Why did Theodore Dreiser write about poverty and the pursuit of wealth?

Theodore Dreiser’s focus on poverty and the pursuit of wealth was deeply rooted in his own life experiences and his philosophical outlook on society.

• Personal Background: Dreiser grew up in a family that suffered from perennial poverty, which forced them to move frequently in search of a lower cost of living. He personally experienced the harshness of material deprivation as a youth, while simultaneously harboring early yearnings for wealth and success. These formative experiences became dominant themes in his fiction, supplemented by the struggles of his siblings in their early adult lives.1
• Philosophical Perspective: Influenced by thinkers such as Herbert Spencer, Dreiser came to view human society as an unequal contest between the strong and the weak, where individuals are often at the mercy of social forces and instincts beyond their control.1
• Literary Purpose: As a leading practitioner of naturalism, Dreiser sought to present an unflinching, realistic portrayal of American life. His novels explore the tragic aspects of the American pursuit of worldly success, highlighting the gap between material achievement and spiritual satisfaction in a rapidly industrializing nation.23