The novel "Genius" tells about the creative and moral searches of the provincial artist Eugene Vitla, who dreams of becoming the first painter who managed to capture the breadth and wealth of American culture on canvas. The novel "Stronghold," which saw the light after the death of the author, tells the story of three generations of a religious Quaker family. The clash of harsh principles with everyday reality, the conflict of fathers and children, the struggle of love and duty are shown by Dreiser with amazing expressiveness and sharpness.