This paper examines the Ann Petry novel "The Street". It
describes the story of the female African-American heroine's life
as a single mother in Harlem. The paper demonstrates Petry's use of her main character to explore the limitation of the American
capitalist system, when issues of gender and race are concern. The author writes that the novel is a tragic reality of the sufferings of African-American people in one of the most prosperous capitalist societies of the world. The paper
describes how the novel is American naturalistic tradition through the depiction of real life on the streets of Harlem.