Desire in “Trilogy of Desire” 1 Introduction 1.1 Introduction to Theodore Dreiser Among the huge groups of American novelists in the 20th century, Theodore Dreiser (1871-1945) initiated the realistic style of the writing and was extolled as the soul of American literature of the20th century. (Li Xuzhong 54) He was an outstanding representative of American naturalism and one of American foremost novelists. Meanwhile, he was the first writer who criticized the futility of American Dream in his novel very drastically. He was a powerful writer who described the 20th century America vividly, profoundly and realistically. Theodore Herman Albert Dreiser was born in Terre Haute, Indiana, the twelfth of thirteen children. His childhood was decidedly unhappy. Owing to poverty, he worked as the fellow of the washing-up, examiner at the barrier of train station, office worker, seller, agent of land and so on. Since he reached 23, he took up a post of reporter in Chicago and afterwards in St. Louis. It is those unusual experiences that give rise to this great writer. (Lang Shouting 4) 1.2 Introduction to “Trilogy of Desire” In the first half of the 20th century, American novels presented an experience of appalling prosperity. Theodore Dreiser, in this most 1 / 3 flourishing productive period of literature, bistrode the literary stage, and was unrivalled in literary circles. Since the year 1900, he wrote some famous novels in succession: Sister Carrier, Jannie Gerhardt, The Financier, The Titan, The Stoic, The Genius, An American Tragedy, The Bulwark and etc. The Financier, The Titan, and The Stoic. The author himself described these three novels as “Trilogy of Desire.” Various malpractices triggered off by modernization and the development of commodity economy, whether in America or any other place worldwide, are close in exhibiting. The protagonist of this “Trilogy of Desire”, Frank Cowperwood, is modeled after the Chicago speculator Charles t. Yerles. Through the vivid depicting of how Cowperwood becomes a financier from scratch and then grows into a world-known giant, it truly reveals the cruelty in the development of commodity economy, resorting to deception and fraud and law of jungle as well. In perusing for success, Cowperwood’s soul gradually decays with his economic stage, so that his desires for money and lust after women are expanding with each passing day, and is finally swallowed up by these awful desires. 1.3 Introduction to Erich Fromm’s humanistic theory Erick Fromm is a distinguished American psychologist and socialist, one of the important representatives of Frankfurt school. Based on humanism, he deeply analyzed all kinds of actual social problems in modern times, especially in the western world. He pointed freely that the 2 / 3 本文来源：https://www.wddqw.com/doc/2a3ad8d033126edb6f1aff00bed5b9f3f80f7245.html