The Wife, the Maid, and the Mistress

“He twitched in his sleep, limbs responding to some dream. Just like a dog.”

Ritzi’s mental comparison of the sleeping Joe to a dog helps to characterize him. This comparison makes Joe sound simple and animalistic, as opposed to other dog similes that might focus on loyalty or some other positive quality. This description is followed, shortly, by another, in which “Crater let out a bovine grunt” (36), comparing him to a bull, an animal associated with brutishness rather than intelligence. These comparisons characterize him as rather beastly and inhuman.

“A brutal son of a bitch. Gangster. Bootlegger. Owns Club Abbey. And the Cotton Club. Not to mention half the showgirls in this town. Among other things.”

Jude’s description of Owney Madden directly characterizes the mobster as “brutal,” and indirectly associates him with power and a lack of scruples that renders him dangerous, reflecting The Corruption in Politicized Power Dynamics. That Owney’s nightclubs are so lucrative during Prohibition, and Jude’s suggestion that Owney also “owns” people, makes his corruption clear.

“Her dress flared out like flower petals.”

This simile describes the clothing of a female dancer in the show Jude and Maria see. The description of the dancer’s clothing highlights society’s expectations of women: They should be lovely and pure, in a world apart from the business and politics of men. If the dancer’s skirts are her “petals,” then she is the flower, an infantilizing and limiting view of the female sex.

“The article claimed that a local magistrate had purchased his robe in an elaborate scheme brokered by members of Tammany Hall and the underworld.”

George Hall’s first article about the corruption at both the city and state levels highlights the corruption in politicized power dynamics. Ritzi is the one to tip Hall off, but George did his own investigating after she provided him with information: A good indication that her accusations are accurate and that “favors”—rather than good morals, professional ethics, or even widespread support of a candidate—are what gets one into office.

“As sobering as it was to read [Joe’s will], worse was the knowledge that Joe had made her role in their marriage clear from the very beginning. Stay pretty. Be proper. Don’t ask questions.”

Stella is honest with herself, and she realizes that she accepted the life Joe offered her in full knowledge of his expectations. He made it clear that he wasn’t interested in her happiness or personal fulfillment or political ideas. He wanted her to be the proper political wife, highlighting The Importance of Appearances Over Truth, and she accepted that role because it came with a modicum of power beyond that of a typical woman.

“If I’m to be a judge—and I believe I will—then we must start acting the part. We have to keep the right company. Shop in the right stores […] Everything you say and do is serious. The length of your hem is serious. Your neckline, it’s serious.”

Joe’s priorities characterize him and his society as superficial, self-important, and demanding, especially of women. Joe is neither loving, compassionate, nor open-minded. He intends to perform the role of upright judge and expects Stella to perform role of dutiful wife that will help him to maintain the appearance of propriety without actually earning anyone’s approbation. His list emphasizes the importance of appearances over truth.

“Maria plucked several paper towels from the nearest dispenser and held them out to her. ‘Thanks.’ The girl lifted her face to offer Maria a wan smile, but it quickly slipped away.”

When Maria sees Ritzi in the bathroom at the theater, Ritzi has just vomited profusely. The two women act kindly to one another even before they realize who the other one is, in one of the few “safe” spaces women can inhabit in this society because it does not include men. Their casual compassion and friendliness emphasize Female Solidarity as a Means of Empowerment and Survival.

“Stella pulled a box of mints from her purse and offered one to Ritzi […] ‘I only saw the last number,’ Stella said. ‘It was quite impressive […] You do put on a good show.’”

Stella comes out of another stall in the same women’s restroom and, despite her elevated social station, she speaks kindly, complimenting Ritzi on her performance and offering her a mint after Ritzi is sick. These women understand their mutual vulnerability in a society where female solidarity as a means of empowerment and survival.

“Mulrooney was only making sure I fully understood the obligations of this new job.”

Jude gets very drunk on the night of his promotion, and Maria sees the commissioner pull him aside for a few words. She is shocked to learn of the “favors” he is expected to perform as a detective, especially because she hoped his elevation in rank would keep him safer. She realizes she has underestimated the corruption in politicized power dynamics, because the “obligations” Jude speaks of are forms of corruption and cover-ups.

“I’m at Smithson Tailors in the afternoons. Let me know when you’re ready […] I can help you. Please let me.”

Maria never seems to ask Ritzi to pay for the alterations she offers, and eventually does make, to Ritzi’s many costumes. The gesture, especially at this stage, seems to be completely based on kindness, as they are both women abused by Joe Crater. Interactions like these highlight female solidarity as a means of empowerment and survival, even before readers learn of the women’s conspiracy.

“Those papers are a diversion, Mother. They’re not looking for Joe. They’re looking for ways to capitalize on his disappearance […] Every politician in New York just got carte blanche for as long as Joe is the headlines. Tammany Hall will be a political free-for-all for months.”

Emma Wheeler, Stella’s mother, seems ignorant of the way power is traded and bought in New York City. Stella, on the other hand, knows the sordid truth and seeks to enlighten her mother to the corruption in politicized power dynamics. Her bitter comments on politicians getting “carte blanche” speaks to how no one holds them to account for their corrupt dealings.

“Joe worked the crowd, never attending to her for more than a few moments at a time, and then only to introduce her to this politician or that. And always the wives. They traded names of boutiques and designers like business cards, weighing one another’s social status against the labels they could afford.”

This description not only highlights the importance of appearances over truth, it also suggests the way this society conceives of women. They are not helpmeets or partners; they are like pretty flowers or birds. What’s important is how they look, what they wear, what designers they can afford. It pits women against one another—potentially preventing the kind of solidarity that might give them a little more power—and keeps them submissive and uncritical of men.

