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'' A Hazard of New Fortunes'' is a novel by William Dean Howells. Copyrighted in 1889 and first published in the U.S. by Harper & Bros. in 1890, the book was well-received for its portrayal of social injustice. Considered by many to be his best work, the novel is also considered to be the first novel to portray New York City.〔Lopate, Phillip. "Introduction: William Dean Howells and the Discovery of New York." Introduction. Howells, William Dean. ''A Hazard of New Fortunes.'' Penguin, 2001: v. ISBN 0140439234〕 Some argue that the novel was the first of three Howells wrote with Socialist and Utopian ideals in mind: ''The Quality of Mercy'' in 1892, and ''An Imperative Duty'' in 1893. In this novel, although Howells briefly discusses the American Civil War, he primarily deals with issues of post-war "Gilded Age" America, like labor disputes, the rise of the self-made millionaire, the growth of urban America, the influx of immigrants, and other industrial-era problems. Many critics consider ''A Hazard of New Fortunes'' to be one of Howells' most important examples of American literary Realism because he portrays a variety of people from different backgrounds. ==Characters== * Basil March – Businessman from Boston who moves to New York city to start a new periodical. * Fulkerson – Hopeful and charismatic entrepreneur who claims to originate the idea of ''Every Other Week''. * Colonel Woodburn – Wealthy Virginia resident who was a colonel for the Confederacy in the American Civil War. He believes slavery could work if they made the system more efficient. * Berthold Lindau – German-born member of the lower class. He fought for the north in the Civil War and lost his hand. He advocates for workers' rights and socialism. * Mr. Dryfoos – Rich Midwesterner who made his money on natural gas. He is anti-union and bankrolls ''Every Other Week'' as a way to encourage his son to go into business. * Conrad Dryfoos – The son of Mr. Dryfoos. He works at ''Every Other Week'' because of his father, who is trying to persuade him to become a businessman instead of an Episcopalian priest. He enjoys helping those who are less fortunate. * Angus Beaton – An artist for ''Every Other Week''. * Alma Leighton – A young aspiring artist who contributes drawings to ''Every Other Week''. * Margaret Vance – A New York society girl who leads a non-traditional life engaging in charity work and at the end becomes an Episcopalian nun. Plays banjo. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「A Hazard of New Fortunes」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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