Jennie Gerhardt (1911) is a novel by Theodore Dreiser. Controversial
for its honest depiction of work, desire, and urban life, Jennie
Gerhardt has endured as a classic of naturalist fiction and remains a
powerful example of social critique over a century after its
publication. Originally titled The Transgressor, the novel was shelved
by Dreiser following a nervous breakdown in 1903. Controversial upon
publication, Jennie Gerhardt has been largely overshadowed by
Dreiser's other works, but undoubtedly deserves renewed attention from
readers and critics alike. In Columbus, Ohio, Jennie Gerhardt struggles
to make ends meet while working at a popular hotel. There, she
encounters a United States Senator, who takes a liking to her and offers
his help with finances. Wary at first, Jennie acquiesces, and soon grows
to care for the older man. She becomes pregnant and Senator Brander
promises to marry her, but an outbreak of typhoid claims him as one of
its victims. Left to raise a daughter on her own, Jennie moves to
Cleveland to look for work. Employed as a lady's maid, she soon meets
the son of a wealthy industrialist who seems to have her best interests
in mind. In order to stay with him, however, she hides her daughter by
leaving her with her mother, and joins Lester on a trip to New York.
Jennie Gerhardt is a story of tragedy and hope, of one woman
determined to get more out of life than was promised to her at birth.
With a beautifully designed cover and professionally typeset manuscript,
this edition of Theodore Dreiser's Jennie Gerhardt is a classic of
American literature reimagined for modern readers.
