A Hazard of New Fortunes · Character

Christine Dryfoos

Proud, sharp-tongued, and quick to suspect slights, Christine Dryfoos guards her family's new money like a fortress she isn't sure she owns.

supporting

Also known as Christine, Miss Christine, Dryfoos

First appearance: a hazard of new fortunes

As a supporting figure in A Hazard of New Fortunes, Christine Dryfoos is not background color—the story leans on what they do once the chapter opens.

Implied as one of the daughters who pressured Dryfoos to sell the farm and move to New York for social advancement.

In the storyXIOpen this moment free

Raised on a farm and dropped into New York wealth, Christine meets the city's indifference with impassioned suspicion rather than humility, reading every caller as a fortune-hunter and every kindness as a maneuver. She resists Margaret Vance's advances until she can learn who the Vances are, and she sees her father's money as both shield and answer. Her bristling pride measures exactly how far the Dryfooses have come—and how unsettled they remain.

See Christine Dryfoos in XI Book page

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Character Web

20 connections

A slice of how Christine Dryfoos sits in the book — open the reader for the full interactive map.

Relationship types

Social
Other

Character groups

Magazine's social network
Minor supporting characters
Protagonist

+15 more in the full Character Web

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Narrative arc

Story tension across the book.

Setup
Escalation
Breaking point
Aftermath
Closing

In this excerpt, the dramatic climax occurs as Beaton confronts the psychological peak of his internal conflic…

Full beat labels and climax notes unlock in the reader.

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Relationships

Fulkerson
social · ambivalent
Christine and Fulkerson are social acquaintances, with Fulkerson acting as a cheerful but… How this plays out →
Fulkerson
social · ambivalent
Christine and Fulkerson are social acquaintances, with Fulkerson acting as a cheerful but… How this plays out →
Fulkerson
social · ambivalent
Christine and Fulkerson are social acquaintances, with Fulkerson acting as a cheerful but… How this plays out →

Fulkerson
Christine and Fulkerson are social acquaintances, with Fulkerson acting as a cheerful but wary go-between for the Dryfoos family.
Fulkerson
Christine and Fulkerson are social acquaintances, with Fulkerson acting as a cheerful but wary go-between for the Dryfoos family.
Fulkerson
Christine and Fulkerson are social acquaintances, with Fulkerson acting as a cheerful but wary go-between for the Dryfoos family.

Relationship notes

How these ties play out is in the reading companion — open the free preview.

See Christine Dryfoos in a hazard of new fortunes

In the story

Christine Dryfoos appears across 16 companion beats. Open any chapter in the free preview to see the notes beside the text.

XI
VIII
IX
III
VII
VIII
IX
IV
+8 more

XI
Implied as one of the daughters who pressured Dryfoos to sell the farm and move to New York for social advancement.
VIII
Observed by March as proud and defiant, with a sense of her sister's folly and a will to dominate.
IX
Shows her ring to Beaton and feels a thrill of exultation at his attention.
III
Learns the banjo from Beaton, appears radiant with happiness, and ignores her father's presence during the lesson.
VII
Receives Margaret's visit, discusses learning the banjo, and shares memories of the natural-gas country.
VIII
Proud and suspicious, she interprets Margaret's call as validation of her family's wealth and status, feeling no gratitude or humility.
IX
Behaves with suspicion and bluntness toward Margaret Vance, revealing her social unease and pride.
IV
Christine is in Saratoga with her family, restless and fixated on Beaton's absence; she believes he admires her and that her father's money makes her desirable.
Chapter II
Christine is mentioned as one of the young ladies Beaton visits, though she is not present during his call.
IV
Confronts her father about his interference with Beaton and violently returns all his gifts.
Chapter VIII
Christine is noted to be holding out against her father, with an unsettled account between them even amid the family's grief.
XII
Remains in her room, sullen and unwell, refusing to see a doctor; Mela believes she is lovesick over Beaton.
XIV
Mentioned as being ill after her brother's death; Beaton considers his attraction to her and her father's wealth.
XV
Christine is mentioned as the alternative future Beaton contemplates—a marriage of convenience that would allow him to go abroad, underscoring his desperation.
XVII
Attacks Beaton after he fails to declare his intentions; her rage and passion are vividly depicted.
XVIII
Shows furtive wildness at departure; later becomes engaged to a French nobleman in Paris.

Chapter companion notes

Spoil-light check-ins for Christine Dryfoos unlock in the free preview.

See Christine Dryfoos in a hazard of new fortunes

See Christine Dryfoos in XI