Rich Man, Poor Man | Characters
The lives of Axel and Mary Jordache are embittered by their futile struggles to achieve social respectability and financial independence. Mary marries Axel to raise herself from the poverty of orphanhood, but she is repelled by Axel's sexual demands. Her recourse is emotional withdrawal and threats of suicide. Axel's response to his wife's coldness is physical brutality. Their efforts to run a business are as unsuccessful as their marriage. After twenty years of long hours and little pay, their bakery remains a precarious operation. When an urban renewal project threatens to destroy...
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