Kuznetsova A. 302a
Summary
American Tragedy
The narrationof a novel “An American Tragedy” by Theodore Dreiser takes place in America, and the main character is Clyde Griffiths, who aims at success, wealth and independence.
One hot summer evening two adults and four children were singing psalms in a wide street in Kansas City. The eldest boy, Clyde Griffiths, definitely did not like such a method for earning leaving. Clyde’s parents put their hearts into saving lost souls, but that business gained only moral satisfaction and no money – the family hardly made both ends meet.
Clyde tried to break out of the family and start his own life where he would not have to preach in the streets and hand out some religious brochures. So, Clyde got a job as a shop assistant in a drug-store where he helped to sell household soda, then Clyde tried himself as a bell-boy in the great Hotel Green-Davidson– it was not a kind of hard job and there was no need to have special education or experience and it gave a good tip. The boy paid in money into the family and bought clothes for himself. Clyde started to go around with other boys in the hotel and some time later he got acquainted with a smart salesgirl Hortense Briggs. Hortense was not a girl who fell in love with just a handsome boy she needed more, she liked boys with a capital. Hortense liked a smart jacket for 115 dollars and Clyde made her dream come true. Clyde made her expensive presents, guided her around the luxurious restaurants, but maybe all that were not for her, maybe he wanted to please himself and show the others that he was able to maintain the girl, that he was rich. Maybe it was the reason why he did not gave money to his own sister who was in a big trouble
Clyde with Hortense and his friends decided to spend a good time and set out on the journey in the luxurious car, which had been taken by Sparser. The owner of the car was the rich man for whom Sparser’s father served. The weather was getting bad on the way back, the road became wet and slippery, and they had to drive the car slower. Fear for being late at work made them speed up and Sparser got out of control and brought down a girl. In panic they tried to vanish and the car skidded out of the road and turned upside down. Next day all the newspapers reported about the girl death, Sparser was arrested and the names of others also became known. Clyde had to leave Kansas City to avoid confinement.