A Hazard of New Fortunes · Chapters

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Chapter companions for A Hazard of New Fortunes by William Dean Howells.

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Chapter 1
Bibliographical
In this bibliographical note, W.D. Howells reflects on the writing of A Hazard of New Fortunes, explaining how he adapted his characters Basil and Isabel March from their earlier roles in Their Wedding Journey by addressing them as 'March and Mrs. March' to achieve the desired middle-aged perspective. He describes the novel's genesis from his own move to New York in 1889, the influence of contemporary social and economic movements (the 'humaner economics' of Henry George and Edward Bellamy), and the catalytic effect of a real streetcar strike on the story's plot. Howells also comments on the accuracy of the Marches' house-hunting as a faithful record of New York housing for people of moderate means in the early 1890s, and notes the transformation of the city in the twenty years since—from horsecars to trolleys and subways, and from a population of two million to four million. He concludes by acknowledging the book's success in book form after a sluggish serial run, and expresses enduring hope for social progress despite its slow pace.
Chapter 2
Part First
The Marches, Basil and Isabel, decide to leave their comfortable life in Boston for the uncertain opportunities of New York City. Basil March loses his insurance job and receives an offer from Fulkerson to edit a new literary magazine, Every Other Week, funded by the wealthy natural gas magnate Mr. Dryfoos. The family moves to New York, searching for an apartment and encountering the city's vibrant but overwhelming diversity. March reconnects with his old friend Lindau, a radical German socialist who lost a hand fighting in the Civil War. Meanwhile, the Dryfoos family arrives in New York, and the magazine's staff is assembled, including the artist Beaton and the translator Lindau. The first issue of the magazine is a success, but tensions simmer between the conservative Dryfoos and the radical Lindau, foreshadowing conflict.
Chapter 3
I
Fulkerson pitches his idea for a new cooperative magazine to Basil March, praising his taste, conscience, and Western roots. He offers March the editorship with a salary of $3,500 and a share in profits, urging him to leave his insurance job and move to New York. March is hesitant due to his wife's attachment to Boston, but agrees to consider the offer.
Chapter 4
II
Basil March returns home to his family in Boston after meeting with Fulkerson, who offers him a position as co-editor of a new cooperative magazine, Every Other Week, with a salary of four thousand dollars. March initially refuses the offer, but after discussing it with his wife Isabel, she enthusiastically urges him to accept, seeing it as a perfect escape from his hated insurance job and a chance to pursue his literary ambitions.
Chapter 5
III
Basil March tells his wife Isabel about Fulkerson's offer to edit a new magazine in New York. Isabel is initially enthusiastic but recoils when she learns the magazine would be based in New York, not Boston. The Marches ultimately decide to decline the offer, citing their attachment to Boston, their children's established lives, and March's reluctance to make such a radical change at his age.

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Bibliographical

Part First

I

II

III