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08级英本一班+++学号：+++++BookReviewonAnAmericanTragedy一WhyDidClyde'sLifeBecomeaTragedyAnAmericanTragedywaswrittenbyTheodoreDreiserwhoisoneofAmericangreatestNaturalistwriters.ManyofDreiser'snovelsdealtwithsocialinequality.Hisheroesandheroines,hissettings,hisfrankdiscussionandcelebrationofsexwereallnewandshockingtothereadingpublic,thusheopenedanewgroundofAmericanNaturalismandpioneeredtheNaturalistSchool.Heisknownforportrayingcharacterswhosevaluedoesn’tlieintheirmoralcode,butintheirpersistenceagainstallobstacles.Arguably,DreisersucceededbeyondanyofhispredecessorsorsuccessorsinproducingthegreatAmericannovel.AnAmericanTragedyin1925wasHisfirstcommercialsuccess,whichwasmadeintoafilmin1931andagainin1951.Alreadyin1892,whenDreiserbeganworkasanewspapermanhehadbeguntoobserveacertaintypeofcrimeintheUnitedStatesthatprovedverycommon.Itseemedtospringfromthefactthatalmosteveryyoungpersonwaspossessedofaningrownambitiontobesomebodyfinanciallyandsocially.FortunehuntingbecameadiseasewiththefrequentresultofapeculiarAmericankindofcrimeandaformofmurderingformoney.Whentheyoungambitiousloverofasomepoorergirlfoundamoreattractivegirlwithmoneyorposition,buthecouldnotgetridofthefirstgirl.Usuallyitwasbecauseofpregnancy.Dreiserclaimedtohavecollectedsuchstorieseveryyearbetween1895and1935.Themurderin1911ofAvisLinnellbyClarenceRichesonparticularlycaughthisattention.By1919thismurderwasthebasisofoneoftwoseparatenovelsbegunbyDreiser.The1906murderofGraceBrownbyChesterGilletteeventuallybecamethebasisforAnAmericanTragedy.AnAmericanTragedytoldreadersthetragedylifeofanAmericanyoungman,ClydeGriffiths.AnAmericanTragedyleftmanyquestionsforustothink.EventodaymanyreadersmaywonderWhyClydewantedmoneysomuch,evenkilledhisloverRobertaandwhyClydewalkedsofaraway.Everypersonhasadreamwhenheisstillyoung.Peopledreamoftruelove,moneyandgoodlife.Thesedreamshavenothingwrong.Butsomepeopledosomeimmoralandillegalthings,inordertocometruetheirdreams.Clydewassuchaperson.ButIdon'tthinkweshouldblamehimforallthefaults.ThereasonswhyClyde'slifebecameatragedyarecomplex,notsimplesingularone.First,Clydehadlittleformalschooleducation.Clyde'sparentswerebothreligious-minded.Buttheyhadnojobs,sotheywereverypoor.WhenClydewas12,stillachild,hisparentstookhim,hisbrothersandsisterstothestreetsofvariouscities,wheretheyprayedandsanginpublic.Atthattime,hewasinnocentandpure,anddidwhathisparentstoldhim.hehadnogreatambitionandaspiration.Ifhehadsomeambition,itmustbethathewasencouragedbyhisparentsaseveryAmericanparentsdidtotheirchildren.Ashegrewup,Clydewaspossessedofaningrownambitiontosomebodyfinanciallyandsocially.ButClydehadlittleformalschooleducation.Hedidn'tknowhowtobecomesomebodyandnoonetaughthimhowtodo.Heonlyhadthedreamtobesomebody.Second,itwasthathisfamilyhadanimpactonhim.Althoughhisparentswerereligious-minded,theyspentmostoftheirtimetoprayandsinginpublic.ThefundamentalistfaithoftheGriffithswastheirhopeandmainstaythroughoutthemisfortunesandtroublesoflife.Theydidnothavemuchtimetoeducatehim,andalsotheydidnotknowhowtoeducateClydewellbythemselves.Astheywerepoor,theydidnothavethemoneytosendClydetoschool.TheyjusttoldClydetobelieveGod.Butatthattime,inAmerica,peopleneedmoneytobuygoods,whileGodwasinvisibleandhecouldnotgivepeoplefoodandclothoranythingelse.Gradually,youngClydebecamenon-religious,andhealwaysfeltashamedoftheexistencethathisparentswereliving.Hedecidedtogoonhisownway,assoonashewasoldenoughtomakedecisionsforhimself.Third,itwashisfriendsandenvironmentinfluencedhim.WhenClydewas16yearsold,hegotridofhisparents,wenttoKansasCityandgotajobasanattendantinhotel.Inthehotel,hesawtherichwastedmoneylikewater.anddidanythingastheypleased.AllofthosemadeClydedesirousofmoney.Hefeltastonishedwiththesalaryandthetipswhichhereceivedthefirsttime.Itwasthefirsttimeinhislifethathehadmoneyinhispocket,andhecoulddresswellandenjoyhimself.Comparedwithbefore,theGodneverbroughthimanything.Gradually,hetotallyforgothisreligionbelieve.Withthemoneywhichhisjobprovided,lifebecamepleasantforhim.Hecouldenjoymoreandmoreluxuries.Hemadefriendswithotherattendants.Theygottogethertohavepartiesthatcenteredonliquorandwomen.Clydesoonbecamefamiliarwithdrinkandbrothels.IfClydewasinanothercountry,notAmerica,hemaybebesatisfiedwithhispresentjob.ButhewasinAmerica.Ifhewassatisfiedwithhispresentjob,thatwouldmeanhehadnoenterprise.Clydehadlittleeducation.Hedidnothavehisownjudgement.Hedidnothaveinterestinaparticularjob.Sohefollowedhisattendantsfriends,andlearnedtowastemoneyfromtherichinthehotel.Clydewasdesirousofluxuryandbeautifulyoungwomen.Butatpresent,hecouldnotgetthose,sothosebecamemoreattractivetohim.Inaddition,IthinkthesocietyhadalsosomeresponsibilitiesforClyde'stragedy.Becauseatthattimesocietywasconcentratingonpursuingmaterialwealth.Societyoftenjudgedwhetherapersonwassuccessfulornotbyhiswealth.Thatleadedmanypeople,suchasClyde,didwhatevertogetthemoney.ClydewasjustanordinaryAmericanyoungman.Hejustwanttobecamesomebody,butunfortunatelyheusedthewrongwaytocometruehisdream.ThesocietyhadalsosomeresponsibilitiesforClyde'stragedybutIthinkitwasnottheonlyone.InDrei