“Word around the office is that you begged Crater for Jude’s little promotion […] Jude would have never gotten the job otherwise, you know. Too many damn scruples.”

Leo Lowenthall’s comments to Maria highlight the corruption in politicized power dynamics. His dismissal of Jude’s “damn scruples” reflects Leo’s cynicism, while his insistence that Jude’s promotion was only because of Crater speaks to how jobs are awarded based on connections and favors, not personal merit.

“You want a place in the club? You pay your dues to Owney Madden, and he puts in a good word with whatever politician he has in his pocket. But now you’re beholden to Owney, and he has an agenda of his own. So when your indiscretions upset the balance, you go missing and the middlemen blackmail a gumshoe to leave some discreetly hidden envelopes in your apartment.”

When she meets with Jude in 1969, Stella clearly breaks down how the corruption in politicized power dynamics works. One might get what one wants, but it always comes with strings that tie one to someone much more dangerous and powerful. Once that relationship is created, there’s essentially no happy, easy, or safe way to end it. Her reference to someone “discreetly hid[ing] envelopes in your apartment” alludes to the conspiracy around Justice Crater’s own death.

“I’ve made an arrangement with Samuel Seabury to testify before his grand jury. Names and dates. I’m going to tell him about every bribe and every shakedown and every tip-off. The judicial scandal alone will keep him busy for months.”

Vivian’s willingness to tell the truth to the Seabury Commission is what gets her killed. Vivan’s mention of “every bribe and every shakedown and every tip-off” speaks to how widespread the corruption is, and how “busy” Seabury will be trying to uncover all of it.

“The [female] teller offered Ritzi a smile over [the manager’s] shoulder, her crooked teeth beaming a vindicated thank you.”

This interaction represents yet another example of female solidarity as a means of empowerment and survival. The male bank manager doesn’t even want to let Ritzi take out the money which legally belongs to her, and when she puts him in his place, the female teller is grateful that someone does. The smile shared between them thus becomes a silent signal of solidarity and approval.

“He’s expendable. A detective who rats out my friends is better off dead. And that’s a call I won’t hesitate to make if he doesn’t learn—and I mean quickly—to follow orders when they’re given. Even if they’re orders he finds distasteful.”

Speaking to Maria, Crater threatens Jude and makes it clear how little Jude’s life means to Crater. He only recommended Jude for promotion because he expected Jude to follow orders, no matter how unethical they are. This also makes it clear that Jude truly does not understand the full nature of the “strings” that connect his work to the corrupt political machine.

“‘For what it’s worth, I never thought I’d be the kind of woman who’d sell a bastard child’ […] ‘I never thought I’d have to buy one.’ ‘We’re quite a pair, then’ […] [Maria’s] eyes were round and hopeful, and it hurt Ritzi to look at them.”

Though both Ritzi and Maria have made unethical decisions, neither woman judges the other because they understand their shared vulnerability. They also understand how difficult it is for a woman to achieve her dream, whatever it is, because women have so little political power. Once again, female solidarity as a means of empowerment and survival is highlighted.

“For enabling Joe’s corruption. For ignoring his infidelity. For helping him broker our future so he could buy a seat on the New York State Supreme Court. I thought we could have it all. Wealth and social standing and respect. And all I had to do was turn a blind eye. Keep the status quo. Show up at the right events in the right dress and smile pretty like a proper political wife. But it doesn’t work that like, you know. There’s always a price to pay.”

Stella here offers Jude more of a confession than he realizes. She admits that she enabled Joe, that she could have spoken up or spoken out, but she wanted the privilege his position would confer on her, too. She ultimately takes responsibility for her role in the corruption, something none of the male characters ever do. In doing so, she ultimately rejects the importance of appearances over truth.

“Word got out the judgeships were on the block to the highest bidder. The wrong people started asking around, and one day Joe got a summons to appear before the Seabury Commission. Needless to say, there were people who had a vested interest in making sure he never testified.”

Stella clues Jude in about the events that led up to Joe’s disappearance. Her succinct and matter-of-fact recap of the circumstances highlights the prevalence of the corruption as well as the emphasis on the importance of appearances over truth.

“‘When this train stops, collect your things and walk straight out that door with your head held high. Hail the first cab you see. I’ll get the luggage.’ The look Emma gave her was so fierce that Stella had no choice but to comply […] Not once in her life had Stella heard her mother utter a gosh darn, much less a full-blown damn. Her lips parted in shock.”

Stella is surprised to see her mother step into a commanding, assertive role, as Emma clearly understands female solidarity as a means of empowerment and survival. It is clear that Emma stands by her daughter, despite Stella’s potential involvement in Joe’s disappearance, as she instructs Stella on how to maintain the appearance of propriety. The fact that Stella has never heard her mother curse even in a mild fashion speaks to how Emma has conformed to societal expectations of femininity outwardly while retaining a steely strength underneath.

“She considered laying her secrets into the silence between them like playing cards. She’d turn them over, one by one, and expose the full house she’d carried all this time.”

When Stella considers telling Jude Simon the absolute truth on the first anniversary of Joe’s disappearance, this simile suggests that she has known more information and had more power than anyone yet realizes. She is likened to a card player with a completely unexpected “full house”; this foreshadows what readers (and Jude) have yet to learn about the conspiracy among her, Ritzi, and Maria to murder Joe.

“‘I’ll make ten times that on the court. The salary is great. So are the incentives.’ ‘Bribes, you mean.’ ‘That’s what it means to play at this level. It’s a calculated risk.’”

Joe is so convinced that he and Stella will be better off—financially, politically, and socially—when he becomes a state justice that he does not care that he bribed his way into the position. This provides greater evidence of the corruption in politicized power dynamics, but it also highlights how naïve and limited he is as a character, as he considers only the potential benefits of the position rather than considering the great many potential drawbacks.