A Fortune of Sand

Graham Lennox is one of the novel’s central supporting characters and Marjorie’s most consistent ally. He is described by Hank as a “vapid Yale dandy” (152), but his actions reveal a protective nature and a sharp awareness of the problems within his family. His description of the family fortune as being built on a “fortune of sand” reveals his awareness of the instability and corruption that underpins their wealth (25). Graham repeatedly tries to protect Marjorie, from driving her to the Nightingale to offering her an escape route when he senses danger. His actions demonstrate strong loyalty to his sister even as he becomes involved in the secrecy and schemes surrounding the Lennox family.

Graham also uses deception deliberately, sometimes to protect others and sometimes to make a point of his own. The most prominent example is his fake eye patch, which he wears long after his eye has healed. He explains that it became a “badge of his dishonor” (281), a constant, visible reminder to the world of the injury Duncan caused and Graham believes was deliberate. This act of performance shows both his resentment toward Duncan and his willingness to shape how others perceive the family. Furthermore, his secret collaboration with Chet on the obituaries allows her to work as a writer under his name, while his involvement with Ivy reveals a more private aspect of his life beyond Glen Arden. These deceptions show Graham’s resourcefulness and his willingness to use secrecy both for himself and for others within the family.

Charlotte, or Chet, is Marjorie’s fiercely loyal older sister whose fascination with death is closely connected to the loss of her mother. She approaches death with dark humor and an unusual interest in memorializing the deceased, which manifests in her secret career as an obituary writer. Her interest also reflects the experience of having discovered her mother’s body as a young child. Chet later points out that no obituary was written to honor her mother’s life or investigate her death, while her own mock obituary refers to her “unresolved maternal grief” (248). Her work allows her to give attention to lives that might otherwise pass without recognition, connecting more with the dead, whom she finds “more lovable than the living” (67).

Chet’s sardonic manner coexists with considerable loyalty and protectiveness, especially toward Marjorie. She supports Marjorie’s artistic ambitions and works with Graham to keep her stay at the Nightingale secret, believing that the residency will keep her away from Duncan while they deal with the problems at home. Her collaboration with Graham to poison their father shows how far she is prepared to go when she believes Duncan is endangering the family and its future. Although Cormac prevents the plan by replacing the poison with a laxative, Chet’s participation reveals both her willingness to protect her family and her capacity to make dangerous decisions when she believes the circumstances justify them.

Charles Bonafante, who later tells Marjorie that his given name is Luc, is a secretive and influential ally to Marjorie. He is a ‘fixer’ who operates in the grey areas of Detroit’s high society and underworld, using his power and influence to handle sensitive problems for wealthy clients. He keeps his personal life out of public view, a strategy he employs because sharing personal information “compromises security.” His secrecy also has roots in a childhood in which he learned to protect himself and his family from his father. After Juliette’s confinement, Bonafante spent two years planning how to help his mother and sister leave their father. This history helps explain his concern when he learns that Duncan is considering having Marjorie institutionalized and his decision to intervene.

Bonafante occupies an uneasy position between legitimate society and criminal activity. He engages in illegal enterprises like rum-running, and he also uses his connections to resolve “delicate matters” that could damage his clients’ lives, as seen when he helps Peter Howell’s family contain the scandal surrounding Peter. His relationship with Marjorie leads him to relax some of his usual secrecy, culminating in their public appearance at the yacht club. Bonafante describes being seen with her as a way to “make a statement” that will secure her safety and trust (58). His influence depends largely on discretion, connections, and his ability to act strategically within Detroit’s overlapping social and criminal networks.

Duncan Lennox is the novel’s primary antagonist, a man whose character is defined by greed, cruelty, and a desire for control. As the head of the Lennox glass dynasty, he is a central figure in the theme of The Corruption Behind Wealth and Respectability. His legitimate position in the family glass business enables his criminal activities; he and his son-in-law, Louis Fletcher, use glass replicas in a jewel-swapping racket and blackmail Peter Howell into participating in the Detroit Institute of Arts theft. Duncan’s wealth and social standing help conceal the coercion and criminality operating behind the Lennox family’s respectable public image.

His antagonism is most sharply directed at his youngest daughter, Marjorie. He perceives her artistic spirit and unfiltered honesty as social and business liabilities, calling her a “liability and an embarrassment” (139). His determination to control her culminates in a plan to have her committed to Eloise Asylum, demonstrating the extreme lengths he will go to in attempting to control a daughter whose behavior he believes threatens the family’s reputation. His treatment of Marjorie also connects paternal authority with the novel’s examination of how claims about women’s mental fitness can be used to restrict their independence. Throughout the novel, Duncan remains committed to protecting his authority, wealth, and reputation even when doing so harms members of his own family.

