Genius · Theodore Dreiser

041 - Book 2 - Struggle - Chapter 12

·12 min·1 clip

Eugene's thoughts were occupied by lust, dishonesty, murder, dementia, and death—seeing only a storm of evil everywhere with no light.

This chapter follows Eugene, an artist suffering from a nervous breakdown, as he returns to his hometown Alexandria with his wife Angela. He struggles with depression, artistic block, and marital tension while longing for the artistic opportunities he's missing in cities like London and New York. The narrative explores his psychological state and the dynamics between him, Angela, and his parents.

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