''Alexander's Bridge'' is the

first novel A debut novel is the first novel a novelist publishes. Debut novels are often the author's first opportunity to make an impact on the publishing industry, and thus the success or failure of a debut novel can affect the ability of the author to p ...

by American author

Willa Cather Willa Sibert Cather (; born Wilella Sibert Cather; December 7, 1873 – April 24, 1947) was an American writer known for her novels of life on the Great Plains, including ''O Pioneers!'', ''The Song of the Lark (novel), The Song of the Lark'', a ...

. First published in 1912, it was re-released with an author's preface in 1922. It also ran as a serial in ''

McClure's ''McClure's'' or ''McClure's Magazine'' (1893–1929) was an American illustrated monthly periodical popular at the turn of the 20th century. The magazine is credited with having started the tradition of muckraking journalism (investigative journ ...

'', giving Cather some free time from her work for that magazine.

Plot introduction

Bartley Alexander is a construction engineer and world-renowned builder of bridges undergoing a

mid-life crisis A midlife crisis is a transition of identity and self-confidence that can occur in middle-aged individuals, typically 45 to 65 years old. The phenomenon is described as a psychological crisis brought about by events that highlight a person's grow ...

. Although married to Winifred, Bartley resumes his acquaintance with a former lover, Hilda Burgoyne, in London. The affair gnaws at Bartley's sense of propriety and honor.

Plot summary

Professor Wilson arrives at the Alexanders' house in Boston, Bartley Alexander having persuaded him to attend a Congress of Psychologists in the city. He is greeted by Winifred Alexander. When her husband comes home the men talk; Winifred plays the piano for them. The next day, she tells Wilson how she met her husband through her aunt. On Christmas Eve, the Alexanders prepare for Christmas dinner. Bartley tells Wilson he is having trouble with a bridge in Canada. Later he gives his wife pearl earrings. On New Year's Day, Alexander makes ready to leave for London. On the ship, he endures sharp gales and goes into a bar, where he gambles at

bridge A bridge is a structure built to Span (engineering), span a physical obstacle (such as a body of water, valley, road, or railway) without blocking the path underneath. It is constructed for the purpose of providing passage over the obstacle, whi ...

, the card game. In London, Bartley visits Hilda and tells her he cannot go on having two relationships; she must forget about him and leave him alone. She is distressed. The day before he is due to return to America however, he takes her out to dinner. Later, Hugh MacConnell walks Hilda back to her house on a foggy day. She says she isn't attracted to him; they are just close friends. In her house, she receives a letter from Bartley, saying he is going mad away from her. This prompts her to visit him in America to tell him she will marry another man; Bartley doesn't like the idea. They spend one last evening together. Soon afterward, Philip Horton calls Bartley to Canada to inspect the bridge. Bartley discovers that one of the lower chords is failing, compromising the structural integrity of the entire bridge. Horton had been concerned that the bridge was not safe and had attempted to contact Bartley to have him inspect the bridge earlier – on the very day Bartley was with Hilda. While Bartley is on the bridge telling the work crews to stop working because the bridge was unsafe, the bridge collapses, killing Bartley and many of the workers. Bartley's body is recovered the next day and taken to Horton's house. Winifred comes back to make arrangements for her husband's corpse. Finally, Wilson visits Hilda. The latter expresses her envy of Winifred. Wilson reminds her that Winifred is now bereft and will be haunted by Bartley's death. Hilda concludes that she will be too.

Characters

*Professor Lucius Wilson, a professor of philosophy. He was a student in Boston and now lectures in a Western university *Mrs Winifred Alexander *Mr Bartley Alexander, a bridge builder *Thomas, the Alexanders' servant *MacKeller, a Scottish engineer who brought Bartley from London to

Quebec Quebec is Canada's List of Canadian provinces and territories by area, largest province by area. Located in Central Canada, the province shares borders with the provinces of Ontario to the west, Newfoundland and Labrador to the northeast, ...

when he was younger; he was a friend of Eleanor Pemberton's *Mrs Eleanor Pemberton, Winifred's aunt *Maurice Mainhall, a popular man amongst writers *Hugh MacConnell, a playwright *Florence Merrill *Cyril Henderson *Hilda Burgoyne, Bartley's erstwhile lover with whom he resumes an affair; she is an actress *Irene Burgoyne, a member of Hilda's family *Sir Harry Towne *Lord Westmere *Lady Dowle *Lady Westmere *Lady Warford *Lady Kildare, an Irish philanthropist *Robert Owen, Lady Kildare's nephew *Sarah Frost, a novelist *Mr Frost, Sarah Frost's husband *Marie, a French girl *Madame Anger *Angel, Madame Anger's servant, who was from

Brittany Brittany ( ) is a peninsula, historical country and cultural area in the north-west of modern France, covering the western part of what was known as Armorica in Roman Gaul. It became an Kingdom of Brittany, independent kingdom and then a Duch ...

and eventually left to start affairs with soldiers *Mrs Hastings *Angora *Philip Horton, he works on bridges with Bartley

Allusions to other works

*Music is mentioned with

Robert Schumann Robert Schumann (; ; 8 June 181029 July 1856) was a German composer, pianist, and music critic of the early Romantic music, Romantic era. He composed in all the main musical genres of the time, writing for solo piano, voice and piano, chamber ...

's '' Carnaval'' and

Giuseppe Verdi Giuseppe Fortunino Francesco Verdi ( ; ; 9 or 10 October 1813 – 27 January 1901) was an Italian composer best known for List of compositions by Giuseppe Verdi, his operas. He was born near Busseto, a small town in the province of Parma ...

's '' Il trovatore''. *Literature is mentioned with

William Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 23 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's nation ...

's ''

Sonnets A sonnet is a fixed poetic form with a structure traditionally consisting of fourteen lines adhering to a set Rhyme scheme, rhyming scheme. The term derives from the Italian word ''sonetto'' (, from the Latin word ''sonus'', ). Originating in ...

'' and

Ernest Dowson Ernest Christopher Dowson (2 August 186723 February 1900) was an English poet, novelist, and short-story writer who is often associated with the Decadent movement. Biography Ernest Dowson was born in Lee, London, Lee, then in Kent, in 1867. His ...

. There is also a quotation from Milton's ''

Il Penseroso ''Il Penseroso'' ("the thinker") is a poem by John Milton, first found in the 1645/1646 quarto of verses ''The Poems of Mr. John Milton, both English and Latin'', published by Humphrey Moseley. It was presented as a companion piece to '' L ...

'': "Forget thyself to marble".

Allusions to actual history

It has been argued that the story might have been prompted by the collapse of the

Quebec bridge The Quebec Bridge () is a road, rail, and pedestrian bridge across the lower Saint Lawrence River between Sainte-Foy, Quebec City, Sainte-Foy (a former suburb that in 2002 became the arrondissement Sainte-Foy–Sillery–Cap-Rouge in Quebec Cit ...

on August 29, 1907.

References

External links

* * {{Authority control 1912 American novels Novels by Willa Cather Works originally published in McClure's Novels first published in serial form Houghton Mifflin books Novels about midlife crisis 1912 debut novels