Cecile is Marjorie’s eldest half-sister and a recurring source of conflict for her. As the eldest sibling and her father’s favorite, Cecile places considerable importance on social status, wealth, and material possessions. Her preoccupation with jewelry also connects her to the family’s criminal enterprise: Ivy recognizes Cecile’s ruby necklace as one stolen from her neighbor, while Marjorie later learns that Cecile benefits from Duncan and Lou’s jewel-swapping racket. She is frequently hostile toward Marjorie and attempts to undermine her by reporting her supposed misdeeds to their father. Her hostility also surfaces when Marjorie receives attention that Cecile expects for herself. These actions reinforce Cecile’s position as Duncan’s favored child and show how readily she participates in the rivalries within the Lennox family.

Ivy Boughs, whose real name is Winifred Dixon, illustrates The Use of Psychiatric Diagnoses to Control Women. Introduced as a glamorous, eccentric artist with a fascination with Christmas, she later explains that her Christmas paintings recall the last time she felt safe with her mother and bring her a sense of peace. Her history also reveals that she was forced into marriage at 13 after her mother’s death and her father’s illness. Years later, when Ivy demands a divorce, according to her account, her husband Luther uses an incident on the roof to portray her as having a mental illness. Ivy insists that she had no intention of jumping, while Luther calls the police and claims that she is “crazy,” contributing to her eventual confinement at Eloise Asylum. Ivy later distinguishes Luther’s accusations from her stated diagnosis of “mourning and melancholia” (219). Despite her difficult circumstances, Ivy is a source of warmth and friendship for Marjorie at the Nightingale. Her openness about her experiences helps Marjorie understand how a husband’s claims about his wife’s mental state can threaten her independence, and Ivy’s confinement ultimately prompts Marjorie to seek money for an attorney who can help her obtain a divorce and leave Eloise.

Bernice Tessin is a grounded and loyal friend to Marjorie during their time at the Nightingale. As a furniture designer from Michigan’s Upper Peninsula who grew up in a family involved in the lumber industry, she brings considerable practical knowledge of materials and craftsmanship to the residency. Bernice is practical, hardworking, and dedicated to her craft. She is the first person to take Marjorie’s artistic ambitions seriously, speaking with her about her craft “in a way no one ever had” and later encouraging her to create a professional line of clothing (56). Her pragmatism provides Marjorie with consistent encouragement and support. She also offers Marjorie lasting friendship beyond the Nightingale, inviting her to visit the lighthouse where she lives if she ever needs somewhere to go.

Cormac Lennox, the family patriarch, is a shrewd and secretive figure who remains closely involved in the affairs of the Lennox family even after Duncan takes control of the business. He is the originator of one of the secrets underlying the family’s history, having stolen the Lennox name and identity years ago in Scotland. Though he disapproves of Duncan’s actions and handling of the family business, Cormac also relies on secrecy and manipulation, as shown when he secretly swaps Graham and Chet’s poison with a laxative. Cormac works behind the scenes to protect Marjorie and takes an active interest in Graham’s future, eventually telling Graham that he intends to train him to assume greater responsibility for the family business.

To Marjorie, Lilah initially appears to be a conventional mother preoccupied with social engagements and seemingly unaware of much of the family’s secrecy. However, Marjorie gradually discovers that her mother has kept important parts of her life secret. Her marriage to Duncan is deeply troubled; she maintains a secret, long-distance relationship with her brother-in-law, Uncle Jamie. She secretly provides Marjorie with the residency brochure, hoping that the Nightingale will give her daughter somewhere to go away from Duncan. Although Lilah knows that Duncan intends to have Marjorie institutionalized, she does not know the Nightingale’s concealed purpose when she leaves the brochure in Marjorie’s room. This act demonstrates her concern for Marjorie and her willingness to act secretly when she believes her daughter is at risk of being institutionalized.

Juliette is the sister of Luc Bonafante and the woman who created and runs the Nightingale program. Her motivation stems from her own traumatic past, in which her father unjustly confined her for years after interpreting her unexplained behavior as evidence of possession. Years later, a dentist discovered an impacted tooth pressing on a nerve, and her symptoms subsided after treatment. This experience drives her to create a system to evaluate and protect other women from a similar fate. While her methods are deceptive, her intentions appear rooted in a genuine desire to prevent the wrongful institutionalization of women. Her decision to evaluate residents without their informed consent, however, creates an ethical contradiction within a program intended to protect women from having decisions about their lives made by others.

Louis “Lou” Fletcher, Cecile’s husband, is Duncan’s accomplice in the jewel-swapping scheme and directly participates in the criminal activity concealed behind the Lennox family’s wealth. He coerces Peter Howell, confronting him with intimate photographs and threatening to expose them if Peter refuses to participate in the Detroit Institute of Arts theft. His willingness to use threats and intimidation shows how Duncan’s schemes depend on coercing people whose reputations and private lives can be exploited.