The poverty–stricken surroundings and his experience made Clyde sensitive, which had a great effect on Clyde’s way to define personal worth. He had neither strong will of self–confidence nor clear ideas. He paid great attention to how others look on him, and he would like to shape himself in accordance with the requirement of others, especially the likes and expectation of the rich. He got ahead by catering to people wealthier and more powerful than him. Clyde became shallow, sensual and even a parasite. He depended on his rich uncle, who owned a factory in the fictional Lycurgus.
2.2 Clyde’s Reckless Desire for Sex.
    Clyde’s strong desire for sex is an indirect motive of Clyde’s tragic fate. In his early days, he had already begun to be interested in the opposite sex. When he was an assistant in one cheaper drug store which was connected with the lobby of the theater, he paid great attention to the girls: they sat at the counter, giggled and chatted and gave their hair the last perfect touches before the mirror. All of them deeply struck Clyde. He fancied to have such a girl, a kiss, a promise of marriage and then, and then. Those girls were always accompanied by well dressed gentlemen, which drove Clyde whiny and uneasy about whether he was so poorly dressed that he couldn’t draw girls’ attention. He was raring to dress himself decently and to associate with the girls as the gentlemen did. Dreiser described his mentality as follow: 浅析《美国的悲剧》中克莱德的悲剧命运(3):http://www.youerw.com/yingyu/lunwen_18742.html