Daughter Of Fortune Essay, Research Paper
Daughter of Fortune
In the book, Daughter of Fortune, by Isabel Allende, the characters are ever changing. You have Eliza, who through most of the novel dresses as a boy, Jacob Todd who transitions between a Bible salesman and a newspaper reporter, Joe Bonecrusher who transitions from a tough, emotionless woman to a very caring person, and Joaquin who transitions from an innocent, poor Chilean boy to a person who is hunted down and killed. Many of the characters in Daughter of Fortune experience a transition in their life, and I will tell you about four of those characters.
A transition can mean a lot of things. One of the more known transitions is the boy becoming a man idea. One example I thought of that expressed this well was the one I read in “Proofs” by Richard Rodriguez, about the young boys who risked their lives to come across the border. Rodriguez stated, “You are a boy from a Mexican Village. You have come into the country on your knee with your head down. You are a man” (34). This is just one example, but there are all kinds of transitions an individual goes through in their life. One transition can be as simple as getting older and maturing. Another can be changing your views or your beliefs. You can also make a transition by turning into a totally different person like Joaquin Andieta and Jacob Todd did in the novel.
Daughter of Fortune starts out with a baby left on the doorstep of Jeremy Sommers. He and his sister Rose had arrived in Valparaiso from London a year and a half before Eliza came into the picture. They moved into a very nice mansion, and acquired the services of mama Fresia. Rose was determined to keep and raise the baby as her own. While Rose made sure of it that Eliza knew how to layer her petticoats and play the piano, mama Fresia spent hours with Eliza gardening and cooking. Eventually, Eliza meets a young man by the name of Joaquin Andieta, who works for her uncle, John Sommers. They end up having a love affair, where they would meet secretly in the middle of the night. Joaquin decides to take off to California to mine for gold, leaving Eliza behind. The pregnant Eliza takes off after him hidden on a ship with the help of a Chinese physician by the name of Tao Chi’en. Eliza falls ill, loses her baby and Tao Chi’en is there to take care of her.
Disguised as a man, Eliza spends several years searching the mining camps of northern California for her lover. At first, she is disguised as a Chinese boy. Then she transforms herself into a Chilean boy, acting as if she is the brother of Joaquin. Eliza will come in contact with a traveling brothel, where she decides to go along and play the piano for them. She eventually makes it back to San Francisco to live with Tao Chi’en. Together they start saving the lives of young Chinese girls who are sold to brothels, and are living in horrible, filthy conditions. They form an underground system where they have the help of Quakers, and Babalu the bad from the traveling brothel. Eliza soon hears word that Andieta had became a bandit and a group of men were sent out to search for him, bringing him back dead or alive. The men bring back what they say is Joaquin’s head, and display it for all to see. Eliza learns his head is on display and wants to go and see it immediately. With Tao Chi’en by her side, Eliza takes one look at the head, states she is free, and walks away.
I want to start off with the transitions that Eliza went through. She had made the most transitions of all the characters. Her first transition was going from a little girl to a young woman, when she falls in love with Joaquin. She gets carried away with the illusion of love, and falls head over heels for him. Her second transition was when Tao Chi’en had made the decision to sneak her off the boat as a Chinese boy. She decided she actually liked dressing in men’s clothes because they weren’t as restricting as women’s. She then transitions to a Chilean boy, who is supposed to be the brother of Joaquin. Her final transition was at the end of the book when she starts to pull out her dresses that she had brought with her. She had started to get the feeling back of wanting to dress like a woman again. “Ultimately, Eliza discovers strength, resilience, independence and true love, none of it the easy way” (Carman).
Although Eliza had made the most transitions, Jacob Todd’s was the oddest. His first transition started in the beginning of the novel, when he had lost a bet. The narrator stated, “With the braggadocio of a high-living man with too much beer in his belly, he had bet at a gaming table in his London club that he could sell Bibles anywhere on the planet” (Allende 13). His bet took him to Valparaiso, where eventually he would be found out, and shamed. So, he returned to England. That was the last we hear of Jacob Todd until the end of the novel when you come across him in California as Jacob Freemont, the newspaper reporter. He went from a Bible salesman to a newspaper reporter. What a transition!
