Jennie Gerhardt: A Novel

by Theodore Dreiser

"Jennie Gerhardt: A Novel" by Theodore Dreiser is a novel published in 1911. It follows Jennie, a destitute young woman who becomes involved with two men above her social station. First, a senator who dies before they can marry, leaving her pregnant. Then Lester Kane, a wealthy manufacturer's son who takes her as his mistress. Their relationship faces mounting pressure from his family and society's class barriers, forcing difficult choices about love, security, and sacrifice.