A Marxist Feminist Interpretation Of Jennie’s Tragedy In Jennie Gerhardt

The second flowering of American literature spans from the1920’s to the1930’s, inwhich American literature entered into a new stage. During these years, there sprang up manyfamous writers who have played a very important role in the history of modern Americanliterature. Just at that time, Theodore Dreiser turned up and made a great contribution to theunprecedented booming period. Theodore Dreiser is one of the most outstanding writers in the20thcentury and the great pioneer of modern American literature. In the history of Americanliterature, he is the first writer to describe the new city life in America without any prejudice,which is the great contribution to American literature.This thesis starts by presenting a review of relevant studies at home and abroad onTheodore Dreiser and his important novel Jennie Gerhardt and providing a brief introductionto the structure, content, theoretical basis and significance of the thesis. The theory applied tothe present research is Marxist Feminism which provides a new reading perspective of studieson Theodore Dreiser and strengthens readers’ knowledge of the Marxist Feminism through thetextual analysis of Jennie Gerhardt. This thesis discusses the typical tragic character---JennieGerhardt who is a kind and honorable woman with many virtues. Complicated causes, such aslacking of education, living predictment and the combination of the capitalist society andpatriarchal culture’s oppression in particular, lead to her doomed tragedy. On the basis of thetheory of Marxist Feminism and textual analysis, this thesis tries to draw the conclusion: putin a world of capitalism and patriarchy, Jennie’s tragedy is unavoidable.