作者：王苏
　　【Abstract】Jennie Gerhardt was one of the most famous work of Theodore Dreiser and the leading role in the novel is a representative of the disillusionment of many people’s American dream. Therefore， this paper will focus on the reasons of Jennie’s tragedy and reveal the importance of women’s independence.
　　【Key words】Jennie Gerhardt; American dream; disillusionment; independence
　　【作者簡介】王苏（1991-），女，，汉族，四川眉山人，四川大学锦江学院，助教，硕士研究生，研究方向：英语语言文学。
　　I. Introduction
　　Theodore Dreiser was an American novelist and journalist of the naturalist school. In the second half of the 19th century， American capitalist economy flourished and people all lived for existence， especially those who lived in the lower society， all felt depression and disillusion. Then， Dreiser wrote Jennie Gerhardt to expose the disillusionment of many people’s American dream.
　　II. Jennie’s Disillusionment of her American Dream
　　Jennie’s American dream is very simple： to live with her love and daughter peacefully and happily. However， it is only an illusory dream for her， and she can never make it come true. There are four major misfortunes in Jennie’s life. Her adventures began with Senator Brander， a middle-aged bachelor. However， before they get married， Brander was suddenly died of an illness. But she could not be accepted by her families because she was pregnant. This is the first time her dream broke.
　　In order to make a living， Jennie and her family moved to Cleveland， and she found a job at a rich family. Again， Jennie was captured by a wealthy and high status man  Kane. However， Lester got married with a rich and graceful upper class woman-Letty to keep his social status and wealth. Jennie sacrificed herself for the second time for her lover. And her simple dream broken again.
　　Lester gave her enough money to start a new life with her daughter.Vesta was fourteen at that time and she was beginning to show the combined traits of her mother and father–Jennie’s gentle， speculative turn of mind， combined with Brander’s vivacity of spirit and innate executive capacity. Unfortunately， Vesta got typhoid in the autumn and it took her life for a short time. The death of her daughter was the third time that her dream broken.
　　After Vesta died， it was another blow for her when the news that Lester was seriously ill came into her ears. More tragically， she didn’t have an appropriate identity to attend his funeral and had to send him in  a long distance. All the people she loved had left her and she had to struggle with her life. The death of Lester had took her last hope and her dream was ruined thoroughly at last.