Dialogue: Economic Approach To Dreiser's Novels

Dreiser was the first prominent writer in the American literature history in 20th century, and also the pioneer of American modem fictions. However, the study on the novels of Dreiser was mostly confined to the achievements that had been acquired with a narrow field of vision, and the traditional literature critical approaches were in the majority without new ones, especial interdisciplinary studies.This article attempts to expound the novels of Dreiser with the economic insight. Firstly, this article analyses the economic consciousness from the three facets of economic visual angle, economic landscape and typically economic character. Secondly, this article interprets Dreiser's novels based on the economic theories, points out that Dreiser's novels provide us a world restricted by commercial relations, in which the principal of utility maximization carries through to the end and people would face the dilemma of game, and shows us a ideology of consumerism. Lastly, this article answers the two disputed questions from the economic angle, which consists of the style of writing and the attribution about schools, draws a conclusion that Dreiser's style of writing isn't clumsy and that Dreiser was a naturalist generally speaking. This article strives to explore the dialogue between literature and economics, break out the fence of the study on Dreiser, and make clear the status of Dreiser in the American literature history.