The Financier · Chapter
Chapter XXXVII explained
Butler confronts Aileen after exposing her affair with Cowperwood, but she remains defiant and refuses to abandon him.
What happens
Butler confronts Aileen after exposing her affair with Cowperwood, but she remains defiant and refuses to abandon him. Butler, devastated, seeks solace in a church and resolves to ensure Cowperwood is prosecuted. Aileen, determined to stay loyal to Cowperwood, considers leaving home rather than submitting to her father's demands.
Themes in this chapter
Love and Betrayal
Aileen's love for Cowperwood clashes with her father's sense of betrayal, leading to a familial rift.
Deception and Self-Justification
Both Aileen and Butler justify their actions—Aileen through her love and Cowperwood's philosophy, Butler through his moral outrage and desire for retribution.
Characters to notice
- Edward Malia Butler
Rage and shock at Aileen's defiance; seeks spiritual guidance and resolves to pursue Cowperwood's prosecution.
- Aileen Butler
Defiant and unrepentant after exposure; declares her love for Cowperwood and considers leaving home.
- Frank Algernon Cowperwood
Referenced as the object of Aileen's love and Butler's vengeance; his laissez-faire philosophy influences Aileen.
Key passages
“She was so nonchalant, so defiant. He had expected to see her wilt completely when confronted with her guilt.”
Butler expected Aileen to crumble under the weight of her guilt, but instead she remained calm and defiant.
Highlights Aileen's unexpected strength and Butler's shock.
“He had now killed her love for him—that was what she felt. It was to be a battle royal between them from now on.”
Aileen felt that her father's actions had destroyed her love for him, and she saw their relationship as an ongoing war.
Captures the irreversible damage to the father-daughter relationship.
“I love Mr. Cowperwood. It’s almost the same as if I were married to him. He will marry me some day when he gets a divorce from Mrs. Cowperwood.”
Aileen asserts that her bond with Cowperwood is akin to marriage and that he intends to divorce his wife to marry her.
Shows Aileen's commitment and her disregard for societal norms.