Theodore
Dreiser is one of the most penetrating observers of the greatest period
of social change the United States ever saw. Writing as America emerged
as the world's wealthiest nation, Dreiser chronicled industrial and
economic transformation and the birth of consumerism with an unmatched
combination of detail, sympathy, and power. The specially commissioned
essays collected in this volume are written by a leading team of scholars
of American literature and culture. They establish new parameters
for both scholarly and classroom discussion of Dreiser. This Companion
provides fresh perspectives on the frequently read classics, Sister
Carrie and An American Tragedy, as well as on topics of perennial
interest, such as Dreiser's representation of the city and his prose
style. The volume investigates topics such as his representation of
masculinity and femininity, and his treatment of ethnicity. It is
the most comprehensive introduction to Dreiser's work available.
Contents: Introduction; Chronology; Part I. Background and Contexts:
1. Dreiser and the profession of authorship James L. W. West III;
2. Dreiser and the uses of biography Thomas P. Riggio; 3. Dreiser's
style Paul Giles; 4. Dreiser and the history of American longing Jackson
Lears; Part II. Dreiser and his Culture: 5. The matter of Dreiser's
modernity Bill Brown; 6. Dreiser, class, and the home Catherine Jurca;
7. Dreiser and the ideology of upward mobility Bruce Robbins; 8. Dreiser,
art, and the museum Miles Orvell; 9. Dreiser and women Clare Virginia
Eby; 10. Sister Carrie, race, and the World's Columbian Exposition
Christopher Gair; 11. Dreiser's sociological vision Priscilla Wald;
12. Dreiser and crime Leonard Cassuto.
Theodore
Dreiser is one of the most penetrating observers of the greatest period
of social change the United States ever saw. Writing as America emerged
as the world's wealthiest nation, Dreiser chronicled industrial and
economic transformation and the birth of consumerism with an unmatched
combination of detail, sympathy, and power. The specially commissioned
essays collected in this volume are written by a leading team of scholars
of American literature and culture. They establish new parameters
for both scholarly and classroom discussion of Dreiser. This Companion
provides fresh perspectives on the frequently read classics, Sister
Carrie and An American Tragedy, as well as on topics of perennial
interest, such as Dreiser's representation of the city and his prose
style. The volume investigates topics such as his representation of
masculinity and femininity, and his treatment of ethnicity. It is
the most comprehensive introduction to Dreiser's work available.