The Gilded Age: A Tale of Today

“We’ll never see the day, Nancy—never in the world—never, never, never, child. We’ve got to drag along, drag along, and eat crusts in toil and poverty, all hopeless and forlorn—but they’ll ride in coaches, Nancy! They’ll live like the princes of the earth; they’ll be courted and worshiped; their names will be known from ocean to ocean!”

Silas Hawkins’s comment shows how hyperbole is effectively used in works of satire. It dramatizes routine events and emphasizes the absurdity of human emotion. This line also characterizes Silas as a man willing to sacrifice comfort for his children’s benefit.

“A jury of inquest was impaneled, and after due deliberation and inquiry they returned the inevitable American verdict which has been so familiar to our ears all the days of our lives—‘NOBODY TO BLAME.’”

This verdict refers to the explosion of the Amaranth, which was caused by the crew’s recklessness and complete disregard for safety measures. The jury’s conclusion that nobody is to blame represents a critique of society’s rejection of accountability. Elsewhere in the novel, those in power take advantage of those without. These corporations, business tycoons, and politicians are never held accountable for their actions.

“Hawkins bought out the village store for a song and proceeded to reap the profits, which amounted to but little more than another song.”

Upon heeding Beriah Sellers’s summons and coming to Missouri, Silas prepares for a fresh start as a successful and important man. In this line, the phrase “reap the profits” creates the expectation of value. The rest of the line opposes that expectation, resulting in a humorous irony that shapes the novel’s satirical style.

“The girls would not have been permitted to work for a living under any circumstances whatever. It was a Southern family, and of good blood; and for any person except Laura, either within or without the household to have suggested such an idea would have brought upon the suggester the suspicion of being a lunatic.”

Gender norms in the 19th century favored women devoting themselves solely to the tasks of raising children and managing the household. Men were expected to work outside the home and earn an income for the family’s financial support. Though these expectations ignored realities like widowhood or disability, social pressures to maintain them remained high.

“The Colonel’s tongue was a magician’s wand that turned dried apples into figs and water into wine as easily as it could change a hovel into a palace and present poverty into imminent future riches.”

Literary conventions of Realism include a greater emphasis on characterization than in earlier styles of fiction writing, especially in ways that exposed the complicated natures and flaws of real humans. Beriah’s larger than life character is most prominently defined by his optimistic and hyperbolic manner of speech—in other words, by his silver tongue. This quote compellingly illustrates Beriah’s most fascinating trait.

“He wanted to be rich, he had a sincere desire for a fortune, but for some unaccountable reason he hesitated about addressing himself to the narrow work of getting it.”

The knot in a character arc refers to the major flaw a character must overcome in their transformation to achieve their final state. In Philip Sterling’s character arc, entitlement and aversion to hard work are his knots, the flaws he must overcome. He does so by the book’s end, persevering his own time, money, and labor to the Ilium mine, for which he is rewarded with wealth and the woman he loves.

“But that wise and placid woman understood the sweet rebel a great deal better than Ruth understood herself. She also had a history, possibly, and had sometime beaten her young wings against the cage of custom, and indulged in dreams of a new social order, and had passed through that fiery period when it seems possible for one mind, which has not yet tried its limits, to break up and re-arrange the world.”

Ruth’s mother Margaret is described here. The authors demonstrate a profound understanding of human nature with this description of youthful idealism and parent-child relationships. Their use of metaphor and visual imagery adds to the portrayal’s effectiveness.

“The eight years in America from 1860 to 1868 uprooted institutions that were centuries old, changed the politics of a people, transformed the social life of half the country, and wrought so profoundly upon the entire national character that the influence cannot be measured short of two or three generations.”

The authors refer to the immense cultural impact of the American Civil War. The cultural upheaval of the war is felt throughout much of the book, and this brief description establishes a key part of the foundation on which the narrative rests.

“Whether medicine is a science, or only an empirical method of getting a living out of the ignorance of the human race.”

This comment made by the narrators is an example of the book’s style of satire. It reflects a criticism of con artists who prey on human frailty and people’s desire for good health to make money. Such schemes were common in the US in the 19th century. So-called “cure-all elixirs,” often termed snake oils, were sold as panaceas. Many of them contained addictive substances, fueling epidemics of disease and death related to cocaine, amphetamines, and opium.

“And besides, ain’t I going to do those things? What difference does it make about the mood and tense of a mere verb?”

Harry Brierly’s comment develops a theme regarding dishonesty. He rationalizes falsehoods he tells about his own accomplishments by positing that they’re not really false if he plans to make them true in the future. This effectively demonstrates Harry’s character. He lies habitually but avoids guilt or shame by choosing to believe his own lies.

“Would thee have me sit here like a bird on a bough and wait for somebody to come and put me in a cage?”

Ruth’s character and storyline facilitate an exploration of gender norms and inequality. This line of dialogue alludes to her belief that society puts women in a box. It also typifies her outspoken nature, especially in regard to her desires for independence and a career. Ruth’s use of “thee” indicates she’s speaking to her mother, with whom she uses a dialect related to their Quaker community.

“Beautiful credit! The foundation of modern society. Who shall say that this is not the golden age of mutual trust, of unlimited reliance upon human promises?”

The narrators facetiously comment on the country’s economic situation, in which irresponsible lending practices and corrupt investment schemes destroy countless lives, leaving people in so much debt they can never recover. This example of the authors’ satiric style employs a tongue-in-cheek narrative voice to condemn what it pretends to believe, a technique similar to that used by William Makepeace Thackeray in Vanity Fair, published in 1847-48.

