The Pit

“I am speaking of a truly extraordinary man”
(T. Dreiser. Peter)

“In any society I have ever had to see, Peter would stand out—not for his appearance; it was a man with a completely special inner make-up. [...] he was like an oasis, a real spring in a desert. He understood life. He knew people. It seemed to me that in every respect he was free: free in thought, free in feeling.

The longer you pull the strap of an incomprehensible, mysterious existence, the more you value these qualities in a person: not false freedom of those in power—those whose purse is tight or whose fist is heavy—but genuine inner freedom, when the human mind, realizing its strength and weakness, boldly looks nature in the face and with a broad, unbiased gaze assesses the creative forces of itself, of humankind, of the universe—and, decisively breaking the fetters of all sorts of dogmas, at the same time remains faithful to everything simple and human that makes up our everyday life, on its healthy, natural foundation”.

Historical note

Peter McCord (the real name of the story’s hero) was a cartoon artist and a close friend of Theodore Dreiser for many years until his death.

“Peter” is one of twelve stories in the collection “Twelve Men” (written during a key period in the author’s life), where the writer tells about people who influenced both his personal development and his creative development.