# XIX explained — The Financier

> Chapter companion for The Financier by Theodore Dreiser.

## What happens

Cowperwood reflects on his egoism and intellectualism, justifying his affair with Aileen Butler as a natural right of the strong. He contrasts his wife Lillian's conventional morality with Aileen's passionate nature, and the chapter culminates in a kiss that solidifies their romantic bond.

## Themes in this chapter

### Ambition and Success

Cowperwood's drive for financial and personal fulfillment is central, as he equates force and quickness of wit with the right to satisfy his desires.

### Deception and Self-Justification

Cowperwood rationalizes his affair by dismissing conventional morality and viewing himself as above the laws that bind lesser men.

### Love and Betrayal

The burgeoning love between Cowperwood and Aileen is set against the betrayal of his wife Lillian, highlighting the conflict between passion and duty.

## Character check-ins

### Frank Algernon Cowperwood

Cowperwood philosophizes about force, egoism, and morality, deciding to pursue his passion for Aileen while maintaining his public facade.

### Aileen Butler

Aileen is drawn to Cowperwood's spirit, and after a kiss at the piano, she confesses her love, feeling intensely happy and overwhelmed.

### Lillian Cowperwood

Cowperwood views Lillian as dutiful and morally conventional, contrasting her with Aileen's passionate nature.

### Norah

Norah appears briefly, interrupting the intimate moment between Cowperwood and Aileen.

## Key lines

> I satisfy myself

Cowperwood's personal motto is to act according to his own desires and judgment, regardless of societal expectations.

_This encapsulates Cowperwood's egoistic philosophy and his justification for pursuing Aileen._

> The little guardians of so-called law and morality, the newspapers, the preachers, the police, and the public moralists generally, so loud in their denunciation of evil in humble places, were cowards all when it came to corruption in high ones.

Cowperwood observes that those who publicly condemn wrongdoing among the poor are afraid to criticize the powerful and wealthy.

_This reflects Cowperwood's cynical view of societal hypocrisy and his belief that force protects the elite._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_financier_se/chapters/xix
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_financier_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_financier_se/chapters