Jennie Gerhardt |
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Author:
| Dreiser, Theodore |
ISBN: | 978-1-5398-8932-8 |
Publication Date: | Nov 2016 |
Publisher: | CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform
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Book Format: | Paperback |
List Price: | USD $6.98 |
Book Description:
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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....
More Description 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.