An American Tragedy by Theordore Dreiser: Reality and Fiction Cause the Demise of the American Dream

Throughout literary history, authors have changed, but they all have drawn ideas for their prose from their own life experiences. Such is the case with Theodore Dreiser. Dreiser uses events from his life and from a 1906 murder trial when he wrote his novel, An American Tragedy. This novel combines the elements of reality and fiction. Within the novel, these elements combine to create the downfall of the American Dream.
Clyde Griffiths, the protagonist in An American Tragedy, is representative of two nonfictional people, Theodore Dreiser and Chester Gillette. Dreiser uses his life alon…