Of private passions

Adversary in the House
Irving Stone
New American Library

A triumphant novel of love and devotion, passion and fulfillment, Irving Stone's Adversary in the House captures the reader's imagination with the opening of the first page. It is about Eugene V. Debs, the pioneer labour leader whose life is a tug of war between his dedication to helping his fellow men and his love for two women. His private life is as violent and impassioned as the dedication that raises him to the heights of greatness and drives him to the depths of public scorn. Growing up in Chicago, Eugene learns about the inter-dependence of men on one another from his own family. His parents have shown him how compassion and kindness can open the way to a greater world. They are a happy family, loving each other and living in perfect harmony.
When Eugene begins work as a clerk in a store his heart finds no peace. He moves on to the fire service. Along with the work for saving lives he also finds a worthy cause to fight for, ameliorating the sufferings of thousands of low paid workers. Soon the union of firemen comes to depend on him to look into their problems and take the problems to the seats of government. This is the stepping-stone for Eugene. He finds a cause to live for. Next he stands beside the workers of the railway. He recognises the need for unity among the workers and calls on them to be together. He realises that anyone who works for human equity undertakes a double task; the duties of his particular job and fighting off the wolves who devour freedom. Eugene is determined to bring this freedom to the workers. He becomes their leader in standing up for their civil rights. This step is the opening chapter of his life as a labour leader, and as a socialist.
Even as he is driven by his dreams of service to humanity, he is tormented by his love for the two magnificent women of his life. Gloria is his passion, young, beautiful, adoring, always to love him but never to take his name. There is Kate, his wife, fiery, determined, forever to oppose him, never to share his dreams. Even when he is ready to stand as a presidential candidate Kate swears that she will never stand by his side, that he is only a fool to have such big dreams. And elsewhere Gloria quickly gets her own house ready to turn it into an office for Eugene's campaigns. It is Kate's dream to have a quiet home, free of public hassle. And yet Eugene cannot keep himself far from the people who depend on him to secure their rights and privileges. Gloria is ready to sacrifice her own ease and comforts to stand beside Eugene while he fights for his people. Eugene is tormented, driven by his wife's criticism under his own roof. There are times when he feels like staying with Gloria, as she leads the life of a widow, and yet his loyalty to his wife is like an invisible wall that he can never get across.
Eugene is a die-hard socialist. He is able to organise millions of people under his banner. It is in the beginning of the twentieth century, when people are looking forward to new ideas, new plans that Eugene comes up with as components of his socialism. At one stage he is to serve three long years in prison but that does not take him away from the people whom he has united. He is with his people through thick and thin.
Adversary in the House is a book that is gripping and relates how strong a man's beliefs can be, how ruthlessly he can pursue his beliefs. Eugene's ideologies are so interwoven into the reader's mind that the reader is led to wishing that things would turn up as Eugene wants them to. Eugene's brother Theodore sacrifices his life to follow his brother to the nooks and corners of the country as he propagates his reforms. The brothers' unity does not fail to touch the heart of the reader. Irving Stone is a natural word artiste when it comes to portraying his characters, with remarkable vividness. One is able to put the book down only when Eugene finds himself able to deliver the message of liberty to his people and the people stand on solid ground, knowing the value of their beliefs. Reading Adversary in the House leaves the reader with an extremely gratifying experience, a feeling that a good book is supposed to induce.

Tulip Chowdhury is a teacher and writes fiction.