Theodore Dreiser

Theodore Dreiser (1871–1945) was an American novelist and journalist associated with literary naturalism. Born in Terre Haute, Indiana, he worked as a reporter and magazine editor before turning to fiction. His first novel, *Sister Carrie* (1900), portrayed urban ambition and social pressures with an unsparing realism that later became a hallmark of his work. Dreiser achieved major success with *An American Tragedy* (1925), a story of desire, class, and moral consequence. Other notable novels include *Jennie Gerhardt* (1911) and *The Financier* (1912). He died in Hollywood, California, in 1945.