A Hazard of New Fortunes
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| A Hazard of New Fortunes | |
 The Penguin Classics edition cover, View of Broadway and Fifth Avenue (1890) |
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| Author | William Dean Howells |
|---|---|
| Original title | A Hazard of New Fortunes; a novel |
| Cover artist | Childe Hassam (Penguin Classics edition) |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Genre(s) | Class issues |
| Publisher | Harper & Bros |
| Publication date | 1890 |
| Media type | Print (Hardcover, Paperback) |
| Pages | 558 (first edition) |
| ISBN | 0253327083 |
| OCLC | 648711 |
A Hazard of New Fortunes is a novel by William Dean Howells. First published in 1890, the book was well-received for its awareness of social injustice—indeed, the book, considered by many to be his best work, was one of three Howells had written with Socialist and Utopian ideals in mind; The Quality of Mercy in 1892, and An Imperative Duty in 1893. The book is one of Howells' attempts to introduce the American Civil War into novels, rather than reconstruction novels, which were prominent in post-war America, while staying within the Realism style.
Contents |
[edit] Characters
- Basil March - Businessman from Boston who moves to New York city to start a new periodical.
- Fulkerson - Hopeful entrepreneur who claims to originate the idea of The Every Other Week.
- Colonel Woodburn - Wealthy South Carolina resident who was a colonel for the Confederacy in the American Civil War. He believes slavery could work if they made the system more efficient.
- Berthold Lindau - German-born member of the lower class. He fought for the north in the Civil War and lost his hand. He is pro-worker's rights.
- Mr. Dryfoos - rich northerner who made his money on natural gas. He is anti-union and bankrolls The Every Other Week.
- Conrad Dryfoos - son of Mr. Dryfoos. He is optimistic and enjoys helping those less fortunate.
- Angus Beaton - an artist for The Every Other Week.
- Alma Leighton - beautiful aspiring artist who participates in charity work.
[edit] Plot summary
The book, which takes place in late 19th Century New York, tells the story of the dispute between a self-made millionaire and a social revolutionary, with a third man attempting to act as mediator, yet his efforts prove futile.
The main character of the novel, Basil March, is a neutral character by who's viewpoint the reader sees most of the story. He resides in Boston with his wife and children. They are persuaded by March's idealistic friend Fulkerson to move to New York to start a new magazine, where the writers benefit in a primitive form of profit sharing. After some deliberation, the Marches move to New York and begin a rather extensive search for a perfect apartment. After many exhausting weeks of searching, Basil finally settles for an apartment.
Work at the new magazine starts, and they decide on a name - The Every Other Week. The bankroll of the magazine is coming from a man named Dryfoos, who made it rich from discovering natural gas on his farm, and who is now making money on Wall Street. Dryfoos' son, Conrad, becomes the publisher for the magazine. An illistrator by the name of Angus Beaton, an old friend of Fulkerson's is chosen. Beaton is rivaled by Alma Leighton whom he also fancies. A translator is found to translate German stories - Berthold Lindau, an old friend of Basil March's, and a veteran of the American Civil War. Lindau lost his hand in battle, and fought for the north because he was a strong abolitionist.
Colonel Woodburn, a wealthy southern man, and his family move to New York and become involved with the newspaper when their social circle connects with that of Dryfoos and Fulkerson. Those in charge of The Every Other Week would like some of Colonel Woodburn's pro-slavery writings to be published, because they believe it would sell more copies of the already popular magazine. At a dinner banquet, the personalities of Dryfoos the capitalist, Lindau the socialist, and Colonel Woodburn the pro-slavery advocate clash.
In the end of the book, a strike occurs for drivers of street-cars. The strike, similar to the Hay Market Square Riot, turns into a riot. This prompts the ideals of Woodburn, Lindau, and Dryfoos to argue about how it should be resolved. Conrad Dryfoos, charmed by the lovely Maragaret Vance, has become a humanitarian for the working class. While attempting to stop a policeman from beating the aged Lindau, he is fatally shot. March watches from a streetcar. Dryfoos, who always has used money to separate himself from pain, sells the magazine to Fulkerson and March for an extremely low price.
[edit] In references to other works
Basil March and his wife may or may not be the same characters' from Howells' Their Wedding Journey. Basil's age is never given, nor is his role in the American Civil War. It can be inferred from A Hazard of New Fortunes' entirely that he was old enough to participate in the war, based on his conversation with Lindau in the restaurant.
William Dean Howells did not fight in the Civil War, but rather wrote in Italy. His writings, which later were published in the Atlantic Monthly, kept him from experiencing the war first-hand. Conscription, or the act of finding someone to replace you or paying a fee, was used in the Civil War for people who didn't want to fight. Dryfoos is a prime example of conscription, or substitution, in the novel, mirroring Howells himself. Substitution was also a major element of Howells' The Rise of Silas Lapham (1885).
The title is a reference to William Shakespeare's King John. King John includes uncertainty, change, and violence, which are also present in A Hazard of New Fortunes.
[edit] See also
