Alice Adams

Over the pictures, the vases, the old brown plush rocking-chairs and the stool, over the three gilt chairs, over the new chintz-covered easy chair and the gray velure sofa--over everything everywhere, was the familiar coating of smoke and grime.... Yet here was not fault of housewifery; the curse could not be lifted, as the ingrained smudges permanent on the once white woodwork proved. The grime was perpetually renewed; scrubbing only ground it in. --from the novel

This is the story of a middle-class family living in the industrialized "midland country" at the turn of the 20th century. It is against this dingy backdrop that Alice Adams seeks to distinguish herself. She goes to a dance in a used dress, which her mother attempts to renew by changing the lining and adding some lace. She adorns herself not with orchids sent by the florist but with a bouquet of violets she has picked herself. Because her family cannot afford to equip her with the social props or "background" so needed to shine in society, Alice is forced to make do. Ultimately, her ambitions for making a successful marriage must be tempered by the realities of her situation. Alice Adams's resiliency of spirit makes her one of Tarkington's most compelling female characters.

Over the pictures, the vases, the old brown plush rocking-chairs and the stool, over the three gilt chairs, over the new chintz-covered easy chair and the gray velure sofa--over everything everywhere, was the familiar coating of smoke and grime.... Yet here was not fault of housewifery; the curse could not be lifted, as the ingrained smudges permanent on the once white woodwork proved. The grime was perpetually renewed; scrubbing only ground it in.

Over the pictures, the vases, the old brown plush rocking-chairs and thestool, over the three gilt chairs, over the new chintz-covered easy chair and thegray velure sofa -- over everything everywhere, was the familiar coating of smokeand grime.... Yet here was not fault of housewifery; the curse could not be lifted, as the ingrained smudges permanent on the once white woodwork proved. The grime wasperpetually renewed; scrubbing only ground it in. -- from thenovel

This is the story of a middle-class family living in theindustrialized midland country at the turn of the 20th century. It isagainst this dingy backdrop that Alice Adams seeks to distinguish herself. She goesto a dance in a used dress, which her mother attempts to renew by changing thelining and adding some lace. She adorns herself not with orchids sent by the floristbut with a bouquet of violets she has picked herself. Because her family cannotafford to equip her with the social props or background so needed toshine in society, Alice is forced to make do. Ultimately, her ambitions for making asuccessful marriage must be tempered by the realities of her situation. AliceAdams's resiliency of spirit makes her one of Tarkington's most compelling femalecharacters.

Booth Tarkington was born in Indianapolis in 1889. He was a consummate interpreter of the Hoosier scene and a conscious booster of his native state, as evidenced in his best-selling Penrod adventures, Seventeen, and The Gentleman from Indiana. He was also, however, a serious and highly regarded writer, winning the Pulitzer Prize for the Magnificent Ambersons and for Alice Adams.