Never Walk Alone
Cover Artist: not identified
By: King, Rufus
Publisher: Popular Library (362)
Place of Publication:New York, NY
Catalog #: Kelley Box 314: PS3521 .I527 N48 1951
Contributor:
K. Quinlivan
General
Era: 1940s
Author as on Cover: Rufus King
Publication:1951
Original Date: 1944
Setting: small town in New England, a wealthy estate, World War II background
Plot Summary
With a burst of patriotic wartime fever, aging wealthy widow Mrs. Chesterton Giles decides to auction off one of her personal etchings to promote the sale of war bonds. Not content with that single gesture, she opens the guest rooms in her mansion to four factory workers from a local defense plant. Mrs. Giles isn't quite sure if this gesture would have received the approval of her late Papa, but she feels certain that her grandson, returning war hero Lieutenant Kent Giles, will understand her motives. Her generosity is quickly overshadowed by mystery when she discovers a corpse in the azalea bushes outside her front door, and locates her grandson's military I.D. tags in the dead man's hand. Anxious to protect her beloved grandson, Mrs. Giles assumes the role of amateur detective and she searches for clues to the murder, before ultimately realizing that appearances can be deceiving, and that not everyone in her household shares her code of honor, sense of patriotism and loyalty.
Major Characters
Mrs. Chatterton (Carrie) Giles elderly female, tall, silver hair, aristocratic widow
Russell Stedman adult male, early 40s, large, well-built, reserved, inscrutable, county prosecutor
Dugald Smith middle-aged male, stocky, plain-faced, thinning hair, defense plant worker
Fergus Wade adult male, young, handsome, simple-minded, defense plant worker and former merchant sailor
Effie Ashley adult female, early 20s, lots of makeup and perfume, gun inspector at a local defense factory
Jefferson Parling adult male, defense plant worker
Agualdo Russdorff adult male, "foreign looking", international crook specializing in blackmail
Dawn Davis adult female, husky voice, martini-drinking society gossip columnist always on the lookout for a great story
Kent Giles adult male, strong, tall, young, army lieutenant and war hero
Hopkins elderly male, aged 80, loyal servant
Ella elderly female, small, white hair, housemaid and wife of Hopkins
Leila adult female, flighty housemaid; niece of the estate's gardener
Weapons
knife, wrench
Level of Violence
minimal; description is matter-of-fact
Sexuality
sexual relationships are practically non-existent, other than the almost comical descriptions of Miss Ashley, who favors the direct approach when it comes to men. The elderly Mrs. Giles views Miss Ashley's behavior with disdain, and frets that her beloved grandson will be ensnared by this flirtatious woman.
Gender Roles
reflect the time period and setting; women function as domestic servants, while Miss Ashley's position as a defense plant worker is due to the economic effects of the War which forced women into jobs on the home front. Despite her advanced age, wealthy Mrs. Giles is depicted as strong, mentally alert, and with a vivid imagination; she is alternately naive and clever, but remains a throwback to a bygone era. Men who happen to have money (or are employed by those that do) are portrayed as devoted, honest, and reliable. Those born into harsher economic circumstances are greedy, scheming and not to be trusted.
Ethnicity
all characters seem to be of European-American heritage. Mrs. Giles is an aging aristocratic Wasp who is ultra conscious of manners, family lineage, and the invisible ties that bind members of the same economic class. Aware that the War has created an entirely different set of rules, she senses that the old class barriers are rapidly crumbling.
Alcohol/Drug Abuse
minor role; sherry and madeira are the drinks of choice for Mrs. Giles when etiquette dictates cordiality; the poorer folks settle for martinis and beer at the local watering holes. Several characters smoke cigars.
Law Enforcement
the county prosecutor is portrayed as industrious, intelligent, and understanding. Perhaps because of Mrs. Giles' advanced age and her social status, he takes a sympathetic view of her devotion to her grandson and her desire to shield him from adverse publicity. The prosecutor is frustrated at times, however, by her polite but stubborn refusal to cooperate completely with his investigation.
Added Features
plenty of contrast between Mrs. Giles' remembrance of things past with the changing lifestyles and values brought about by the War, including the number of women in the work force. There are numerous references to Franklin Roosevelt, the Axis powers, spies, rationing, war slang and the gasoline shortage. Class distinctions are noticeably evident as Mrs. Giles oozes wealth, status and privilege while her boarders come from much wider social strata. Her charitable gestures are to some extent designed to ease her inner turmoil, knowing that her lifestyle is simply the result of being born into a certain social class. She does not want to be associated in the minds of other people with the apathy and lack of concern shown by most members of the upper crust. She readily admits that her father was a cutthroat capitalist, and she recognizes that the desire for money and power often leads to violent clashes with the noble ideals of the past. Astrology is mentioned briefly when one character tries to foretell the future.
Subject Headings
World War, 1939-1945/ Elderly/ Wealth/ Class Distinction/ New England/ Counterfeiters
Psychological Elements
one character is described as being somehow different, "just a little vague" and not altogether there mentally, although her condition and its cause are never specifically pinpointed. She is referred to as a kleptomaniac and this is considered a private family matter that is not discussed with outsiders.
