Forms and Functions of American English in Dreiser's 'An American Tragedy'

Seminar paper from the year 2009 in the subject American Studies - Literature, grade: 1,0, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, language: English, abstract: Theodore Dreiser's 'An American Tragedy' was published in 1925 and is today considered as one of his most important works. It is a powerful novel that deals with the struggles of protagonist Clyde Griffiths, a young man who tries to move up in society in order to escape the miserable life his parents lead due to their mission work. However, he is finally sentenced to death for the murder of Roberta Alden, his pregnant lover, of whom he has been trying to rid himself while maintaining a relationship with the socially prestigious Sondra Finchley. Therefore, 'An American Tragedy' is mainly concerned with the social hierarchy in the America of the 1920s as well as the murder trial of a young man suffering from the constraints of society. These main topics are also the predominant aspects when analyzing the forms and functions of American English in the novel. Thus, I have chosen to put the main emphasis of my paper on them. Additionally, I will take a closer look at French influences and Dreiser's personal style in 'An American Tragedy'. For the sake of comprehensibility, I will start with a theoretical approach of American English and then continue with an analysis of the forms and functions as they appear in the novel.