Gulmore, the Boss
by Frank Harris (1856–1931)
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- 1 hour to read
- Reading level: 7th grade
"Gulmore, the Boss" by Frank Harris is a novel written in the late 19th century. The story centers around Jonathan Byrne Gulmore, a powerful political figure, and explores the dynamics of his household, particularly the interactions with his daughter Ida and her complicated emotions towards Professor Roberts, a young and influential academic. The novel delves into themes of ambition, social class, and the corrupt nature of political systems, as Gulmore prepares for an upcoming election that could reshape his power in the community. The opening of the novel introduces us to the Gulmore household, where the parents and their daughter engage in a tense conversation about the impending election and a competing candidate, Professor Roberts. Mr. Gulmore expresses his disdain for Roberts, seeking information about him to use against him. Meanwhile, Ida struggles with her feelings for the professor, initially dismissing him but revealing her jealousy as she becomes aware of his influence. We see her conflicted emotions manifest through her desire for her father's approval and her underlying ambition to rise within the social hierarchy. The stage is set for a conflict between the traditional political power represented by Gulmore and the emerging ideals of a reform-minded academic, foreshadowing the tensions that will unfold as the election approaches.
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Produced by David Widger
GULMORE, THE BOSS.
By Frank Harris
The habits of the Gulmore household were in some respects primitive. Though it was not yet seven o'clock two negro girls were clearing away the breakfast things under the minute supervision of their mistress, an angular, sharp-faced woman with a reedy voice, and nervously abrupt movements. Near the table sat a girl of nineteen absorbed in a book. In an easy-chair by the open bay-window a man with a cigar in his mouth was reading a newspaper. Jonathan Byrne Gulmore, as he always signed himself, was about fifty years of age; his heavy frame was muscular, and the coarse dark hair and swarthy skin showed vigorous health. There was both obstinacy and combative-ness in his face with its cocked nose, low irregular forehead, thick eyebrows, and square jaw, but the deep-set grey eyes gleamed at times with humorous comprehension, and the usual expression of the countenance was far from ill-natured. As he laid the paper on his knees and looked up, he drew the eye. His size and strength seemed to be the physical equivalents of an extraordinary power of character and will. When Mrs. Gulmore followed the servants out of the room the girl rose from her chair and went towards the door. She was stopped by her father's voice:
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About this edition
This free edition of Gulmore, the Boss by Frank Harris comes from Project Gutenberg eBook #23010, released 2007-10-12. It is in the public domain in the United States, so you can read it here in full at no cost, on any phone, tablet or computer. Genre: Novels, American Literature.
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