美国-文学Theodore-Dreiser

TheodoreDreiser西奥多·德莱塞(August27,1871–December28,1945)10/11/20202Introduction•TheodoreHermanAlbertDreiser(August27,1871–December28,1945)wasanAmericannovelistandjournalistofthenaturalistschool.10/11/2020•TheoutstandingAmericanpractitionerofnaturalism.HewastheleadingfigureinanationalliterarymovementthatreplacedtheobservanceofVictoriannotionsofproprietywiththeunflinchingpresentationofreal-lifesubjectmatter.BiographyDreiserwasborninTerreHaute,Indiana,toSarahandJohnPaulDreiser,astrictCatholicfamily.JohnPaulDreiserwasaGermanimmigrantfromMayenintheEifelregion,andSarahwasfromtheMennonitefarmingnearDayton,Ohio;shewasdisownedformarryingJohnandconvertingtoRomanCatholicism.Theodorewasthetwelfthofthirteenchildren(theninthofthetensurviving).ThepopularsongwriterPaulDresser(1857–1906)washisolderbrother.•From1889to1890,TheodoreattendedIndianaUniversitybeforedroppingout..•Withinseveralyears,hewaswritingfortheChicagoGlobenewspaperandthentheSt.LouisGlobe-Democrat.HewroteseveralarticlesonwriterssuchasNathanielHawthorne,WilliamDeanHowells,JohnBurroughs,andinterviewedpublicfiguressuchasAndrewCarnegie,MarshallField,ThomasEdison,andTheodoreThomas.Afterproposingin1893,hemarriedSaraWhiteonDecember28,1898.Theyultimatelyseparatedin1909,partlyasaresultofDreiser'sinfatuationwithThelmaCudlipp,theteenagedaughterofaworkcolleague,butwereneverformallydivorced.In1919DreisermethiscousinHelenRichardsonwithwhomhebegananaffairwithsado-masochisticelements.TheyeventuallymarriedonJune13,1944Literarycareer•Hisfirstnovel,SisterCarrie,publishedin1900,tellsthestoryofawomanwhofleeshercountrylifeforthecity(Chicago)andtherelivesalifefarfromaVictorianideal.Itsoldpoorlyandwasnotwidelypromotedlargelybecauseofmoralobjectionstothedepictionofacountrygirlwhopursuesherdreamsoffameandfortunethroughrelationshipstomen.Thebookhassinceacquiredaconsiderablereputation.IthasbeencalledthegreatestofallAmericanurbannovels.(Itwasmadeintoa1952filmbyWilliamWyler,whichstarredLaurenceOlivierandJenniferJones.)•Hewitnessedalynchingin1893andwrotetheshortstory,NiggerJeff,whichappearedinAinslee'sMagazinein1901.•Hissecondnovel,JennieGerhardt,waspublishedin1911.•HisfirstcommercialsuccesswasAnAmericanTragedy,publishedin1925,whichwasmadeintoafilmin1931andagainin1951(asAPlaceintheSun).•Thoughprimarilyknownasanovelist,Dreiserpublishedhisfirstcollectionofshortstories,FreeandOtherStoriesin1918.Thecollectioncontained11stories.Anotherstory,MyBrotherPaul,wasabriefbiographyofhisolderbrother,PaulDresser,whowasafamoussongwriterinthe1890s.Thisstorywasthebasisforthe1942romanticmovie,MyGalSal.•OtherworksincludeTrilogyofDesire,whichwasbasedonthelifeoftheChicagostreetcartycoonCharlesTysonYerkesandcomposedofTheFinancier(1912),TheTitan(1914),andTheStoic.Thelastwaspublishedposthumouslyin1947.•Dreiserwasoftenforcedtobattleagainstcensorshipbecauseofhisdepictionofsomeaspectsoflife,suchassexualpromiscuity,offendedauthoritiesandpopularopinion.10/11/202010Novelssistercarrie,JennieGerhardt,TheFinancier,TheTitan,TheGenius,AnAmericanTragedy,TheBulwark,TheStoicShortstorycollectionsFreeandOtherSrories,TwelveMenChains,LesserNovelsandStories,AGalleyofWomenPlayPlaysoftheNaturalandSupernatural,TheHandoftheRotterCollectionsofpoemsMoodsAutoblographyATravelleratForty,AHoosierHoliday,ABookAboutMyself,Dawn,AnAmateurLaborerCollectionsofassaysHeyRub-a-Dub-Dub:AbookoftheMysteryandWonderandTerrorofLife,ThecolorofaGreatCity,DreiserLooksatRussia,TragicAmerica,AmericaIsWorthSaving,NotesonLifeWorksbyTheodorDreiserPoliticalcommitment•Politically,Dreiserwasinvolvedinseveralcampaignsagainstsocialinjustice.ThisincludedthelynchingofFrankLittle,oneoftheleadersoftheIndustrialWorkersoftheWorld,theSaccoandVanzetticase,thedeportationofEmmaGoldman,andtheconvictionofthetradeunionleaderTomMooney.•InNovember1931,DreiserledtheNationalCommitteefortheDefenseofPoliticalPrisoners(NCDPP)tothecoalfieldsofsoutheasternKentucky,wheretheytooktestimonyfromcoalminersinPinevilleandHarlanontheviolenceagainsttheminersandtheirunionsbythecoaloperators•Dreiserwasacommittedsocialist,andwroteseveralnon-fictionbooksonpoliticalissues.TheseincludedDreiserLooksatRussia(1928),theresultofhis1927triptotheSovietUnion,andtwobookspresentingacriticalperspectiveoncapitalistAmerica,TragicAmerica(1931)andAmericaIsWorthSaving(1941).•HisvisionofcapitalismandafutureworldorderwithastrongAmericanmilitarydictatecombinedwiththeharshcriticismofthelattermadehimunpopularwithintheofficialcircles.Althoughlesspoliticallyradicalfriends,suchasH.L.Mencken,spokeofDreiser'srelationshipwithcommunismasanunimportantdetailinhislife,Dreiser'sbiographerJeromeLovingnotesthathispoliticalactivitiessincetheearly1930shadclearlybeeninconcertwithostensiblecommunistaimswithregardtotheworkingclass.AssessmentDreiserhadanenormousinfluenceonthegenerationthatfollowedhis.InhistributeDreiserfromHorsesandMen(1923),SherwoodAndersonwrites:p.14Heavy,heavy,thefeetofTheodore.Howeasytopicksomeofhisbookstopieces,tolaughathimforsomuchofhisheavyprose...hefellowsoftheink-pots,theprosewritersinAmericawhofollowDreiser,willhavemuchtodo