The Waterworks (novel)
Encyclopedia
The Waterworks is an novel
by E. L. Doctorow
, written in 1994.
. Soon McIlvaine and Donne learn that Augustus Pemberton has faked his death and together with other plutocrats of the city – are being kept alive by the dangerous and intelligent doctor and scientist Dr. Sartorius. Colluding with the historical character of William Tweed Sartorius has realized many of the keys to extended, perhaps eternal life. Its dark secret is that young children must be sacrificed for their blood and somatic cells. Dr. Sartorius considers himself innocent of their actual deaths, as each child taken "died from fright" and not from his nefarious medical attention. Martin Pemberton, who has been imprisoned by the Doctor, is freed by Donne and returns to his family. However, Martin has fallen ill and becomes deranged by his Stockholm syndrome
fascination with Doctor Sartorius. In the meantime, Sartorius is brought to the insane asylum on Blackwell's Island, where he continues his experiments, but upon himself. Without Sartorius' twisted scientific experiments, the half-dead plutocrats of the city, including Augustus Pemberton – die. The entire city of New York learns of the plot and becomes fascinated by the scientific racketeering. This is implied to be one of the many causes of Mr Tweed's real-life imprisonment. However, the public never comes to know the full extent of Dr. Sartorius' experiments.
's cartoons, published in Harper's Weekly
) and he describes the child poverty, the calamities of the newsboys and a lot of buildings and streets how they looked at this time. He cites Walt Whitman
for showing that his New York is another one.
and Ragtime
, which were also filmed. But it shares with them the alliance between history and fiction. Some characters appear in other works of the author, for example Dr Sartorius in The March
. Doctorow's father loved Edgar Allan Poe
and named his first son after him; Doctorow told a journalist that Waterworks was written in Poe's honour. Already in 1984 Doctorow has written a story about the Croton Aqueduct
with the title Waterworks (in the collection Lives of the Poets). This is the story of McIlvaine, who watched the child who drowned in the reservoir.
. Dickens himself visited New York in the early forties and wrote the Book "American Notes
". Another possibe source is George G. Fosters New York by Gas-light and Other Urban Sketches (1850).
Novel
A novel is a book of long narrative in literary prose. The genre has historical roots both in the fields of the medieval and early modern romance and in the tradition of the novella. The latter supplied the present generic term in the late 18th century....
by E. L. Doctorow
E. L. Doctorow
Edgar Lawrence Doctorow is an American author.- Biography :Edgar Lawrence Doctorow was born in the Bronx, New York City, the son of second-generation Americans of Russian Jewish descent...
, written in 1994.
Content
The setting of the novel is New York in 1871. Martin Pemberton, a freelance journalist, was at odds with his father Augustus, who died a few years ago. After his father's death, Martin sees his father, briefly and accidentally in a public bus (omnibus) as it drives past him. Martin begins to make inquiries but suddenly disappears. His employer and editor McIlvaine, begins looking for him. In a search for clues and connections, McIlvaine interrogates several characters including Martin's fiancée, Emily Tisdale, Martin's stepmother, the painter Harry Wheelwright and the Reverend Charles Grimshaw. As soon as McIlvaine approaches police officer Edmund Donne for help, they begin to realize the full extent of Augustus Pemberton's game. Again and again they come back to the Croton AqueductCroton Aqueduct
The Croton Aqueduct or Old Croton Aqueduct was a large and complex water distribution system constructed for New York City between 1837 and 1842...
. Soon McIlvaine and Donne learn that Augustus Pemberton has faked his death and together with other plutocrats of the city – are being kept alive by the dangerous and intelligent doctor and scientist Dr. Sartorius. Colluding with the historical character of William Tweed Sartorius has realized many of the keys to extended, perhaps eternal life. Its dark secret is that young children must be sacrificed for their blood and somatic cells. Dr. Sartorius considers himself innocent of their actual deaths, as each child taken "died from fright" and not from his nefarious medical attention. Martin Pemberton, who has been imprisoned by the Doctor, is freed by Donne and returns to his family. However, Martin has fallen ill and becomes deranged by his Stockholm syndrome
Stockholm syndrome
In psychology, Stockholm Syndrome is an apparently paradoxical psychological phenomenon wherein hostages express empathy and have positive feelings towards their captors, sometimes to the point of defending them...
fascination with Doctor Sartorius. In the meantime, Sartorius is brought to the insane asylum on Blackwell's Island, where he continues his experiments, but upon himself. Without Sartorius' twisted scientific experiments, the half-dead plutocrats of the city, including Augustus Pemberton – die. The entire city of New York learns of the plot and becomes fascinated by the scientific racketeering. This is implied to be one of the many causes of Mr Tweed's real-life imprisonment. However, the public never comes to know the full extent of Dr. Sartorius' experiments.