Then you have Joe Bonecrusher. She was the madam of a caravan that included the four women who worked for her, Tom No-Tribe, and Babalu the bad. Joe believed she was a man trapped in a woman’s body. She portrayed herself as this tough, unemotional woman who hated it when her adopted son, Tom No-Tribe would call her grandmother. Joe responded to this by saying, “Hell’s fire, I’m not anyone’s grandmother. I’m the Bonecrusher, do you hear what I’m saying, you damn brat?” (Allende 298). I believe her transition took place when people started coming down with dysentery. She took every single sick person in that needed her help to get better. She would cook for them, clean up after them, and read letters they received from back home. She had made the transition from an unattached, tough lady, to realizing she really had feelings, and could express them.
Lastly, we have Joaquin Andieta, who is somewhat of a mystery. When Eliza first met him, he was working for her uncle’s Import and Export Company. He would write Eliza these wonderful, deep love letters about how he felt and how much he loved her, but was a totally different person when they would meet in the middle of the night. Then, when gold fever hit, he decided to take off to California with no promise to come back for Eliza. Here is where he makes his transition from a young, innocent Chilean boy to a bandit. He ends up with men hunting him down and killing him. They bring back only his head and put it on display for everyone to see.
Daughter of Fortune was all about change. The characters made transitions in their lives, whether it was for the good or bad, that effected their lives forever. Eliza ended up somewhere and with someone you never would have expected, Jacob Todd was able to start a whole new life despite his problems in Valparasio, Joe Bonecrusher lost her tough girl appearance and Joaquin was murdered. This was truly a novel of transformation.
Allende, Isabel. Daughter of Fortune. New York: HarpersCollins, 1999.
Carman, Diane. “Allende pens suspenseful masterpiece”.Rev. of Daughter of Fortune, by
Isabel Allende. Denver Post Book Review Oct. 10. 2000.
Rodriguez, Richard.“Proofs.”California Dreams And Realities.Sonia Maasik and Jack
Solomon.Editors.Boston.Bedford/St. Martins.1999.
Другие работы по теме:
Scarlet Letter Essay Research Paper The Letter
Scarlet Letter Essay, Research Paper The Letter A The novel The Scarlet Letter was set in the Massachusetts Bay colony in the 17th century. Hester Prynne, her illegitimate daughter Pearl, her ex-husband Roger, and the
Maggie Obituary Essay Research Paper Margaret Johnson
Maggie Obituary Essay, Research Paper Margaret Johnson, only daughter of Mary Murphy: found dead in the East River at age 23 Margaret Johnson, also called Maggie, was a successful seamstress and the only daughter of Mary Murphy died on November 19 in the East River where she was spotted floating atop the freezing cold water.
Louisa May Alcott Essay Research Paper Louisa
Louisa May Alcott Essay, Research Paper Louisa was born in Germantown, Pennsylvania on November 29, 1832. Her parents, Bronson and Abigail May Alcott decided to name their second daughter after her aunt, Louisa May Green. Her father was a noted New England Transcendentalist philosopher and educator who worked only irregularly throughout Louisa May’s life.
R Buckminster Fuller Essay Research Paper Richard
R. Buckminster Fuller Essay, Research Paper Richard Buckminster Fuller was an enginer, mathemitican, and an architect. Twice expelled from Harvard University, buisiness disasters and the death of his four year old daughter brought him close to suicide. He decided to devote his life to proving that technology could save the world from itsself, providing it is properly used.
MotherDaughter Relationships From The Joy Luck Club
Essay, Research Paper The relationships between mother and daughter brought up in the film, “The Joy Luck Club” are very conflictive. They reflect a great deal of the way in which mothers act towards their daughters and viceversa. The film shows a very realistic view of the mother and daughter relationships in our modern world; which are very traditional in many ways.
The Music Lessons Essay Research Paper In
The Music Lessons Essay, Research Paper In the play The Music Lessons by Wakako Yamauchi two of the main characters are in engaged in a dialogue which is common for a mother and a daughter to
Parent Relationships Essay Research Paper In many
Parent Relationships Essay, Research Paper In many of the works of literature I have read in this particular class, I noticed that many of the characters are parents. Which leads me to ask the following questions? How are parent/child relationships represented in early literature and how do these representations compare with representations, either real or literary, in our society?
