An Imperative Duty

By William Dean Howells

Book Overview

An Imperative Duty is a novel by William Dean Howells, first published in 1892. The story follows the life of a young woman named Isabel Lawrence who is forced to confront the social norms and expectations of her time. Isabel is a strong-willed and independent woman who is determined to live her life on her own terms, despite the pressures of society.The novel begins with Isabel living in Boston with her mother and sister. She is engaged to a wealthy man named Cyril Scott, but she is not entirely happy with the arrangement. Isabel is torn between her desire for independence and her sense of duty to her family and society.As the story progresses, Isabel meets and falls in love with a young lawyer named Basil March. Basil is a progressive thinker who challenges Isabel's beliefs and encourages her to pursue her dreams. However, their relationship is complicated by the fact that Basil is already married.Throughout the novel, Isabel must navigate the complexities of love, duty, and social expectations. She must decide whether to follow her heart or conform to the expectations of those around her. In the end, Isabel must make a difficult choice that will determine the course of her life.An Imperative Duty is a thoughtful and engaging novel that explores the themes of love, duty, and individualism. Howells' writing is insightful and nuanced, and his characters are complex and well-developed. This novel is a must-read for anyone interested in the literature of the late 19th century.""They're not so very common, and they're not so very well ascertained. You find them mentioned in the books, but vaguely, and on a kind of hearsay, without the names of persons and places; it's a notion that some writers rather like to toy with; but when you come to boil it down, as the newspapers say, there isn't a great deal of absolute fact there.This scarce antiquarian book is a facsimile reprint of the old original and may contain some imperfections such as library marks and notations. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment for protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature in affordable, high quality, modern editions, that are true to their original work.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1419106589
• ISBN13: 9781419106583
• Release Date: June 2004
• Publisher: Kessinger Publishing
• Length: 96 Pages
• Weight: 0.70 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.2" x 7.6" x 9.2"