# Lewis Tarrant — Hudson River Bracketed character guide

> Lewis Tarrant in Hudson River Bracketed by Edith Wharton.

**Role:** supporting

**Also known as:** Lewis, Lewis Tarrant, young Tarrant, Tarrant, Handling Tarrant

**First appearance:** 0006-iii

## Snapshot

Halo's wealthy, cautious husband, a magazine editor whose immense generosity is a ledger he never stops collecting on.

## Who they are

Lewis Tarrant married Halo on a tidal wave of her mistaken gratitude, after her cousin Tom disinherited her, and he has been exacting his pound of flesh ever since. He destroys Vance's manuscript and then moves carefully to make certain of his legal rights, a man who never makes a blunder and never forgives one. His cold, proprietary grip on Halo is the wall between her and Vance, and the quiet engine of the novel's central rupture.

## Relationships

### [Vance Weston](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/hudson_river_bracketed_se/characters/vance_weston)

_rivalry_

Lewis Tarrant is Halo's husband and Vance's literary rival, resentful of Vance's talent and his bond with Halo.

### [Halo Tarrant](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/hudson_river_bracketed_se/characters/halo_tarrant)

_family_

Halo and Lewis are married, but their relationship is strained by Lewis's jealousy and Halo's emotional connection to Vance.

### [Halo Tarrant](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/hudson_river_bracketed_se/characters/halo_tarrant)

_family_

Halo and Lewis are married, but their relationship is strained by Lewis's jealousy and Halo's emotional connection to Vance.

### [Vance Weston](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/hudson_river_bracketed_se/characters/vance_weston)

_rivalry_

Lewis Tarrant is Halo's husband and Vance's literary rival, resentful of Vance's talent and his bond with Halo.

### [Halo Tarrant](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/hudson_river_bracketed_se/characters/halo_tarrant)

_family_

Halo and Lewis are married, but their relationship is strained by Lewis's jealousy and Halo's emotional connection to Vance.

### [Vance Weston](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/hudson_river_bracketed_se/characters/vance_weston)

_rivalry_

Lewis Tarrant is Halo's husband and Vance's literary rival, resentful of Vance's talent and his bond with Halo.

## In the story

### [Hudson River Bracketed](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/hudson_river_bracketed_se/chapters/hudson-river-bracketed)

Halo's husband, a figure of established wealth and social standing.

### [Book I](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/hudson_river_bracketed_se/chapters/book-i)

Halo's husband, whose presence complicates Vance's relationship with Halo.

### [VII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/hudson_river_bracketed_se/chapters/vii)

Mentioned as the person Halo forgot her engagement with.

### [VIII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/hudson_river_bracketed_se/chapters/viii)

Arrives by train from New York; Halo picks him up at the station.

### [X](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/hudson_river_bracketed_se/chapters/x)

Present at Eaglewood, embarrassed by Halo's confession about the night outing.

### [XV](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/hudson_river_bracketed_se/chapters/xv)

Mentioned as having bought back the stolen books from the Willows.

### [Book IV](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/hudson_river_bracketed_se/chapters/book-iv)

Represents the established cultural elite and contrasts with Vance's ambitions.

### [XVI](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/hudson_river_bracketed_se/chapters/xvi)

Halo's husband, who has bought The Hour and is trying to find his professional path; his generosity and ambition are discussed.

### [XIX](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/hudson_river_bracketed_se/chapters/xix)

Lewis is mentioned as having bought The Hour and being annoyed by Vance's failure to keep their appointment; he is away on business during the chapter.

### [XX](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/hudson_river_bracketed_se/chapters/xx)

Returns from Boston with Vance's manuscript, expresses reservations about its quiet style, and appropriates Halo's opinions as his own.

### [XXVI](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/hudson_river_bracketed_se/chapters/xxvi)

Pressures Vance to fulfill his contract and write short stories; dismisses Vance's desire to write poetry.

### [XXIX](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/hudson_river_bracketed_se/chapters/xxix)

Frustrated by the New Hour's decline and Vance's loss of the Pulsifer Prize, he confronts Halo about her decision not to sail.

### [XXXIII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/hudson_river_bracketed_se/chapters/xxxiii)

Mentioned as being away at a man's dinner; his contractual hold over Vance's writing is a source of frustration.

### [XXXIX](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/hudson_river_bracketed_se/chapters/xxxix)

Accuses Vance of disloyalty, defends the contract, and coldly watches Vance destroy his manuscript, insisting on the contract's validity.

### [XL](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/hudson_river_bracketed_se/chapters/xl)

Angry with Vance for trying to bypass their contract; reveals Vance destroyed his manuscript.

### [XLII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/hudson_river_bracketed_se/chapters/xlii)

Quarrels with Vance over the manuscript, agrees to let Vance write a new novel while continuing his salary.

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/hudson_river_bracketed_se/characters/lewis_tarrant
- Book: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/hudson_river_bracketed_se
- All characters: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/hudson_river_bracketed_se/characters