Characters
- Mr McIlvaine: first-person narrator
- Martin Pemberton: Freelance journalist, who writes scathing reviews and is at odds with his father
- Augustus Pemberton: gained wealth from the slave trade and the production of low grade war goods during the American Civil WarAmerican Civil WarThe American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
- Harry Wheelwright: the only friend of Martin Pemberton. McIlvaine doesn't like him
- Emily Tisdale: fiancée and schoolfriend of Martin
- Revd. Charles Grimshaw: in the circle of Augustus Pemberton
- Edmund Donne: One of the few policemen in New York who is not corrupt.
- Dr. Sartorius: Doctor with a FaustFaustFaust is the protagonist of a classic German legend; a highly successful scholar, but also dissatisfied with his life, and so makes a deal with the devil, exchanging his soul for unlimited knowledge and worldly pleasures. Faust's tale is the basis for many literary, artistic, cinematic, and musical...
-like thirst for knowledge . He worked in military hospitals during the Civil War. In this role he appears in E.L. Doctorow's later novel, The MarchThe March (novel)The March is a 2005 historical fiction novel by E. L. Doctorow. It won the PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction and the National Book Critics Circle Award/Fiction .-Plot summary:...
. McIlvaine gives the origin of his name, the Latin word for dressmaker.
World outlook
The first-person narrator shows a very negative image of the city he lives in – and he shows the readers an authentic view on the New York in 1871. He describes the corruption by William Tweed (whose picture we know from Thomas NastThomas Nast
Thomas Nast was a German-born American caricaturist and editorial cartoonist who is considered to be the "Father of the American Cartoon". He was the scourge of Boss Tweed and the Tammany Hall machine...
's cartoons, published in Harper's Weekly
Harper's Weekly
Harper's Weekly was an American political magazine based in New York City. Published by Harper & Brothers from 1857 until 1916, it featured foreign and domestic news, fiction, essays on many subjects, and humor...
) and he describes the child poverty, the calamities of the newsboys and a lot of buildings and streets how they looked at this time. He cites Walt Whitman
Walt Whitman
Walter "Walt" Whitman was an American poet, essayist and journalist. A humanist, he was a part of the transition between transcendentalism and realism, incorporating both views in his works. Whitman is among the most influential poets in the American canon, often called the father of free verse...
for showing that his New York is another one.
In the context of the author's other works
The novel was less successful than Doctorow' books Billy BathgateBilly Bathgate
Billy Bathgate is a 1989 novel by author E. L. Doctorow that won the 1989 National Book Critics Circle award for fiction for 1990 and the PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction, and was the runner up for the 1990 Pulitzer Prize...
and Ragtime
Ragtime (novel)
Ragtime is a 1975 novel by E. L. Doctorow. This work of historical fiction is primarily set in the New York City area from about 1900 until the United States entry into World War I in 1917...
, which were also filmed. But it shares with them the alliance between history and fiction. Some characters appear in other works of the author, for example Dr Sartorius in The March
The March (novel)
The March is a 2005 historical fiction novel by E. L. Doctorow. It won the PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction and the National Book Critics Circle Award/Fiction .-Plot summary:...
. Doctorow's father loved Edgar Allan Poe
Edgar Allan Poe
Edgar Allan Poe was an American author, poet, editor and literary critic, considered part of the American Romantic Movement. Best known for his tales of mystery and the macabre, Poe was one of the earliest American practitioners of the short story and is considered the inventor of the detective...
and named his first son after him; Doctorow told a journalist that Waterworks was written in Poe's honour. Already in 1984 Doctorow has written a story about the Croton Aqueduct
Croton Aqueduct
The Croton Aqueduct or Old Croton Aqueduct was a large and complex water distribution system constructed for New York City between 1837 and 1842...
with the title Waterworks (in the collection Lives of the Poets). This is the story of McIlvaine, who watched the child who drowned in the reservoir.
Sources in literary history
The descriptions of child poverty are evocative of the novels by Charles DickensCharles Dickens
Charles John Huffam Dickens was an English novelist, generally considered the greatest of the Victorian period. Dickens enjoyed a wider popularity and fame than had any previous author during his lifetime, and he remains popular, having been responsible for some of English literature's most iconic...
. Dickens himself visited New York in the early forties and wrote the Book "American Notes
American Notes
American Notes for General Circulation is a travelogue by Charles Dickens detailing his trip to North America from January to June, 1842. While there he acted as a critical observer of these societies almost as if returning a status report on their progress...
". Another possibe source is George G. Fosters New York by Gas-light and Other Urban Sketches (1850).
Sources
- E. L. Doctorow: Waterworks, New York, 2007. ISBN 978-0812978193
- Weber, Bruce: E. L. Doctorow's New York; A Native of the Bronx Chronicles a Century of the City. In: New York Times, 05.07.1995. http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9C04E4DD1E3CF936A35754C0A962958260&scp=1&sq=waterworks+doctorow&st=nyt
- Schama, Simon: New York, Gaslight Necropolis, In: New York Times, 19.06.1994. http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9E00EEDB153AF93AA25755C0A962958260&sec=&spon=&pagewanted=3
- George G. Foster: New York by Gas-Light and Other Urban Sketches. 1990. ISBN 978-0520067226
- E. L. Doctorow: Lives of the Poets: A Novella and Six Stories. New York, 1997.