Jennie Gerhardt

About “Jennie Gerhardt”

Dreiser's second novel, which the author considered his personal favorite, follows an impoverished heroine struggling to navigate society. Throughout the story, she unintentionally challenges various social norms as she attempts to find her place in the world. The novel explores themes of social expectation and personal survival through her experiences. It reflects Dreiser's interest in the conflicts between individual desires and societal rules. The story is grounded in the realities of economic hardship and the pressures of social conformity.