Archie And Amelie Love And Madness in the Gilded Age

1. The subtitle of the book is "Love and Madness in the Gilded Age." What do you think of the love affair between Archie and Amelie? Do you think Amelie married Archie because of his money and social position? Do you think she ever loved Archie? Likewise, do you think Archie truly loved Amelie, or was he just enthralled by the idea of marrying a seeming goddess? Which of the two characters do you find more sympathetic?2. Amelie's bestselling fiction was largely concerned with the war between the sexes. Though very tame by present-day standards, her writings scandalized the public because her female characters dared to express sexual desire. In real life, Amelie felt very conflicted about sex. What do you think of this ambiguity? Do you think she ever actually consummated her marriage with Archie?3. Amelie always tried to present herself as an innocent naif, victimized by those who misunderstood her and her work. Do you think she was an innocent victim, or was she the one in complete control? What about the limitations placed on women at that time? Was she merely trying to push the boundaries of what was acceptable for women, and did she suffer the consequences of that effort? Do you find anything noble in that struggle?4. Over the years Amelie suffered horribly from "neuralgia of the brain," headaches, and finally drug addiction. At that time morphine was commonly prescribed for symptoms like those Amelie endured. For "hysterical" women like Amelie, one of the common medical treatments was the "rest cure," which is described on pages 165166. Does this give you an insight into the way that women were treated as if they were a species apart from men? Does this make you more or less sympathetic to Amelie's plight?5. Archie also struggled against the accepted code of behavior when he began his psychic experiments. Do you think his family was justified in committing Archie to the insane asylum against his will? Do you think they were genuinely concerned about his mental well-being or more concerned about the family finances? Do you think that all of the siblings truly believed Archie was insane, or was this primarily a vendetta by his brother Winty, who was deeply involved in the creation of the mill town of Roanoke Rapids? What do you think about Stanford White's role in Archie's commitment?6. Being orphaned at a relatively young age had a profound effect on Archie. As heirs to the Astor fortune, the Chanler children inherited a great deal of money; yet the Guardians who made all of the decisions about the orphans and their upbringing seemed more concerned about saving money than about the emotional well-being of the children. (Archie, for instance, was not allowed to return from England for two years after he had been orphaned.) Do you think the extreme loneliness and grief that Archie endured as a boy made him incapable as an adult of forming a healthy relationship?7. Archie was a restless searcher his whole life. What exactly was he searching for? Do you think that Amelie was the best thing or the worst thing that ever happened to him?8. Archie never got over Amelie and even continued to support her after they divorced and she remarried. This made him the object of ridicule in some quarters, but he did not care what anyone thought. Do you think his obsession with Amelie pushed him over the edge into mental illness?9. Amelie certainly suffered from mental anguish. For long periods of time she took to her bed with unspecified maladies, and yet she also had a very grandiose sense of her own self (see her self-portrait in the photo insert). Do you think these extremes indicated an underlying mental illness? [read more]