Booth Tarkington’s Alice Adams tells the story of the dysfunctional Adams family in an unnamed Midwestern town shortly after World War I. Mr. Adams, an ailing clerk, stays in bed most of the time. Mrs. Adams, who aspires to a wealthy and socially prominent bridegroom for her daughter, constantly nags her husband to leave his employer after he recovers and start a glue factory. Walter, the older brother, disdains the wealthy people in the town and prefers the company of the socially unacceptable African-Americans to climbing his mother’s version of the ladder of success. Alice constantly tries to ease the tensions as she strives for the good marriage.
The novel opens with Alice preparing to go to a dance at Mildred Palmer’s house. Alice and her mother force her older brother to escort her. It doesn’t take the reader long to realize that Alice and Mildred aren’t truly good friends. Although Alice has dressed with care in her best clothes and picked a bouquet of violets, she isn’t clothed to the standards of the other young ladies. Further, the images of her as a wallflower trying to look like she isn’t really alone but waiting for a beau to bring her some punch are truly heartrending. She does dance with the rich young newcomer Arthur Russell before she and Arthur find her brother gambling in the cloak room with the servants. Then she must hurry out in disgrace.
The novel progresses with more turmoil in the family. Arthur starts walking with Alice, but doesn’t tell anyone of the walks. Alice fabricates a story of her life for Arthur and another for her mother. Arthur seems truly interested in Alice. Finally Mrs. Adams prevails upon her husband to start his glue factory. She also insists that Alice bring her suitor home for a family meal. Disaster ensues.
Tarkington wrote a very good book with fabulous characterizations of people from different levels of post-World War I American society. Although clearly set in their time, they are the eternal characters of young people wanting to date and marry people from other groups, families with problems, and social climbing mothers. As in many other classics, the reader wonders if the young people will be able to look past their families and continue their relationship.
Tarkington must have been totally ill at ease at some dances to be able to write such a touching and true to life description. The portrayal of the disastrous dinner introducing the family to Alice’s beau could not have been more vivid. The only problem with the book is Tarkington’s heavy-handed foreshadowing.
It is easy to see why this book won a Pulitzer Prize in 1921. If you have a chance, read the book or see the movie starring Kate Hepburn and Fred MacMurray.
The book is available at Bookmamas – 9 S. Johnson Avenue in Irvington.