An American Tragedy is a 1925 novel by American writer Theodore Dreiser. The main character, Clyde Griffiths, has always wanted to live a life in luxury, and his dream begins to come true after he meets his Uncle Samuel Griffiths. It seems that there is not much left to the life of his dreams, but there are obstacles in the way, which can ruin everything that he started to create. Desperate to get what he wants, Clyde decides to commit a terrible crime.