American Tragedy: Self-Destruction in a Self-Indulgent Society"The boy shifted restlessly from foot to foot, keeping his eyes down... really resent and even suffer for the position he found himself in" (p.9). Clyde Griffiths always wanted to be someone, anyone but who he was. Raised in a poor home of evangelizers and missionary exhorters, he was not attracted to God but distanced from Him and his family. Clyde was looking for a way to escape his disturbing reality and get to a place and position in life that was more attractive. He was ashamed of his appearance, his clothing, his social position and his poor education. American Tragedy (1925) by Theodore Dreiser is the tragic story of a man whose fate is sealed and ambitions are shaped by society's values. Clyde, trying to fit in with society's norms, gets into more trouble than he could have ever imagined. His troubles begin in Kansas City, where he works in a hotel and hangs out with some guys who aren't all bad, but aren't all good either. When these rowdy boys "borrow" a car and pick up their girlfriends for fun, they hit and kill a little girl. Instead of staying at the scene, they all run away. When Clyde finds himself with nowhere to go, he wanders until he meets an old friend from Kansas City. He gets a job at another hotel where he meets his rich uncle. Uncle Samuel tells Clyde that he can come and get a job in his factory. While working in that factory he meets Roberta and falls madly in love with her. However, their romance must be a secret because, as a department head, she is not supposed to date an employee. As time goes by their relationship becomes physical. In the midst of this physical intercourse, Clyde damn... middle of paper... he couldn't get up and up, he was in danger of dying. . ." (p.623)! His mother has always known that he is driven to become more like the Griffiths of Lycurgus, but she never imagined that he would become a murderer with this drive. Clyde's desire and ambition to be something big with the help of society's twisted thinking is what led to Clyde's death. The selfish and self-centered thinking of this "high society" and their teaching Clyde these thoughts makes him feel like he has no choice. if he wants to achieve his goals from the values ​​he accepts to succeed it simply seals his fate and sends him to the electric chair. An American Tragedy is Clyde's story of vice and greed, and the resulting catastrophe. Theodore, An American Tragedy, NY, The World Publishing House, 1953.