Three Lives is a novel that was written by Gertrude Stein and published in 1909. This book was Stein’s first published book, and it depicts three lower-class women in the fictional town of Bridgepoint, which is based on the city of Baltimore. The biographical accounts of these three women all have hints of the French style of literary realism as well as the American psychological theory. The three stories are titled “The Good Anna”, “Melanctha”, and “The Gentle Lena”.
Two of the protagonists, Anna and Lena, are servant girls who immigrated from Germany. With the psychology concepts embedded in the narrative, the story, which is told from the character’s viewpoint and consciousness, has a lot of psychological drama. The girls are all trying to adequately and accurately describe their identities. All of them don’t have the right words and ability in English to convey the depth of their emotions, love, and life.
