Theodore Dreiser American writer and publisher. Date of Birth: 27.08.1871 Country: USA

Biography of Theodore Dreiser

Theodore Dreiser was an American writer and publisher who gained significant recognition in Russia, with numerous collections of his works being published over the past 50 years. However, in America, Dreiser's works have been largely forgotten and unread, leading to a long-standing resentment towards him. This resentment can be likened to a Freudian grudge, similar to a boy who develops hatred towards a girl he once liked after a gust of wind revealed a glimpse of her undergarments.

Born to Johann Paul Dreiser, a German immigrant who never learned to speak English proficiently, Theodore grew up as an American. During those times, having a doctor and a midwife as witnesses was sufficient to claim American citizenship. Interestingly, despite his German heritage, Dreiser's literary works showed no traces of his ethnic background, except for the novel "Jennie Gerhardt," in which all the characters were of German ethnicity.

Dreiser's photo-realistic yet modest and well-intentioned novel, "Sister Carrie," was banned in 1900 for its perceived obscenity, with the New York Society for the Suppression of Vice leading the initiative. This fate befell Dreiser's subsequent books as well, while in England, his novels were published without much controversy and received positive reviews (thanks to the effect of negative publicity). As a naturalist in his creative approach, a moralist, and a thoughtful reasoner, Dreiser painted vast canvases of American life with an unbelievable number of characters. The actions in all his novels flowed seamlessly, devoid of any spatial or temporal disruptions, unfolding day by day, hour by hour, from birth to death.

Dreiser provided his characters with detailed psychological motivations, explaining why they acted the way they did. His financial and economic trilogy, "The Financier," "The Titan," and "The Stoic," as well as his love-detective epic, "An American Tragedy," brought him well-deserved fame and recognition. These books are not only interesting but also captivating. Frank Cowperwood, the unstoppable Chicago businessman of the 1870s-1890s, is a typical "new American" character whom our writers unsuccessfully attempt to describe as the "new Russian," with the only difference being the absence of automobiles and cell phones during Cowperwood's time. On the other hand, Clyde Griffiths is one of the best embodiments of an American, showcasing both his virtues and vices. "As an ordinary young man with a typically American outlook on life, he believed that manual labor was beneath his dignity."

Contrary to the virtues attributed to him in Russia and the vices with which his fellow countrymen accused him, Dreiser lacked both. He was a literary prisoner, a man who secretly believed in his own God, a moralist, and an optimist. Otherwise, he would not have patriotically titled his last work of journalism, "America Worth Saving."