The Eighth Day Novel By Thornton Wilder
The Eighth Day is a novel by Thornton Wilder, published in 1967. The novel tells the story of two families, the Weavers and the Van Cleves, and their struggles in a changing world. The novel covers a period of about 50 years, from the 1890s to the 1940s, and spans three generations of the two families. The book won the National Book Award for Fiction in 1968.
Plot Summary
The novel begins with the discovery of a dead body in the town of West Condon, Illinois. The body is that of Breckenridge Lansing, a wealthy and powerful businessman. The rest of the novel is a series of flashbacks that tell the story of how Lansing came to be killed.
The novel focuses on two families, the Weavers and the Van Cleves, and their struggles in a changing world. The Weavers are a working-class family, while the Van Cleves are wealthy and powerful. The two families are connected through their friendship with Lansing, who is a business associate of the Van Cleves.
Over the course of the novel, we see the lives of the two families play out against the backdrop of major historical events, such as the Spanish-American War, World War I, and the Great Depression. We see how the two families deal with issues such as money, power, love, and family.
Themes
The Eighth Day explores several themes, including the nature of love, the struggle for power, and the effects of social class on individuals. The novel also deals with the idea of fate and how it shapes our lives.
One of the major themes of the novel is the nature of love. The novel explores different kinds of love, including romantic love, familial love, and love between friends. The novel suggests that love is a powerful force that can bring people together, but it can also tear them apart.
Another major theme of the novel is the struggle for power. The novel shows how people can become obsessed with power and how this obsession can lead to their downfall. The novel also shows how power can be used for good or evil.
The novel also explores the effects of social class on individuals. The novel shows how people from different social classes can have very different experiences of life. The novel suggests that social class can be a barrier to love and happiness.
Characters
The Eighth Day has a large cast of characters, each with their own unique personality and story. Some of the main characters include:
- John Ashley Weaver: A working-class man who is the patriarch of the Weaver family.
- George Van Cleve: A wealthy businessman and friend of the Weavers.
- Clara Van Cleve: George's wife, who is unhappy in her marriage.
- Willa Jo Weaver: John's daughter, who falls in love with George Van Cleve.
- Breckenridge Lansing: A wealthy and powerful businessman who is killed at the beginning of the novel.
Conclusion
The Eighth Day is a novel that explores the lives of two families and their struggles in a changing world. The novel covers a period of about 50 years and spans three generations of the two families. The novel explores several themes, including the nature of love, the struggle for power, and the effects of social class on individuals. The novel has a large cast of characters, each with their own unique personality and story. The novel won the National Book Award for Fiction in 1968 and is considered one of Thornton Wilder's greatest works.