Jennie Gerhardt follows the life of a young woman whose pursuit of survival leads her into a series of compromising social situations that challenge the rigid moral codes of her time. Jennie, born into poverty, attempts to support her family by working as a domestic servant, where she encounters a wealthy senator who offers her protection. Her subsequent choices, driven by necessity and a lack of agency, place her in direct conflict with the judgmental societal structures of early twentieth-century America. The narrative utilizes a third-person omniscient perspective to examine the deterministic forces of class and gender that constrain Jennie's autonomy throughout her life.

Discussion often centers on the novel's unflinching commitment to naturalism and its sympathetic portrayal of a character marginalized by society. Readers frequently highlight the slow, deliberate pacing that mirrors the inevitability of Jennie's circumstances. Critics often note that the book serves as a significant critique of the American Dream, emphasizing how external pressures often override individual character. The work is widely recognized for its lack of moralizing, allowing the reader to observe the consequences of social rigidity without the interference of traditional sentimentality.