"Clyde Griffiths -- An American Weenie --Review of 'An American Tragedy' (1925) by Theodore Dreiser"

[jordan179]

"Clyde Griffiths -- An American Weenie --

A Retro Review

of

An American Tragedy

(c) 1925

by

Theodore Dreiser"

(c) 2013

by

Jordan S. Bassior

Introduction:  Since this isn't speculative fiction, the whole review is going here rather than on Fantastic Worlds.  But do read Fantastic Worlds anyway, it's always fun!

Setting:  The American

Comments

[marycatelli]

But, Comrade! You fail to realize that the glorious education and wonderful society of Socialism will ensure that there are no weenies!

Or maybe Clyde was just a Mary Sue.

[jordan179]

LOL!

I do think that Clyde was meant to be an idiot by Dreiser as well, because of the defense made by his lawyers: their argument was essentially that Clyde was not a monster but a fool without the willpower to resist even mild temptation. What Dreiser doesn't get is that someone like Clyde wouldn't be happier in a totalitarian socialist society: Clyde probably would have failed sooner, executed for something far less serious than first degree murder, or maybe just tossed into prison for "hooliganism" until his health was forever broken. But then Dreiser probably didn't realize just how terrible was his beloved socialist utopia.

Part of my (evident from my review) disgust with Clyde is that he had it really good, failed to appreciate it, and destroyed his life (and at least one other more innocent one -- two if you count the fetus) because he failed to grasp this. Yeah, his uncle didn't crown him King of the World and give him the keys to the factory and a whole bevy of adoring beauties the moment he swanned into town, but he

[vakkotaur]

I am now hoping for a post, "Marx and Engels - weenies"

[kitten_goddess]

The weenie could have put a rubber on and Roberta would not have gotten pregnant in the first place. Condoms were available in Dreyfus' day, and while not as effective as other methods, are still far more effective than nothing at all.

So, Clyde Griffiths was a stupid weenie.

[jordan179]

The weenie could have put a rubber on and Roberta would not have gotten pregnant in the first place. Condoms were available in Dreyfus' day, and while not as effective as other methods, are still far more effective than nothing at all.

I had this thought too when I was reading it: actually the first condoms were developed in pre-Industrial times and improved versions existed (though I don't know if they'd yet entered mass production and thus become really cheap) by the 1920's. If Clyde had cared, he certainly could have afforded and obtained them: note that he got one pharmacist to sell him a (weak) abortifacent, which was something much less respectable than a condom. Also, while he may have been carried away by sweet, sweet love (and lust) the first few times he had sex with Roberta, the occasion on which he actually impregnated her was after he'd already decided to court Sondra. So he can't plead being carried away by his emotions there.

Clyde Griffiths' weenie was a stupid weenie.

[marycatelli]

Risk compensation. Thinking he was safe would only have encouraged him to further idiocy.

[mrmeval]

Reviewing a bit of toxic literature crammed down young peoples throats until they gag is a bit difficult but you've managed to deconstruct it nicely.

[rowyn]

"Weenie" seems like much too kind a descriptor. "Gigantic raging asshole", maybe. Most weenies get through their entire lives without doing a tenth as much damage as this creep.

This doesn't sound like my kind of book, but I am a little curious how the author could have written it to make the protagonist even remotely sympathetic. o.O