyde falls in love with Hortense, a

shrewd girl who is only interested in his money. He is reluctant to help his mother for the safe

landing of his sister because he spends money on Hortense.

A borrowed automobile used by Clyde and his friends hits and kills a girl child. He flees to

Chicago city and after several petty jobs, he is again employed at a hotel as a bell-hop. There,

he meets his rich uncle, Samuel Griffiths. The uncle employs him at his shirt and collar

factory at Lycurgus city, New York. In his first visit to his uncle's house, he meets a beautiful

girl, Sondra Finchley, a Lycurgus elite. He is extremely enchanted and infatuated with her.

However, upon learning that Clyde is poor, Sondra shows no interest in him.

He falls in love with Roberta Alden, a working girl at the factory. Even as he continues his

relation with Roberta, Sondra surprisingly draws closer to him after an accidental meet.

Meanwhile, Roberta gets pregnant and forces him to marry her. But his intimacy with Sondra

grows and she even promises him of a marriage. Clyde is in no mood to give up Sondra at

any cost because he believes that marriage with Sondra will ensure his position to the elite

level which he is craving for. As pressure from Roberta increases, he takes her to a lake

assuming a marriage trip, with a murder plan in his mind that he got from a news story. Once

in the boat he gets nervous unable to execute the plan. Presence of Roberta in the boat only

angers him. Noticing the unnatural change on Clyde's face, Roberta draws near to reach and

console him. In his attempt to avoid Roberta's touch, Clyde's hand with camera strikes

unintentionally at Roberta's face. Panic-stricken, Roberta falls behind. Sorry for his action,

Clyde stands up to reach to Roberta and upsets the boat. Clyde does not rescue Roberta who

sinks to death.

After the incident, he flees the scene to join Sondra and her other companions who are

vacating at another lake region. However, with the body of Roberta recovered, Clyde is

tracked down. He is tried for Roberta's murder. His uncle funds lawyers for his defense.

Clyde's lawyers coach him to appear in the court as a mental and moral coward incapable of

any hard crime. Clyde is all the time confused whether he really committed the murder. At

times he thinks he did it and at other times he didn't. Mason, the district attorney charges

Clyde as a cold-blooded murderer. Mason and his party manipulate the incident by reading

out Roberta's letters to the jury and also by distorting a fact connected with the incident.

Ultimately, Clyde is convicted for Roberta's murder. He is then removed to another cell for

execution. His lawyers suggest him for an appeal but his uncle withdraws from the case.

Clyde's mother tries to raise money to appeal his case. However, his father falls ill and she is

unable to raise the enough fund. Clyde, waiting for his execution is ever in confusion regard-

ing Roberta's death. He tells everything he saw and knew about the case to a minister with

the hope of attaining mental peace. However, he cannot get mental rest even after the confes-

sion. Before going to the electric chair, Clyde signs a confession note of making peace with

God as prepared by the minister. However, Clyde dies with the confusion still on his head.

The minister also doubts his counseling to Clyde.

Naturalistic Works: Sister Carrie, An American Tragedy

Both these novels are highly inspired by naturalistic school of thought in Dreiser. In these

works, Dreiser constantly uses animal metaphors and similes to describe the nature and

activities of his characters. Thus remarks Staurt P. Sherman, "His (Dreiser's) heroes and

heroines have `cat-like eyes,' `feline grace,' `sinuous strides,' eyes and jaws which vary from

those of the tiger, lynx, and bear to those of the fox, the tolerant mastiff, and the surly

bulldog." (15) Such tropes abound in both these works. Below are a few instances from An

American Tragedy.

But having the temperament of a spider that spins a web for flies, she foreshow that

this might involve the possibility of Louise's explaining to Clyde or Ratter that it

was Hortense who had instigated the party. (P. 121)

How now to do, what to say, if met by any one. He was so confused mentally and

nervously. The crackle of a twig and he leaped forward as a hare. (P. 604)

Then the same clerk reached into a square box that was before him, and drawing

forth a piece of paper, called `Simeon Dinsmore,' whereupon a little, hunched and

brown-sited man, with claw-like hands, and a ferret-like face, immediately scuttled

to the jury box and was seated. (P. 728)

Similarly, below are a few instances of animal tropes from Sister Carrie,

He crept toward her with a light in his eye that was ominous. Something in the

woman's cool, cynical, upper-handish manner, as if she were already master, caused

him to feel for the moment as if he could strangle her.

She gazed him a pythoness in humour. (P. 160)

Every motion, every glance had something in it of the pleasure he felt in Carrie, of

the zest this new pursuit of pleasure lent to his days. Mrs. Hurstwood felt something,

sniffing change, as animals do danger, afar off. (P. 152)

No deep, sinister soul with ulterior motives could have given her fifteen cents under

the guise of friendship. The unintellectual are not so helpless. Nature has taught the

beasts of the field to fly when some unheralded danger threatens. ...The instinct of

self-protection, strong in all such natures, was roused but feebly, if at all, by the

overtures of Drouet. (P. 49)

Dreiser seems more vociferous in advocating the philosophy of naturalism in Sister Carrie.

Or he seems rather elated with the fever of naturalism in his first work. He can't help preach-

ing the philosophy of naturalism as a narrator in several instances in the novel. He often runs

lengthy editorial lines on naturalism, at times even shadowing the roles of his characters. The

story at times gets dull and its movement is almost halted due to narrator's interventions

when he openly sets out to preach on naturalism. In one instance he brazenly mentions

Spencer in the course of defining the philosophy of naturalism.

