The Gilded Age: A Tale of Today: Analysis of Major Characters
"The Gilded Age: A Tale of Today" explores a myriad of complex characters set against the backdrop of a rapidly changing America. Central to the narrative are Colonel Beriah Sellers, an ambitious yet imprudent opportunist, and Squire Hawkins, a struggling landowner persuaded to relocate to Missouri, where his endeavors falter. The Hawkins family, including his wife Nancy, son George Washington, and adopted children Henry Clay and Laura, navigates their own challenges, particularly Laura, who faces a tragic fate following a fraudulent marriage to Colonel Selby. The story also features figures like Major Lackland, who claims knowledge of Laura's father, and General Boswell, a real estate magnate entangled in local politics. Additionally, romantic entanglements weave through the plot, as seen with Louise Boswell's affection for Washington Hawkins and Ruth Bolton's aspirations as she pursues love and a career in medicine. The narrative highlights societal issues, such as the thwarted attempt by Senator Dilworthy to fund a university for Black students, reflecting the broader themes of ambition, love, and social justice during this transformative period in American history. Overall, the text presents a rich tapestry of life in the Gilded Age, revealing both personal struggles and larger social dynamics.
The Gilded Age: A Tale of Today: Analysis of Major Characters
Authors: Charles Dudley Warner and Mark Twain
First published: 1873
Genre: Novel
Locale: The United States
Plot: Social satire
Time: Nineteenth century
Colonel Beriah Sellers, an improvident opportunist of Missouri and an operator on a grand scale.
Squire Hawkins, of Obedstown, Tennessee, persuaded by Sellers to move to Missouri, where his affairs fail to prosper.
Nancy Hawkins,hiswife.
Emily, their daughter.
George Washington, their son.
Henry Clay, an orphan adopted by Hawkins during his journey.
Laura, the survivor of a steamboat accident, who is also adopted by Hawkins. She is fraudulently married by Colonel Selby, who already has a wife. When she sees him later, she shoots him. At the trial, she pleads insanity and is acquitted, only to die of grief.
Colonel Selby,oftheUnionarmy.
Major Lackland, who boasts of knowing about Laura's missing father.
General Boswell, a real-estate man who employs Washington Hawkins.
Louise Boswell, the general's daughter, in love with Washington.
Philip Sterling, a young New York engineer who is building the railroad in Missouri.
Harry Brierly, his friend, in love with Laura.
Ruth Bolton, who is in love with Philip and eventually becomes his wife. She wants to study medicine.
Eli Bolton and Margaret Bolton, Ruth's Quaker parents of Philadelphia. They are shocked by her modern ways.
Alice Montague, whom Ruth visits in New York.
Senator Dilworthy, who investigates Seller's request for congressional funds to improve the area. The senator's bill to establish a university for blacks on Hawkins' land is defeated when his attempt to buy votes is exposed.