“He did not know out of what materials a woman can construct a hero, when she is in the creative mood.”

The quote alludes to Philip and his belief that only an act of great heroism could win Ruth’s heart. He fears he’ll never be good enough to win her love because society has taught him to equate heroism with fortune and fame. The narrators, by this line, attribute to women a much nobler and more generous outlook.

“John Jay and Benjamin Franklin were well enough in their day, but the nation has made progress since then. Balloon is a man we know and can depend on to be true to himself.”

Balloon is a Senator who rips off the government and taxpayers at every turn. His corruption is portrayed as pleasing to this commenter, who stands in for the average ignorant member of society, because it’s at least consistent. The authors are suggesting people are so generally corrupt, dishonest, and greedy that they prefer everyone else to be the same way because they understand it. Honesty, integrity, and selflessness are unfamiliar and therefore threatening.

“There are as good reasons for bad actions as for good ones,—to those who commit them. When one has broken the tenth commandment, the others are not of much account.”

When Colonel Selby renews his false protestations of love for Laura in an effort to quell her wrath, Laura insists he leave his wife for her. An intricate analysis of her motives and feelings about the affair and toward Col. Selby’s wife, characteristic of Realism’s emphasis on psychological processes, ends with this line. The tenth commandment forbids covetousness. This line suggests, therefore, that Laura’s desire for Col. Selby—another woman’s husband—would cause her to rationalize any sin it took to get him.

“But as the curtain rises on this awful tragedy, we catch a glimpse of the society at the capital under this Administration, which we cannot contemplate without alarm for the fate of the Republic.”

Following Laura’s murder of Col. Selby, newspapers and journals kept the story alive by delving into the backgrounds of the key players. This line from a leading journal’s editorial column indicates that investigations into Laura’s life in Washington, DC have exposed much the city’s rampant political corruption. The editorial’s concluding “alarm for the fate of the republic” mirrors that of the authors.

“The earth is never willing to yield one product, hidden in her bosom, without an equivalent for it. And when a person asks of her coal, she is quite apt to require gold in exchange.”

The metaphor of the Gilded Age suggests that easy wealth is an illusion, a thin layer of gold disguising what lies beneath. Philip’s character transformation is propelled by his recognition of the truth of this line, that the success of his mining venture requires a great deal of money, heartache, and perseverance.

“‘I’m sure I don’t know where the reform is to begin. I’ve seen a perfectly capable, honest man, time and again, run against an illiterate trickster, and get beaten. I suppose if the people wanted decent members of congress they would elect them. Perhaps,’ continued Philip with a smile, ‘the women will have to vote.’”

The 19th amendment, which granted women the right to vote, wasn’t enacted until 1920. Philip’s loss of faith in the integrity of the American government, and his disappointment in society at large for electing corrupt public officials, likely echo the authors’ own feelings, effecting a discouraged tone which is softened by humor in the narrative voice.

“Even in these days, when people growl so much and the newspapers are so out of patience, there is still a very respectable minority of honest men in Congress.”

Beriah says this to Washington Hawkins as the two men discuss congressional procedures for investigating internal corruption, which take up the majority of the session and make no impact whatsoever. The ironic minority of honest men in Congress, a fact that would make many people despair, is a silver lining to Beriah, showing his eternal optimism. His comment presents more tongue-in-cheek mockery of political corruption and society’s tolerance of it.

“[B]ut when he makes of me but a cloak to hide his deeper designs, when he proposes to strike through me at the heart of my beloved State, all the lion in me is roused—and I say, Here I stand, solitary and alone, but unflinching, unquailing, thrice armed with my sacred trust; and whoso passes, to do evil to this fair domain that looks to me for protection, must do so over my dead body.”

Senator Dilworthy’s speech, vilifying Mr. Noble and presenting himself as the honorable patriot, displays his impressive rhetorical skills: With mere words, he can alter his audience’s perception of reality. The Gilded Age portrays politicians not as those most capable of leadership, but as those most capable of making themselves look good to voters.

“At the end the judge decided to admit the testimony, as the judge usually does in such cases, after a sufficient waste of time in what are called arguments.”

This description of Laura’s trial uses irony to satirize court proceedings. Its tone portrays such legal maneuvers as manipulative tools of self-interest that serve no benefit to truth or justice. As a critical observation about society, this quote imbues the narrative voice with a satiric tone of resignation.

“We beg the reader’s pardon. This is not history, which has just been written. It is really what would have occurred if this were a novel. […] The novelist who would turn loose upon society an insane murderess could not escape condemnation. Besides, the safety of society, the decencies of criminal procedure, what we call our modern civilization, all would demand that Laura should be disposed of in the manner we have described. Foreigners, who read this sad story, will be unable to understand any other termination of it.”

In an innovative technique seen only once in this narrative, the authors precede this quote with a description of the judge committing Laura to a treatment facility, following a legal precedent for insanity pleas. In reality, she is set completely free based on her not-guilty verdict, despite the acknowledged fact that she did kill and man and claimed it was due to insanity. By first showing what should have happened, the narrators emphasize the absurdity of the actual outcome.

“Perhaps it did not occur to the nation of good and worthy people that while they continued to sit comfortably at home and leave the true source of our political power (the ‘primaries,’) in the hands of saloon-keepers, dog-fanciers and hod-carriers, they could go on expecting ‘another’ case of this kind, and even dozens and hundreds of them, and never be disappointed. However, they may have thought that to sit at home and grumble would some day right the evil.”

In an archly ironic tone, the narrators blame public apathy for the sorry state of US politics. They suggest that a people with the rare freedom to elect their leaders is squandering it.