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Daughter Of Fortune By: Isabel Allende This story is about women who broke out of traditional roles of mother, daughter and wife. The novel reads like the combined diaries of several characters, Daughter Of Fortune delves into the lives of Eliza, Tao Chi " en, Miss Rose, a small cluster of well-healed Englishmen living in Chile, and the influx of gold-seekers sailing to California. Using a heavy wand of foreshadowing, author Isabel Allende taunts readers with information and unravels several subplots as she weaves intertwined tales of love, lust, mystery and adventure. 1. The setting here is the Chilean port of Valparaiso in the 1830 s, where the growing British colony has established a nation within a nation, with its clubs, afternoon teas and sedate musical evenings. Into this prospering world comes Eliza, abandoned at birth and of unknown parentage, who is adopted by an English family and brought up as an English lady. An independent spirit, Eliza struggles to adapt to the formalities of her routine and escapes whenever she can to the easy warmth and acceptance of the Indian cook through whom she absorbs something of the very different legends and traditions of Chilean culture.
But this daughter of fortune is not destined to live out her life in Chile. She follows the pattern of women in her family who were always deranged by their first love. Eliza's exploits in California parallel the evolution of rough-and-tumble mining camp into somewhat more civilized communities that count among their inhabitants preachers, teachers and entrepreneurs. Along the way, Daughter of Fortune, true to its billing as a historical novel provides readers not only with romance but also a good many facts about a place where gold had attracted a quarter of a million immigrants in four years time. 2.
In the beginning of the story, Eliza is forced to wear corsets, which constrict her body and the rigid expectations of her adopted English family constrict her spirit. The threat of the foundling home, if she misbehaves, is never far away. At 16, the precarious balance of her life is destroyed when she falls in love. Her suitor is from the wrong social class and ethnic background and so the affair must remain secret. When news that gold has been discovered in the mountains of California reach Chile, Eliza's lover escapes to seek his fortune, leaving her behind, pregnant and unhappy. With little future in Valparaiso, Eliza embarks on a long journey to North America, concealed in the hold of a ship.
She falls ill on route, loses her baby and it is only the skill of a Chinese healer, Tao Chi " en, that saves her. Eliza eventually arrives in California in 1849. Allende brilliantly evokes the enormous vigor of a country in the grip of gold fever, teeming with settlers of every nationality. The novel, at this point, broadens its scope and one suspects that Allende may have been diverted by her desire to illustrate how the American character has arisen from the melting pot of such turbulent times. As a result, the driven clarity of the early narrative falters, but there is still much to enjoy as Eliza, disguised as a boy, takes a job playing the piano in a brothel.
Tao Chi " en also has to find his way in a land where the opportunities are enormous but the penalties for failure are harsh. He feels his destiny is to ease pain and achieve wisdom. He practices acupuncture and herbal medicine in San Francisco's Chinatown while his affection for Eliza deepens. These changes in the lives of the characters occur because they mature. Their maturity comes in an environment that guards and protects them.
They were taken far from their homes and families, were left all to themselves. The only way for them to survive was to grow up fast. 3. Why do you think the author selected the title? How is it related to the story?
Write down another possible title for the story. Why is this title an appropriate one? The author seems to have chosen this title to underline the irony of the American fortune. Those who try to reach success in America often find themselves completely trapped. These people are trying to find something better than they were destined to, but many times these efforts are in vain. An alternative title for the book might have been American Destiny.
This title realistically describes the destinies of the first immigrants to America, and this is exactly what the book is about. Some of the other titles might be: Fortune seeker, and Goldblinded.
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Research essay sample on Daughter Of Fortune By Isabel Allende
