The Sizzling of Desire A Psychoanalytic Study of Clyde’s Character in An American Tragedy
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.26750/Vol(8).No(4).Paper27Abstract
An American Tragedy is a novel by Theodore Dreiser. It was published in 1925. The novel is a complicated account of an ambitious, ill-educated, and immature young protagonist named Clyde Griffith. It is a portrayal of the society whose values both shape Clyde's mimetic desires and seal his destiny. Since the novel revolves around the strong desires of Clyde and the way they reflect on him and others around him, this paper offers an analysis of the character through the lens of psychoanalysis. This study is an attempt to shed light on the deep-rooted desires of the protagonist and how they affect him for his assumed success in life. In this regard, the beliefs of Sigmund Freud and some other writers in the field are discussed.
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