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| Plot Summary of City of Light |
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"In 1901 Buffalo is a prosperous city of industry and trade. Enormous hydroelectric projects are underway, powered by the waters of Niagra, and the city is on the brink of the Pan-American Exposition. The vast wealth of the captains of industry gives them the power to dominate society and the decks are stacked against those people who fear for the environment or work to establish social justice. With rumours of corruption in the air, suspicious deaths, poverty, discrmination and labour unrest, tensions ripple below the surface of a high society which considers itself both charitable and forward-looking.
Miss Louisa Barrett, the headmistress of a progressive private school for girls, works toward the greater good by trying to instil a social consciousness in her privileged students. Despite her need to maintain an unblemished reputation and fears of losing her position and independence, love and concern for her orphaned goddaughter force her to investigate the suspicious deaths. The industrial and personal secrets which emerge have irrevocable consequences for all concerned."
Joyce Verkerk, Resident Scholar
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| Review Analysis of City of Light |
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Our unique search engine provides a wealth of detail about books by breaking them down into many different literary elements, all of which are searchable (click here).
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Ratings are on a 1-10 scale (Low to High)
Plot
Tone of book?
- thoughtful
Time/era of story
- 1900-1920's
Romance/Romance Problems
Yes
Kind of romance:
- GENERAL--no other subplots apply
Life of a profession:
- businessman, good overcoming bad ones
- businessman, good becoming bad
- teacher
Family, loving relations
Yes
Special relationship with
- daughter
Internal struggle/realization?
Yes
Is this an adult or child's book?
- Adult or Young Adult Book
Loss of...
- parents
Job/Profession/Status story
Yes
Ethnic/regional/gender life
Yes
Woman's story?
Yes
Main Character
Gender
- Female
Profession/status:
- teacher
Age:
- 20's-30's
Eccentric/Mental
Yes
Eccentric:
- obsessed
- deluded
Is this an ordinary person caught up in events?
Yes
Ethnicity/Nationality
- White (American)
How sensitive is this character?
- sensitive to others' feelings
Sense of humor
- Strong but gentle sense of humor
Intelligence
- Smarter than most other characters
Physique
- average physique
Main Adversary
Identity:
- society
How much of work is main antagonist actually present in:
- throughout most of the book.
Setting
How much descriptions of surroundings?
- 10 (a tremendous amount)
United States
Yes
The US:
- Northeast
The Americas (not US):
Yes
The Americas:
- Canada
Water?
Yes
Water:
- drowning
City?
Yes
City:
- dirty, grimy (like New York)
- wealthy
Misc setting
- fancy mansion
Style
Person
- mostly 1st
Accounts of torture and death?
- moderately detailed references to deaths
Sex in book?
Yes
Amount of dialog
- significantly more dialog than descript
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Note: the views expressed here are only those of the reviewer(s). | |
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