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The Unjust Treatment of Characters in Jennie Gerhardt

Introduction

Jennie Gerhardt is a novel authored by Theodore Dreiser that was first published in 1911. Dreiser tells a tale of an unhappy woman from the working class who faces and accepts various adversities in life. Circumstances force her into becoming the mistress of two powerful and wealthy men to help her family get out of the impoverished conditions.

Thesis statement: This text is an analysis of the unjust treatment of the characters in Theodore Dreiser’s novel Jennie Gerhardt including Jennie Gerhardt, Wilhelmina Vesta, and Mrs. Gerhardt, and William Gerhardt.

Body Paragraph 1-Jennie Gerhardt

Gets romantically involved with Senator George Brander

Brander dies of heart attack leaving her pregnant

Gets involved with Lester, but his family oppose their relationship

Her daughter dies tragically from typhoid fever.

Body Paragraph 2-Vesta

An illegitimate daughter

Her father dies tragically from heart attack

Jennie hides her existence from Lester

Dies of typhoid

Body Paragraph 3-Jennie’s mother (Mrs. Gerhardt)

Hardworking yet poor

Works as a maid with Jennie

Body Paragraph 4-William Gerhardt

His children besides Jennie abandon him

Hardworking glass blower but still poor

Dies of old age in the care of Jenny

Conclusion

Thesis restatement: Jenny Gerhardt, Wilhelmina Vesta, Mrs. Gerhardt, and William Gerhardt are some of the characters that go through unjust treatment in Theodore Dreiser’s novel Jennie Gerhardt.