Theodore Dreiser

Theodore Dreiser (1871–1945) was a leading figure in American literary naturalism. Born in Terre Haute, Indiana, to a large, impoverished family, he worked as a journalist before turning to fiction. His first novel, Sister Carrie (1900), was controversial for its frank depiction of a young woman's rise through society and was initially suppressed by its publisher. Dreiser's masterpiece, An American Tragedy (1925), based on a real murder case, is a devastating critique of class, ambition, and the pursuit of wealth. His Trilogy of Desire, including The Financier (1912), follows a ruthless businessman's rise and fall. Dreiser's unflinching realism and focus on social determinism influenced generations of writers, cementing his place as a foundational voice in modern American literature.