"Main themes in "Jennie Gerhardt" by Theodore Dreiser ".
Gunel Akhmedova
Qafqaz University
Master student guncik113.91@list.ru Theodore Dreiser was one of the most eminent novelists of the end of nineteenth and the beginning of twentieth century. He was highly praised both by critics and his fellow writers. Dreiser was the only writer whose novels were included in the compulsory study at universities during his lifetime. One of his well-known novels is “Jennie Gerhardt”, which was published in 1911.
Besides giving the realistic depiction of life of a simple American, "Jennie Gerhardt” reveals to readers another feature of the talent of a great writer that is deep lyricism and ability to signify delicate human experiences, sincere sympathy for the common people and their fate. There are several themes in the novel.
The first and the most important theme is the theme of self-sacrifice. It serves as the core of the novel and is developed in the characters of two female protagonists: mother and daughter, Mrs. Gerhardt and Jennie.
First of all, it is necessary to describe Mrs. Gerhardt. She is a middle-aged woman, the mother of six children. As we begin reading the novel, it becomes clear that Mrs. Gerhardt tries to help family survive. Throughout the novel we witness how much she loves her children and always tries to make their life easier.
Secondly, the topic of self-sacrifice is fully revealed in the characte...
... middle of paper ...
...eam to “fit in” to American society. The dream is vividly depicted by Dreiser in Mr. Gerhardt. William drives Jennie out because he thinks that she is acting immorally not only from religious point of view, but according to social codes as well. The case is that during the end of the nineteenth century immigrant offsprings were criticized more abruptly than American children for their behavior. Discrimination was inevitable and most of the members of immigrant communities realized that if there was any young man or girl who misbehaves, it would harm the reputation of others too. That’s why they did their best in order to adjust to the American way of life. The only way of reaching this goal was to bring the next generation up better that Americans. This is one of the reasons that make Mr. Gerhardt become furious when he gets the news of Jennie’s condition.
The major themes of the book are directly related to the themes which John Demos uses to tell this story. The storyline moves on though the evolution of one theme to the next. The function of these major sections is to allow the reader to relate to John Williams overall state of mind as the story unfold. By implementing these major themes into his work, John Demos make it possible for the reader to fully understand the story from beginning to end.
Throughout the book, apart from describing her experiences of living in Auschwitz, Livia Bitton-Jackson focuses on presenting certain ideas to the reader. The three main themes are: hope; taking risks; and growing up.
Typical American by Gish Jen demonstrates the different struggles that a traditional immigrant family encounters. The book being discussed will be explained by means of historical influences and biographical influences during Jen’s life that affected the novel. This essay will also contain a critical analysis of the book and an analysis of the critical response from others.
Influenced by the style of “plainspoken English” utilized by Phillip Larkin (“Deborah Garrison”), Deborah Garrison writes what she knows, with seemingly simple language, and incorporating aspects of her life into her poetry. As a working mother, the narrator of Garrison’s, “Sestina for the Working Mother” provides insight for the readers regarding inner thoughts and emotions she experiences in her everyday life. Performing the daily circus act of balancing work and motherhood, she, daydreams of how life might be and struggles with guilt, before ultimately realizing her chosen path is what it right for her and her family.
What are the important themes of the book? What questions or issues about teaching and learning does it address?
The busy season for the shop she was working on came and the owner of the shop kept demanding for what we call overtime. She got fired after she said, “I only want to go home. I only want the evening to myself!.” Yezierska was regretful and bitter about what happened because she ended up in cold and hunger. After a while she became a trained worker and acquired a better shelter. An English class for foreigners began in the factory she was working for. She went to the teacher for advice in how to find what she wanted to do. The teacher advised her to join the Women’s Association, where a group of American women helps people find themselves. One of the women in the social club hit her with the reality that “America is no Utopia.” Yezierska felt so hopeless. She wondered what made Americans so far apart from her, so she began to read the American history. She learned the difference between her and the Pilgrims. When she found herself on the lonely, untrodden path, she lost heart and finally said that there’s no America. She was disappointed and depressed in the
The immigrants of the twentieth century faced many hardships and shockingly inhumane treatment. They came to America in pursuit of a better life and to see the famous "land of opportunity." However, what they saw was discrimination, isolation, poverty, and unfriendly competition. The protagonist in each of the novels convey the dispiriting side of the America that the immigrants unknowingly fell into. The stereotypes and classifications placed upon the ex-colored man, the Filipino immigrant, or Mexican-American boy were unfortunate but true representations of the time. The American Dream was not attainable by all, as it claimed to be.
universal theme of suffering. Baldwin uses the main character David to exemplify an individual's struggle to accept himself, unfortunately his rite of passage is thwarted by his inability to accept his humanity in a world of socially ascribed sexual categories.
Mary went from not even attending school in Russia, to star pupil in America, illustrating the promise that America had to offer immigrants. American afforded Mary with opportunities that were impossible in her home country of Russia. Even though Frieda also lived in America, her circumstances represent the realities of the Old World. For instance, Frieda’s only way of learning about American history was through Mary, as she was not afforded time to read while working. By not attending school, Frieda did not only became stuck in the Old World mentality in terms of education but also in terms of marriage. Her father “had put Frieda to work out of necessity. The necessity was hardly lifted when she had an offer of marriage, but my father would not stand in the way of what he considered her welfare” (Antin, 218). Frieda was not given the opportunity to marry for love, as was the American way, but was married out of necessity for her welfare, reminiscent of the Old World mentality. Public education provided Mary with the opportunity to marry not because she had to in order to survive, but because she wanted to. The stark contrast between the lives of Frieda, representing life in the
Racism is the first major theme in the novel because the racism is shown in the novel through how the White Southerners address the African-Americans by
... they are trying to enforce and protect. She is a part of the same people as all the men, but they do not see her this way. They are trying to cast her out. “…but only from their confusion, impatience, and refusal to recognize the beautiful absurdity of their American identity and mine…” Our narrator is an intellectual feminine immigrant who’s self image allows her to see that she is in fact the very same as the men; she is an American. The very idea of being an ‘American’ relates directly to immigration; the United States of America was founded by immigrants exactly like the narrator; the “beautiful absurdity” is the blindness of the men about who they truly are when she already knows “…and knowing now who I was and where I was and knowing too that I no longer had to run…”. She is in a safe place hidden from the Ras’s and the Jack’s, right now she is invisible.
The one of the main themes in the epilogue, and in the entire novel is
The first theme that is prevalent throughout the story is love. The main characters, Calixta and Alcee, love their families. When Calixta realizes the treacherous storm brewing in the distance, she fears for the safety of her husband and child. Alcee admits to missing his family in a “loving letter, full of tender solicitude” (Chopin 126). However the theme itself does not stop at love. It delves deeper into a more specific type of passion: affair.
____________, the themes of loyalty and sacrifice that is expressed throughout John Steinbeck's novel, "Of Mice and Men" by the characters and the characters actions. The characters who mainly showed their loyalty and sacrificial quality like George, who sacrificed his life for his loyalty towards Lennie, and Candy, who sacrifices his friend out of loyalty, teach us that loyalty and sacrifice between friends will make people do whatever they can for their friend.
The book starts off painting the image an Howard's mother Mariquita. She is depicted as somewhat a diamond in the rough, beautiful and one of a kind, even pointing out that she worked as a stenographer, an uncommon position to be held by women in this time period. The book goes on describing her daily life including spending much time with her friends, competing amongst each other in the latest fashions and watching the movies.