affection. Indeed, throughout most of the novel she schemes to capture her long-sought prize and escape unmarried old age. When Fanny tells George about local gossip concerning Isabel and Eugene, he ends the relationship. George continually torments her about her unmarried status; ironically, she must rely on him when the Amberson estate dissipates.

George Amberson

George Amberson, Isabel’s brother and George’s namesake. He is the novel’s philosopher. Although he is abysmal as an investor—he contributes as much as anyone to the loss of the family fortune—his is the story’s most consistently intelligent voice. He foresees the passing of the Ambersons, and he counsels his nephew to ignore the gossip about Isabel and Eugene. After the loss of the family fortune, he accepts a consulship and leaves town.

Although only the Amberson family is highlighted in the title of The Magnificent Ambersons, the dynamics among the Amberson, Minafer, and Morgan families are central to the novel's plot. These relationships ignite the story's drama and offer thematic insights that elevate the book beyond the typical sentimental bestsellers of the early 1900s.

Major Amberson amasses significant wealth through land and rental properties, enabling his family to enjoy a life of leisure and luxury. His daughter Isabel marries Wilbur Minafer, despite truly loving Eugene Morgan, another suitor she loses due to a rare instance of his drunken misbehavior. Wilbur, focused on business, is a dull yet dependable husband. Meanwhile, a remorseful Eugene departs to move past his heartbreak and seek new opportunities. Isabel and Wilbur settle into a tranquil marriage, highlighted by the birth of their beloved heir, George Amberson Minafer. Isabel devotes herself entirely to George, showering him with care and attention. She believes nothing is too good for him, and he can do no wrong. Unsurprisingly, by age nine, George becomes a "princely terror." Despite his "silk sash, silk stockings, broad lace collar, and little black velvet suit," George tolerates no opposition, asserting his dominance with insolent manners, clever jests, street talk, and physical aggression. His trademark insult, the word "riffraff," is unleashed in moments of disdainful anger, symbolizing his lifelong tendency to dominate everyone around him. George's arrogance is so extreme that many townspeople eagerly anticipate his downfall. At each stage of his youth—private school, prep school, and elite Eastern college—they hope in vain for his humility; yet, he remains unyielding and unapologetic.

As a young adult, George continues to be self-absorbed and focused solely on the prestigious Amberson name, taking his mother's unconditional love for granted. Only once, during a Christmas ball held in his honor while home from college, does George briefly realize that he has only seen Isabel as a "mother," an extension of himself, never considering her as a woman who could fall in love, enjoy friendships, read, or pursue any activities of a free woman. However, this realization is fleeting, and he resumes his reckless and tragically comedic journey.

George falls for the enchanting Lucy Morgan but confounds her affection by refusing to consider any career other than that of a wealthy idler. After his father's passing, he sabotages any potential marriage between Isabel and Eugene by dismissing Eugene as unworthy of his mother's affection. He even ignores the revelations of their past shared tenderness, letting his pride and stubbornness prevail. This decision costs him any chance of reconciling with Lucy and forces his mother into a painful decision: whom does she love more? As always, she chooses George. They relocate to Paris, allowing George to escape the tarnished reputation of the Amberson name. Five years later, Isabel passes away, leaving George without his greatest supporter. Shortly thereafter, Isabel's father also dies.

By this point, the Amberson fortune has dwindled completely, a casualty of the pollution that has marred the city's center and driven property values to nearly nothing. George and his Aunt Fanny are forced to live in a boarding house. The Ambersons' grandeur is a thing of the past. George, who has always viewed work as beneath him, takes the highest-paying job he can find, a perilous position transporting nitroglycerine to blasting sites. With his earnings, he manages to keep a roof over their heads. As the book concludes, a series of contrived events involving a medium and some improbably shared thoughts lead Lucy and Eugene to reassess their view of George, who, after being run over by a car, is hospitalized with two broken legs. The three reconcile at his bedside, promising future happiness for all.

By the novel's end, Eugene Morgan has become a successful automobile manufacturer and investor, emerging as one of the story's most admirable characters. He is a diligent visionary who understands that significant social and economic transformations inevitably accompany technological progress, and that recognizing these trends is essential for facing the future gracefully. He stands in stark contrast to the Ambersons, who are disconnected not only from the future but also from the present. Morgan remains sensitive and attuned to his emotions; he cherishes Lucy, has always loved Isabel, and ultimately allows this love to guide him back to George, accepting him as a future son-in-law.