Martin Eden

Martin stays for dinner with the Morse family. He makes a good impression on Mr. Morse, and Mrs. Morse notes his improvement from the first dinner, nearly a year ago. Mrs. Morse intends to use Martin to awaken Ruth’s interest in men, confident that Ruth won’t develop feelings for Martin.

Martin buys a bicycle (a “wheel”) to spend more time with Ruth, though it costs a month’s wages. In a burst of inspiration, he drafts an article called “Pearl-divers.”

Except in grammar, Martin fails the high school entrance exam. Ruth advises him to attend night school to add structure to his education. Martin thinks that school would be a waste of time and that he can learn faster on his own. He has a vision of the greatness and beauty of life that he has been unable to frame in words. To Ruth’s shock, an oath escapes his lips, and Martin apologizes profusely. Ruth easily forgives him.

Martin completes “Pearl-diving,” several articles based on his life at sea, love poems inspired by Ruth, and six short stories. He writes all day, pausing only in the evenings to read, go to the library, or call on Ruth. Dreading any wasted time, he only sleeps five hours a night. He’s profoundly happy.

The publishers reject each of Martin’s submissions, with or without explanation. Martin grows worried as his funds dwindle. He reads his stories to Gertrude; though she’s proud of him, she doesn’t understand his artistry and prefers stories with happy conclusions. He longs to show Ruth but doesn’t dare to, waiting for the validation of publication.

Martin is fascinated by learning the true nature of the world through the sciences. Each day, he writes as much as the average writer does in a week. He composes a series of 30 poems titled “Sea Lyrics,” which are so dear to him that he dares not send them out for publication; he now distrusts editors. He memorizes them, longing to read them to Ruth.

Ruth will graduate in June with a Bachelor of Arts degree in English. When Martin thinks of her degree, she seems beyond his reach. He’s able to spend one evening a week with her. His illusion that she’s a divine, almost spiritual being is briefly broken one afternoon when he sees that the cherries they eat stain her lips like any other flesh-and-blood person. This makes Martin love her more, and he nearly reaches out to hold her.

Ruth invites Martin to a lecture, sending his spirits to rapturous heights of love he never expected. He doesn’t even notice Bernard Higgenbotham mocking him about Ruth’s phone call.

Maritn agonizes over the social decorum expected when walking with a lady, but to his delight, she takes his arm. They pass Lizzie Connolly. Martin lifts his hat to Lizzie out of politeness. Lizzie scrutinizes Ruth with bold eyes as they pass. Ruth comments on Lizzie’s uncommon beauty. She thinks Lizzie would dazzle any man if she had proper clothes. Martin explains that Lizzie is uneducated and has been hardened by life, whereas Ruth has been sheltered and made gentle. Ruth pities Lizzie.

The working-class socialists and philosophers who meet to debate in City Hall Park introduce Martin to the works of Herbert Spencer. He finds himself engrossed in Spencer’s “First Principles,” reading until dawn. Martin’s adventures, brought on by his natural curiosity, had given him little more than generalizations about how the world works. Spencer’s work gives him the answers he sought.

Martin abandons the study of arithmetic and all sciences except for physics, defending this choice to Ruth by saying that he doesn’t plan on becoming a specialist. Ruth’s acquaintance, Will Olney, who scoffed at Martin’s enthusiasm for Spencer, agrees with Martin because, unlike Ruth, he knows what he’s after in life. Olney uses the opportunity to criticize Ruth’s desire to be educated for culture’s sake. Olney claims that Martin wouldn’t care about culture if it didn’t intersect with his desire to be a writer. Martin privately agrees but defends Ruth, aware for the first time that love exists beyond reason or rationality. Ruth and Olney argue over the importance of learning Latin; Olney thinks it’s useless.

Martin decides not to study Latin, deciding that it’s a waste of time and money. None of his writings have been published. The entire process of publication and rejection feels machinelike and soulless. Martin struggles on without guidance or encouragement as his money dwindles.

