The Titan · Question
How does The Titan develop the theme of Individual vs. Society?
Answer
The Titan by Theodore Dreiser develops Individual vs. Society across the chapters the companion marks for this theme.
The book pits Cowperwood's titanic individualism against the masses and their advocates, exploring the tension between the 'strong' who reshape the world and the 'weak' who resist, with the author questioning whether society can ever balance the needs of the many against the ambitions of the few.
Cowperwood feels ostracized by Philadelphia society and decides to forge his own path in the West, alone and unaided.
Cowperwood's hidden prison record and plans to defy social conventions (divorce and remarriage) highlight his conflict with societal norms as he seeks personal freedom.
Cowperwood's rejection of social expectations and his determination to dictate terms to society highlight his individualistic, anarchistic nature.
Evidence in the book
- The New City
Cowperwood feels ostracized by Philadelphia society and decides to forge his own path in the West, alone and unaided.
- A Reconnoiter
Cowperwood's hidden prison record and plans to defy social conventions (divorce and remarriage) highlight his conflict with societal norms as he seeks personal freedom.
- Concerning a Wife and Family
Cowperwood's rejection of social expectations and his determination to dictate terms to society highlight his individualistic, anarchistic nature.
- An Overture to Conflict
Aileen's social failure and fear of losing Cowperwood highlight the tension between personal desires and societal expectations of marriage and status.
- XVIII: The Clash
Rita Sohlberg's pagan indifference to social morality contrasts with Aileen's conventional anguish.
- The Coming of Stephanie Platow
Stephanie Platow's exploration of her artistic and sexual desires outside conventional social norms, as seen in her affair with Knowles.
- XXVII: A Financier Bewitched
Stephanie's free, artistic lifestyle clashes with Cowperwood's conventional expectations of loyalty and possession.
- A Family Quarrel
Aileen's private anguish contrasts with the public gossip and social scrutiny she faces.