Lord Capulet
– The Typical Father Essay, Research Paper In Romeo and Juliet Lord Capulet, who expresses his fatherly love and concern for his only child Juliet, is a typical father. Like most fathers, Capulet adores his young and innocent daughter. He shows this when he says: “?My child is yet a stranger in the world – She hath not seen the change of fourteen years?” This means that she is not yet matured and is not ready to face the world of marriage.
Cordelia And Lear Essay Research Paper Throughout
Cordelia And Lear Essay, Research Paper Throughout the play, King Lear, we are awaiting to see the reunion of Lear and his daughter Cordelia. In the begining of the play Lear wrongfully disowns Cordelia because he does not get the flattery from her that he wishes to hear. However, through much torment after he is reduced to nothing, Lear realizes that he cannot always get what he wants just because he is a king.
Validity Essay Research Paper Key Terms pp
Validity Essay, Research Paper Key Terms (pp. 344-347) concurrent validity- A classification of criterion validity whereby a new measure correlates with a criterion measure taken at the same time (p. 344.)
Analysis Of Shylock In Shakespeare
’s Merchant Of Venice Essay, Research Paper In Shakespeare?s Merchant of Venice the antagonist of the play is Shylock. Shylock is a wealthy Jewish moneylender.
Medea Pursuasive Essay Essay Research Paper Medea
Medea Pursuasive Essay Essay, Research Paper Medea Pursuasive Essay I am here today, to show you that the prisoner Medea, who now stands before you, is guilty of the crimes she has been accused of. These crimes didn’t serve a purpose; they only satisfied the burning rage in her heart. So, now I call upon you, men of Corinth.
Absalom Son Of David Essay Research Paper
Absalom’s story unfolds in the household of King David. The key members of this household were Absalom, Amnon, and Tamar. Absalom and Amnon were David’s sons and Tamar was David’s daughter.
Time And Guilt Essay Research Paper Time
Time And Guilt Essay, Research Paper Time and Guilt In Tillie Olsen’s narrative “I Stand Here Ironing,” I interpreted that there was a reflection of the loss of time and the sense of guilt between a
Athena Essay Research Paper Athena the goddess
Athena Essay, Research Paper Athena the goddess of wisdom, war, and useful arts, and the helper of heroes and inspiration for soldiers. She was the daughter of Zeus and the protector of cities and states. She was never easy to anger, she believed using wisdom was better to settle differences than fighting.
Joy Luck Club Essay Research Paper Erica
Joy Luck Club Essay, Research Paper Erica Tam November 5, 2000 Final Draft In Amy Tan?s ?Two Kinds,? Tan uses the central conflict and symbolism to emphasize the idea that achieving the American Dream is a struggle and can lead to disappointment. The central conflict of the story is about the mother wanting her daughter to become a child prodigy, but her daughter cannot fulfill her mother?s dream.
Nath Essay Research Paper Nathaniel Hawthornes short
Nath Essay, Research Paper Nathaniel Hawthorne?s short stories ?The Birthmark? and Rappaccinni?s Daughter are both tragic tales of women being taken advantage of. In each account a young woman is skillfully led to her downfall by a loved one she trusts. In each case Hawthorne includes an inconceivable innocence about the woman.
Life Goes On Essay Research Paper Steel
Life Goes On Essay, Research Paper ?Steel Magnolias? We all have problems in our life, but some how life goes on. If you were to lose your closest friend, family member, or a loved one would
Poem The Writer Essay Research Paper The
Poem: The Writer Essay, Research Paper The Writer To the best of my recollection, this is the first poem that I have read, written by Richard Wilbur. While I have yet to experience the thrills of fatherhood, I would be astounded to learn that the author was not a father himself. When reading this poem, I actually felt the compassion, and love, for which the author was feeling towards his daughter.
Public Vs Private Essay Research Paper In
Public Vs Private Essay, Research Paper In the world today many parents ponder the thought whether private schools are better than public schools. They decide what would be better for their children. When they do this they ponder many different things like what would be academically better for my son or daughter or which would be safest and some people even would send their son or daughter to a school just for athletics.
