The Titan

Fresh from a Philadelphia prison and newly wealthy again, Frank Algernon Cowperwood looks west for a place to rebuild his career. Chicago catches his attention through its crowded railways, muddy streets, grain elevators, and restless commercial growth. Its horse-drawn streetcars suggest an opportunity large enough for his ambitions. Dreiser follows a businessman who studies a city as both an investment and a picture, measuring its beauty alongside its possible profits.

Money also shapes the struggle for social standing. Cowperwood and Aileen fill their Michigan Avenue house with guests, while contacts and a society newspaper help them gain acceptance. Elsewhere, Mayor Sluss combines public respectability with private affairs and flexible business principles. Through detailed descriptions and pointed commentary, the novel examines how wealth, influence, and moral judgment work together. Readers interested in urban growth and the psychology of ambition will find a close study of the bargains behind respectable appearances.