Consumption Ideology reflected in Theodore Dreiser’s Jennie Gerhardt

In the late nineteenth century and the early twentieth century,American entered into capitalistic consumption society.Consumption ideology appeared as the new and advanced ideology well-suited for the new development of American capitalistic economy and social life.Jennie,as a great woman of consumption,behaved exactly under the guidance of consumption ideology.Jennie’s anti-traditional life is an exact practice of consumption ideology and a vivid shadow of American society at that time.This essay is aimed at demonstrating that Dreiser’s novel Jennie Gerhardt reflects the newly-born consumption ideology in Jennie’s efforts to gain social acknowledgement.Through the whole analysis of Jennie Gerhardt and consumption ideology,it is clear that the growth of consumption ideology enables the fast development of American economy and social life,and also pushes American consumption culture to the world.