For all the liberal analysis of Spencer and our naturalistic philosophers, we have but

an infantile perception of morals. There is more in the subject than mere conformity

to a law of evolution. It is yet deeper than conformity to things of earth alone. It is

more involved than we, as yet, perceive. (P. 68)

Embracing the principle of evolution, a major tenet of naturalistic philosophy, Dreiser,

donning the cloak of narrator in the novel says, "Our civilization is still in a middle stage,

scarcely beast, in that it is no longer wholly guided by instinct; scarcely human, in that it is

not yet wholly guided by reason." (P. 57) Here, he clearly speaks of the idealist-optimistic

vision of naturalism that once evolution reaches perfection, human beings would get victory

over their animal instincts and will live by reason thus, enjoying a free will. Though Hurst-

wood's part in the novel, as an ex-manager is pretty depressing, Carrie's is not. Carrie's role

is full of adventure and optimism. She is a character ever on the state of evolution (marching

towards betterment/perfection) through struggles. Carrie's struggle is not that of a brute beast.

Rather she is a compassionate being filled with humanity. This shall be explored further in

part two of Chapter II. Ames is Dreiser's ideal hero, who has almost achieved a state of

perfection as a human being. He is young, handsome and brilliant enough. Yet, he is not

proud of his assets. This is why Carrie admires him. Ames shuns hypocrisy practiced by elites.

He talks like a philosopher.

"I shouldn't care to be rich," he told her, as the dinner proceeded and the supply of

food warmed up his sympathies; "not rich enough to spend my money this way."

"Oh wouldn't you?" said Carrie, her, new attitude forcing itself distinctly upon her

for the first time.

"No," he said. "What good would it do? A man doesn't need this sort of thing to be

happy." (P. 237)

In fact, Ames is Carrie's guru. He explains her about the value of art and acting. It is by

following Ames's lead that Carrie finally rises to be a superstar. Having depicted the height of

her success, Dreiser leaves Carrie still brooding, thinking on the value of success and

happiness. After a lot of hard struggles, Carrie has finally achieved her long cherished dream

and success as defined by the society. But once there, she discovers that what the society had

labeled as "success" is in fact an illusion. So, what would happen next if the novel were to

stretch further? A down to earth and plausible guess is that Carrie from now onwards is more

likely to walk on Ames's path, towards enlightenment and perfection, the final (ideal) stage of

evolution.

Another positive character in the novel is an ex-solider called Captain who is a more practi-

cally evolved being than Ames. The Captain himself is not rich. He is not after any political

or religious gain. Yet, he troubles every wintry night to ensure that every bum has a warm bed.

Unlike the ex-manager, the Captain begs not for himself but for the sake of humanity. Thus,

Captain is yet another example conveying the message that there is nothing glorious in the

success defined and dictated by the society as Carrie finally perceives. Dreiser does not use

animal metaphors in introducing Ames and Captain. This clearly suggests that these two

characters are highly evolved beings not governed by animal instincts. They are no more

slaves to their instincts but live by reasoning.

By way of illustration of Dreiser's modernistic tendency, we can turn to An American

Tragedy after twenty five years of Sister Carrie. An American Tragedy is different from Sister

Carrie in this that Dreiser does not meddle much with the story as a narrator. Rather he lets

his characters speak for themselves without disturbing the story flow. We don't find much

optimistic characters like Ames and the Captain in An American Tragedy. The whole book is

largely depressing except for few accounts of Clyde's pranks with his bell-hop friends and his

few romances with Roberta or those with Sondra. However, the novel does not fail to

articulate Dreiser's optimistic aspect of naturalistic philosophy. Though a murder convict,

Miller Nicholson, a lawyer who befriends Clyde at the death house represents the optimism

of naturalistic philosophy. Among all criminals Clyde finds him more humane.

He was beginning to think after a time - few days that this lawyer his presence

and companionship during the exercise hour whenever they chanced to be in the

same set - could help him to endure this. He was the most intelligent and respectable

man here. The others were all so different taciturn at times and for the most part

so sinister, crude or remote. (P. 884)

Clyde is impressed by Nicholson's cool, patient and matured attitude even at the face of the

looming death. "And in three days! And he could walk and talk as though there was nothing

to happen, although, according to the guard, he had been notified the night before." (P. 890)

What impresses Clyde most is that the lawyer does not lose his composure even as he walks

to the death chair. Nicholson is an extraordinary character in the whole death house who is

never worried over his fate whereas the rest are terrified and petrified even as he walks to

embrace the death. Like Ames, Nicholson also talks like a philosopher in consoling Clyde

about the death house environment saying, "Well, that's good. Be game. We all have to be

here or the whole place would go crazy. Better breathe a little. Or walk fast. It'll do you

good." (P. 883) Nicholson is no more afraid of death. He knows he has broken the law and he

is ready to face the consequence.

Having been making Clyde state that Nicholson is not a crude type like others, Dreiser

associates Nicholson with books, the symbol of knowledge and wisdom. And it is wisdom

Details

Pages
Type of Edition: Erstausgabe
Publication Year: 2015
ISBN (PDF): 9783954899364
ISBN (Softcover): 9783954894369
File size: 352 KB
Language: English
Publication date: 2015 (May)
Keywords: Naturalism American society free will evolution poverty Victorian unconscious

Author

M.H, M.A. Guneshwor Ojha (Author)

Transition Phase of the American Society in An American Tragedy: A Naturalistic Approach

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Author

M.H, M.A. Guneshwor Ojha (Author)