JUSTICE AND PUNISHMENT IN THE NOVEL AN AMERICAN TRAGEDY BY THEODORE DREISER
Keywords:
naturalistic background of the novel, the development of moral responsibility,the murder of Roberta Alden and the question of justice, the courtroom and the American legal system, punishment and the death penalty, justice as a social rather than merely legal concept , punishment, guilt, and psychological suffering ,Is Clyde's punishment just?Abstract
Theodore Dreiser’s An American Tragedy, published in 1925, is one of the most important works of American naturalist literature. The novel presents a complex story about ambition, social inequality, morality, crime, justice, and punishment. At the center of the narrative is Clyde Griffiths, a young man who dreams of wealth, social status, and a more successful life. His ambitions gradually lead him into a moral crisis and eventually to murder. Through Clyde’s story, Dreiser examines not only the personal responsibility of an individual but also the influence of society, poverty, family background, social expectations, and psychological pressure.
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Published
2026-08-19
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