Daughters of Fortitude

Daughter of Fortune by Isabel Allende is the story of a woman, Eliza Sommers, who in running away from home, and chasing love, discovers a new life along the way. In her travels Eliza meets many people who become prominent people in her life, molding her and shaping her as she meets them. Many of these figures are women like Eliza, and each plays a different role in Eliza’s life. Miss Rose, a strong willed woman, raises Eliza as her own daughter, teaching her everything she knows as Eliza ages. Later in her journey, Eliza meets Joe Bonecrusher, who believes she is a man stuck in a woman’s body. These three women are all dominant woman, who show that even in the 1800’s women played a large role in society. Daughter of Fortune by Isabel Allende represents the independent women of mid-19th century America, making a life for themselves in a harsh environment where men are the dominating force.

Eliza Sommers, the main character, is a perfect example of a woman who does not let herself be limited by society’s standards. Eliza is raised by Miss Rose and her brother Jeremy, left in their care by the two siblings’ older brother, John. Even though Eliza is raised in a family where social class is everything, she is ready to take risks that could even bring shame upon her family. When she meets Joaquin Andieta, she instantly falls in love. She begins to sneak him into her house, so that they can share night after night together in one of the remote rooms of her family’s estate. Not once does Eliza worry about her consequences, and the reputation she would give her family if she was ever caught. Soon after Eliza’s lover leaves for California in search of gold, Eliza discovers that she is pregnant. Rather than sit and await his return as many women of this time would have, Eliza makes the decision to follow after him, and begins to search for passage to California. Without a word to her family, Eliza is snuck onto a ship that is set to sail, and departs in search of her lover. This is one of Eliza’s many decisions that makes her the strong willed woman that she becomes in her journey.

When Eliza arrives in California, she immediately begins to make a life for herself. Disguising herself as a man, Eliza opens a new world of opportunities. She manages to escape the life of sex that many women were drawn to based on the money men paid just to see a woman. It is apparent that Eliza is determined to find her Joaquin as she begins to ask everywhere if anyone has heard of him. However as Joaquin’s presence begins to fade, Eliza realizes that her search is beginning to lose its purpose. She begins to help her friend, Tao Chi’en with his medicinal practices, an opportunity that would have been very rare for women of her time. When Eliza leaves the place she and Tao call home, she still has no trouble finding work. She finds ways to make money like writing letters, cooking food, and playing piano. Some of her small odd jobs were things that only a man would typically have been able to do, however, because Eliza was disguised as a boy, she was able to be paid the wage of a male. In her travels Eliza never loses faith in herself and always finds a way to make it. In a bitter world where men are the governing sex, Eliza proves that females are capable of anything.

In her journey, Eliza begins to live with a traveling brothel owned by Joe Bonecrusher, an extremely outstanding female character in the story. Joe makes a name for herself by moving her caravan around California, with her prostitutes, providing many different services for men around the state. However, Joe also offers hospitality to a variety of people, not only her prostitutes which shows Joe’s slight maternal side. Joe’s place becomes a temporary home for Eliza, and she sees that there is much more to Joe Bonecrusher than being a pimp. Joe expresses affection for Eliza’s alter-ego when she is thinking: “She was sure that the young pianist was homosexual and that was why she