Frank Cowperwood, the novel's financier, is aptly named - he's frank, brisk, and forceful, while maintaining an almost noble reserve and refinement. As a child, his elders expect him to be destined for greatness. And in his adulthood, that greatness manifests in the form of tremendous wealth.
Frank's magnetism, ruthlessness, and financial savvy allow him to establish powerful connections as well as an enviable record as a broker. However, Dreiser soon shows us just how Darwinistic the order of the world proves to be. When the Great Chicago Fire of 1871 results in a stock market crash, Frank's misuse of municipal funds is brought to a catastrophic light. We learn that loyalty is an abstraction in the world of finance: the law is every man for himself.
Frank, of course, learned this lesson as a child. Watching the bitter struggle between a lobster and a squid in a glass tank, he solved the riddle of how life is organized. The squid, with nothing to feed on and no weapon, ultimately succumbed to its predator, the lobster. With men, Frank realized, the strong similarly live on the weak.
While communicating a rather unflattering message about capitalism, The Financier isn't in-your-face moralistic, something that I appreciate. Frank's actions are often condemnable, yet he's not a villain by any means. Described frequently by Dreiser as a "force," Frank can't help but be somewhat mesmerizing and impressive. Overall, this was a highly enjoyable American success story, if one can call it that.
Frank Cowperwood, the novel's financier, is aptly named - he's frank, brisk, and forceful, while maintaining an almost noble reserve and refinement. As a child, his elders expect him to be destined for greatness. And in his adulthood, that greatness manifests in the form of tremendous wealth.
Frank's magnetism, ruthlessness, and financial savvy allow him to establish powerful connections as well as an enviable record as a broker. However, Dreiser soon shows us just how Darwinistic the order of the world proves to be. When the Great Chicago Fire of 1871 results in a stock market crash, Frank's misuse of municipal funds is brought to a catastrophic light. We learn that loyalty is an abstraction in the world of finance: the law is every man for himself.
Frank, of course, learned this lesson as a child. Watching the bitter struggle between a lobster and a squid in a glass tank, he solved the riddle of how life is organized. The squid, with nothing to feed on and no weapon, ultimately succumbed to its predator, the lobster. With men, Frank realized, the strong similarly live on the weak.
While communicating a rather unflattering message about capitalism, The Financier isn't in-your-face moralistic, something that I appreciate. Frank's actions are often condemnable, yet he's not a villain by any means. Described frequently by Dreiser as a "force," Frank can't help but be somewhat mesmerizing and impressive. Overall, this was a highly enjoyable American success story, if one can call it that.
Frank Cowperwood, the novel's financier, is aptly named - he's frank, brisk, and forceful, while maintaining an almost noble reserve and refinement. As a child, his elders expect him to be destined for greatness. And in his adulthood, that greatness manifests in the form of tremendous wealth.
Frank's magnetism, ruthlessness, and financial savvy allow him to establish powerful connections as well as an enviable record as a broker. However, Dreiser soon shows us just how Darwinistic the order of the world proves to be. When the Great Chicago Fire of 1871 results in a stock market crash, Frank's misuse of municipal funds is brought to a catastrophic light. We learn that loyalty is an abstraction in the world of finance: the law is every man for himself.
Frank, of course, learned this lesson as a child. Watching the bitter struggle between a lobster and a squid in a glass tank, he solved the riddle of how life is organized. The squid, with nothing to feed on and no weapon, ultimately succumbed to its predator, the lobster. With men, Frank realized, the strong similarly live on the weak.
While communicating a rather unflattering message about capitalism, The Financier isn't in-your-face moralistic, something that I appreciate. Frank's actions are often condemnable, yet he's not a villain by any means. Described frequently by Dreiser as a "force," Frank can't help but be somewhat mesmerizing and impressive. Overall, this was a highly enjoyable American success story, if one can call it that.
Frank Cowperwood, the novel's financier, is aptly named - he's frank, brisk, and forceful, while maintaining an almost noble reserve and refinement. As a child, his elders expect him to be destined for greatness. And in his adulthood, that greatness manifests in the form of tremendous wealth.
Frank's magnetism, ruthlessness, and financial savvy allow him to establish powerful connections as well as an enviable record as a broker. However, Dreiser soon shows us just how Darwinistic the order of the world proves to be. When the Great Chicago Fire of 1871 results in a stock market crash, Frank's misuse of municipal funds is brought to a catastrophic light. We learn that loyalty is an abstraction in the world of finance: the law is every man for himself.
Frank, of course, learned this lesson as a child. Watching the bitter struggle between a lobster and a squid in a glass tank, he solved the riddle of how life is organized. The squid, with nothing to feed on and no weapon, ultimately succumbed to its predator, the lobster. With men, Frank realized, the strong similarly live on the weak.
While communicating a rather unflattering message about capitalism, The Financier isn't in-your-face moralistic, something that I appreciate. Frank's actions are often condemnable, yet he's not a villain by any means. Described frequently by Dreiser as a "force," Frank can't help but be somewhat mesmerizing and impressive. Overall, this was a highly enjoyable American success story, if one can call it that.
Frank Cowperwood, the novel's financier, is aptly named - he's frank, brisk, and forceful, while maintaining an almost noble reserve and refinement. As a child, his elders expect him to be destined for greatness. And in his adulthood, that greatness manifests in the form of tremendous wealth.
Frank's magnetism, ruthlessness, and financial savvy allow him to establish powerful connections as well as an enviable record as a broker. However, Dreiser soon shows us just how Darwinistic the order of the world proves to be. When the Great Chicago Fire of 1871 results in a stock market crash, Frank's misuse of municipal funds is brought to a catastrophic light. We learn that loyalty is an abstraction in the world of finance: the law is every man for himself.
Frank, of course, learned this lesson as a child. Watching the bitter struggle between a lobster and a squid in a glass tank, he solved the riddle of how life is organized. The squid, with nothing to feed on and no weapon, ultimately succumbed to its predator, the lobster. With men, Frank realized, the strong similarly live on the weak.
While communicating a rather unflattering message about capitalism, The Financier isn't in-your-face moralistic, something that I appreciate. Frank's actions are often condemnable, yet he's not a villain by any means. Described frequently by Dreiser as a "force," Frank can't help but be somewhat mesmerizing and impressive. Overall, this was a highly enjoyable American success story, if one can call it that.
