The Financier · Character

Edward Malia Butler

A rough-handed political boss who controls Philadelphia's destiny and adores his daughter Aileen, he must decide what to do when her secret reaches his doorstep.

supporting

Also known as Mr. Butler, Butler, Edward Butler, Eddie

First appearance: ii

As a supporting figure in The Financier, Edward Malia Butler is not background color—the story leans on what they do once the chapter opens.

A wealthy contractor who rose from garbage collector; proposes a secret stock-buying scheme to Cowperwood and is impressed by his poise.

In the storyThe First Great OpportunityOpen this moment free

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Butler is one of the three men who jointly run the city's politics, a hard, grim, experienced operator whose word shapes who gets elected and who gets franchises. His tenderness for Aileen, his first baby girl, is the one soft place in a life of machine politics, and the discovery of her affair with Cowperwood strikes him as a betrayal he cannot think his way out of. His grief and rage will determine whether Cowperwood's fall is merely financial or total, and his divided loyalty between fatherhood and the political order he upholds drives the novel's middle act.

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See Edward Malia Butler in ii

Character Web

15 connections

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Extended cast and background figures
Cowperwood's inner circle

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Narrative arc

Story tension across the book — this chapter sits in Exposition.

Setup
Escalation
Breaking point
Aftermath
Closing

This excerpt marks the dramatic climax because it depicts the precise moment when Butler, through the ruse wit…

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In the story

Edward Malia Butler appears across 27 companion beats. Open any chapter in the free preview to see the notes beside the text.

The First Great Opportunity
A wealthy contractor who rose from garbage collector; proposes a secret stock-buying scheme to Cowperwood and is impressed by his poise.
XII
Cowperwood turns to Butler for political influence; Butler agrees to help with the bond award.
Chapter XIII
Mentioned as Aileen's father, a politician whose acquaintances bore Aileen; his social circle does not include the truly elite.
XIV
Butler is one of the Big Three political leaders who control Philadelphia's politics and finances, involved in the scheme to profit from city warrants and loans.
Chapter XVI
One of the political bosses interested in street-railways; Cowperwood deals privately for him as an agent, though Butler is not yet aware of all of Cowperwood's plans.
Chapter XVII
Stubbornly defends his old house against his daughters' complaints; concerned about Aileen's future and marriage prospects.
The Blossoming of Illicit Love
Aileen's father, who jovially teases her about finding a suitor, unaware of her relationship with Cowperwood.
XXII
Occasionally carries as high as one hundred thousand dollars in margins with Cowperwood.
Chapter XXIII
Dines at home when Cowperwood arrives; agrees to help but expresses regret over Cowperwood's dealings with Stener.
Chapter XXIV
Butler is torn between his liking for Cowperwood and the political and financial risks of supporting him. He considers calling in his $100,000 loan and seeks advice from his son Owen.
XXV
Consults with Mollenhauer and Simpson about Cowperwood's situation; agrees to support the market temporarily but is open to raiding Cowperwood's holdings.
XXVI
Receives an anonymous letter about the affair, confronts Aileen, calls in Cowperwood's loan, and vows revenge.
XXVIII
Mentioned by Cowperwood as part of the political trio (with Mollenhauer and Simpson) trying to gain control of the street-railway situation.
The Double Blow
Receives a similar anonymous letter about his daughter's affair with Cowperwood.
XXXII
Drives the conference with vengeful intent, revealing Cowperwood's unauthorized loan and pushing for his punishment due to the affair with Aileen.
XXXIV
Delighted that Cowperwood is in the toils; he secures the appointment of Dennis Shannon as district attorney.
Butler's Investigation
Grows restive and puzzled about Aileen's behavior; considers various plans to separate her from Cowperwood; ultimately visits Pinkerton's detective agency in New York to hire an investigator.
The Confrontation
Orchestrates a raid to confront Aileen and Cowperwood, driven by shame and a desire to terrify his daughter into reform.
Chapter XXXVII
Rage and shock at Aileen's defiance; seeks spiritual guidance and resolves to pursue Cowperwood's prosecution.
XXXVIII
Aileen's father, who opposes her relationship with Cowperwood; relieved by Aileen's decision to visit the Steinmetzes.
XLIII
Mentioned indirectly as part of the political forces behind Stener.
XLV
Aileen's father, whose opposition to her relationship with Cowperwood drives her to leave home.
Chapter XLVI
Confronts Cowperwood about Aileen's disappearance, initially hostile but gradually becomes more willing to negotiate.
Chapter XLVII
His opposition to Cowperwood intensifies due to the affair, and he is seen as a key force behind the financier's legal troubles.
LII
Attends the sentencing, cloaking his motive; leaves satisfied after the sentence.
LIV
Holds a grudge against Cowperwood due to the affair with Aileen; influences politicians against him.
LVII
Dies sitting in his chair; his death removes opposition to Cowperwood's pardon.

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See Edward Malia Butler in ii

See Edward Malia Butler in The First Great Opportunity