Ruth finally asks to read some of Martin’s writings. He’s delighted and nervous. They ride their bicycles into the hills on their second excursion alone together. Martin reads “The Wine of Life” aloud. Ruth fixates on the mechanical flaws of his writing rather than the lofty ideas he tries to capture. She’s horrified by the realism of his story. Even though she doesn’t approve, Martin is secretly pleased by Ruth’s visceral reaction, seeing her indignation as just another indication of her sheltered upbringing.

Martin reads her his story “Adventure.” Ruth is captivated by the power running through his words. Her thoughts drift toward marriage as he reads. She concedes that the story is beautiful though verbose. Ruth asks if he wants to be famous; Martin concedes that he does but doesn’t tell her that it’s because fame would make him worthy of her. Ruth privately believes that he has no future as a writer and begins planning another career for him. However, she asks Martin to let her read everything he writes. Martin, desperate for Ruth’s attention and feedback, enthusiastically agrees, giving her the “Sea Lyrics” when he takes her home.

Martin experiences mounting despair as more of his manuscripts return unpublished. He’s behind on the rent for his typewriter and will have to return it. He recalls an old rival called Cheese-Face, who beat Martin in fight after fight. Martin never gave up. Finally, after 11 years, he beat Cheese-Face in a savage grudge-match. The memory of his long struggle against Cheese-Face assures him that he’ll beat the editors as well.

Martin runs out of money. He returns the typewriter and goes to the employment office in San Francisco. There, he meets Joe Dawson, a foppish young man who offers him a job doing laundry at the Shelly Hot Springs resort. Martin agrees. Joe warns Martin that it’s demanding work, adding that he drinks on the weekend to cope with the pace of the job.

Ruth and her family are in Lake Tahoe for the summer, so Martin has no one to say goodbye to. Martin bikes the 27 miles to the resort. Joe is surprised that Martin mostly packed books. He warns Martin that he won’t have much time for anything but work and sleep.

The laundry is fitted with the most modern equipment, but as Joe warned, the work is brutal and unrelenting. After the first day, Martin is too tired to study. Joe is energetic and efficient; he even invented a simple device, using a hubcap, to make washing woolen items easier. Joe is impressed with Martin’s quick aptitude for any task. Joe has been a laundryman for 18 years; despite his skill at the job, he wants to quit. For the rest of the week, Martin has no time or energy to study.

The work at the Shelly Springs laundry is brutal. Martin feels reduced to a human machine, even forgetting his love for Ruth. Joe fondly recalls being laid up in the hospital with typhoid for two months: It was the only real rest he had had in his life.

Martin spends his day off in a stupor. The next week passes in largely the same way. Martin feels like he has been reduced to a beast; he even envies Joe’s drinking.

Ruth writes to Martin, praising his “Sea Lyrics,” but Martin can tell she’s feigning praise. He thinks that he’d now find no beauty in the lines he once cherished.

On the Saturday of the third week, Martin joins Joe at the bar. Joe is disappointed but understands that drinking is the one thing that relieves such a life of toil. Whiskey makes Martin feel the beauty of life again. He listens to Joe explain his dream of opening a laundry and treating his workers well. Martin buys drinks for other workers at the bar.

The next morning, Martin and Joe are hungover. Martin hurts Joe’s feelings by snapping at him and later apologizes.

Martin finds a spark of his former self and resists going to the bar with Joe that Saturday, instead cycling to Oakland and back on Sunday. He resists the temptation to drink for six more weeks before giving in. After another three months, Martin joins Joe again. Drunk at the bar, Martin writes a telegram announcing that he’s quitting his job. Joe hesitates and then has Martin add his name to the telegram. Joe plans to live a transient life and travel, a welcome relief from the hellish toil of the laundry.

Joe and Martin slack off on Monday, and Joe stomps on one of the resort owner’s shirts, cursing him. Martin and Joe spend the rest of the week training their replacements. Joe shows them his system, but he refuses to do any more work.

Martin and Joe part amicably at the end of the week. Joe assures Martin that they’ll meet again. As Martin rides off on his bicycle, Joe heads for the freight yard to hop a train.