Fortress

Author: Theodore Dreiser (USA) Xu Ruzhi
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 1998-08-01
Features: This book, The Bastille, is one of the two long novels published after the death of Dreiser. The author passed away on December 28, 1945, and The Bastille was published in November 1947, two years later. It gained attention because it was the last work of a renowned writer, and also because it was personally proofread and rewritten by the author for the final chapter before his death. This differs from the case of another posthumous work (The Stoics). The novel was also valued because The Bastille was published more than two decades after the publication of his masterpiece An American Tragedy. Given Dreiser's status as a master of American literature at the time, The Bastille naturally received significant attention. Since the 1950s, amid the Cold War atmosphere, Dreiser faced relentless criticism for decades, which inevitably influenced the evaluation of The Bastille. The critical reception of the book has been mixed. Overall, it is considered to have failed to reach the artistic heights of An American Tragedy, Sister Carrie, and The Financier.
This book reflects the lives of a devout member of the Shaker faith, portraying the pursuit of human nature by young men and women amidst the economic boom after the American Civil War, under the impact of the market economy, as well as the decline of traditional family values, morals, and religious beliefs. Published posthumously, The Bastille caused great controversy and excitement in the United States. From the inception of the creative idea to the final draft, the writing process spanned over thirty-one years. Dreiser's serious and profound writing style has deeply inspired later generations, forming a stark contrast to the (:) prevalent in the literary circles of many countries today.
An American critic noted that one of the protagonists, the bank cashier Silas Barnum, a "fortress" of traditional moral norms, was imbued with boundless sympathy by Dreiser, without mockery. This can be considered one of the distinctive features of the book. I believe this observation is quite meaningful. However, if one can appreciate the "home" that collapses under the tide of the market economy and the "fortress" of traditional moral norms that crumbles, it becomes clear why the author could not adopt a mocking attitude toward it. Moreover, the fate of the tragic protagonist, Silas and Ellen Barnum and their family, even includes the shadows of the author's beloved parents and siblings.