{"product_id":"the-bulwark-paperback","title":"The Bulwark - Paperback","description":"\u003cp\u003eby \u003cb\u003eTheodore Dreiser\u003c\/b\u003e (Author)\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eA young Quaker finds material success--and moral challenge--after marrying into a wealthy Philadelphia family, in a novel by the author of \u003ci\u003eSister Carrie\u003c\/i\u003e.\u003c\/b\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e Rufus and Hannah Barnes are good Quakers, highly respected in their new community of Dukla, Pennsylvania and strictly loyal to their faith. They pass this loyalty on to their children, including Solon Barnes, who must hold on to his Quaker convictions while living in an increasingly materialistic modern society. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e After falling for the lovely Benecia--a daughter of the wealthy Wallin family--Solon is given a position at her father's bank in Philadelphia, poised to work his way up from the bottom. But Solon's faith is challenged by his position at the bank, as his moral values cause him to butt heads with corrupt executives driven by financial gain. Meanwhile, as his own children grow up, they start rebelling against the strict principles they were raised with. As the weight of the world bears down on the noble foundations at the core of his principles, Solon must struggle to remain a bulwark for his faith. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \"The great American novelist.\"--\u003ci\u003ePublishers Weekly\u003c\/i\u003e\u003ch3\u003eAuthor Biography\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eTheodore Dreiser's \u003ci\u003eAn American Tragedy\u003c\/i\u003e (1925) is nothing less than what the title holds it to be; it is the story of a weak-willed young man who is both villain and victim (the victim of a valueless, materialistic society) and someone who ultimately destroys himself. Dreiser modeled the story of Clyde Griffiths on a real-life murder that took place in 1906; a young social climber of considerable charm murdered his pregnant girlfriend to get her out of the way so that he could instead play to the affections of a rich girl who had begun to notice him. But \u003ci\u003eAn American Tragedy\u003c\/i\u003e is more than simply a powerful murder story. Dreiser pours his own dark yearnings into his character, Clyde Griffiths, as he details the young man's course through his ambitions of wealth, power, and satisfaction. The Indiana-born Dreiser (1871-1945) has never cut a dashing or romantic swath through American literature. He has no Pulitzer or Nobel Prize to signify his importance. Yet he remains for myriad reasons: his novels are often larger than life, rugged, and defy the norms of conventional morality and organized religion. They are unapologetic in their sexual candor--in fact, outrightly frank--and challenge even modern readers. The brooding force of Dreiser's writing casts a dark shadow across American letters. Here in \u003ci\u003eAn American Tragedy\u003c\/i\u003e, Dreiser shows us the flip side of The American Dream in a gathering storm that echoes with all of the power and force of Dostoevsky's \u003ci\u003eCrime and Punishment\u003c\/i\u003e. Inspired by the writings of Balzac and the ideas of Spenser and Freud, Dreiser went on to become one of America's best naturalist writers. \u003ci\u003eAn American Tragedy\u003c\/i\u003e is testimony to the strength of Dreiser's work: it retains all of its original intensity and force.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eNumber of Pages:\u003c\/strong\u003e 442\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDimensions:\u003c\/strong\u003e 0.76 x 8.5 x 5.5 IN\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePublication Date:\u003c\/strong\u003e September 18, 2018\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Books by splitShops","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51767250223392,"sku":"9780795351860","price":21.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0974\/9764\/5344\/files\/a725ecbdde2de5728a15cd988d2f80d5.webp?v=1780307581","url":"https:\/\/ebocreations.com\/products\/the-bulwark-paperback","provider":"The E-Book Oasis LLC","version":"1.0","type":"link"}