A View From A Bridge Essay Research
Paper When Arthur Miller writes a play, he tries to develop a modern tragedy. Miller successfully depicts a tragic hero in his play A View From the Bridge in the character Eddie Carbone.
The Joy Luck Club 2
The Joy Luck Club – Culture Differences Essay, Research Paper The Joy Luck Club, a novel by Amy Tan, is a compilation from eight different women and their lives. The stories are based on their Chinese culture and their mother/daughter relationships. In the novel and in the film production, the women go through many obstacles in life and must overcome them in order to survive.
Church Existence Essay Research Paper The Church
Church Existence Essay, Research Paper The Church exists to call sinners out of the muck and mire of an evil world system that has pitted mother against daughter, father against son, woman against man, man against nature and all humanity against God into a transforming and healing community that can undo the damage that the world has done to us through the building of GOD Kingdom here on Earth.
I Stand Here Ironig Essay Research Paper
“I Stand Here Ironing”, by Tillie Olsen is a short story portraying the life and regret of a young mother struggling to raise her oldest daughter. The mother- daughter relationship is the major part of the story and the attitude of the mother toward her daughter, Emily, and the actual character of the mother are two very important elements.
The Joy Luck Club 3 Essay Research
Paper The joy luck club…Mother daughter relationship in The Joy Luck Club is a representation of the persistent tensions and powerful bonds between mother and daughter in a Chinese- American society. The book illustrates the hardships both the mother and daughters go through in order to please the other.
June Jordan Essay Research Paper
How is your relationship with you mother? A mother to daughter relationship is very important. In both passages the daughter admires their mother, but they don’t want to become them. In passage A prose-poem by June Jordan and passage B an essay by Carol Saline, both daughter discuss their admiration for their mother, but do not want to becomes their mothers.
Describing Biblical Parallels In Hawthorne
’s “Rappaccini’s Daughter” Essay, Research Paper Describing Biblical Parallels in Hawthorne’s “Rappaccini’s Daughter” In Hawthorne’s ?Rappaccini’s Daughter,? many biblical parallels can be
Young Goodman Brown And Rrppaccini
’s Daughter / Comparsion/Contrast Essay, Research Paper Young Goodman Brown and Giovanni in “Rappaccini’s Daughter portray now characters in a story can be manipulated by the forces of good and evil. Examining the character theme of these two short stories, comparsions of the characters of Giovanni and Young Goodman Brown are closely aligned with the destiny of each bing similar and tragic.
Isnt It Ironic The Subject Is English
! Essay, Research Paper David Harris 10S 14/02/97 ?ISN?T IT IRONIC? An imaginative response to the song ?Ironic? by Alanis Morisette. ?An old man turned 98, he won the lottery and died the next day?
The Mother-Daughter Relationship In
“I Stand Here Ironing” Essay, Research Paper The mother-daughter relationship in “I Stand Here Ironing” To many people, the ideal mother-daughter relationship
Describing Biblical Parallels In
‘Rappacini’s Daughter’ Essay, Research Paper Describing Biblical Parallels In Hawthorne?s ?Rappaccini?s Daughter,? many biblical parallels can be found.
Rappaccinis Daughter Essay Research Paper In
111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111
Tevya And His First Daughter Essay Research
Paper Tevya and His First Daughter Tevya and His First Daughter is about a poor dairyman, Tevya, and his daughter Tzeitl, who is in an arranged marriage that she does not want to be in.
The Master Speed Essay Research Paper The
The Master Speed Essay, Research Paper The Master Speed Throughout the poem The Master Speed, Frost addresses the idea that marriage is a sacred bond that must be treasured all through our lives. The main reason for the apparent matrimony theme was due to the engagement of Frost s daughter. Because of this great influence over his life, Frost reiterated the advice to his daughter to stay at the master speed in order to fully enjoy the rest of her life as well as her future commitment.
An Analysis Of Essay Research Paper An
An Analysis Of Essay, Research Paper An Analysis of Only Daughter Many things contribute to the development of a child as it grows up. In return these same things can affect a way a person acts as an adult. Everything from family heritage, friends, and relatives influence children as their minds develop. In the essay, Only Daughter, Sandra Cisneros credits being the only daughter in a Mexican-American