John March

the long version

A romantic novel criticizing the numerous ills of the Reconstruction-era South, including political corruption, vigilante violence, race riots, and misconceptions of southern honor. Set in the village of Suez in the fictional state of Dixie, the novel revolves around the coming of age of its hero, John March. As a young southerner, March struggles to develop his own value system when confronted with the questionable ethics of his father's slaveholding generation, as well as the corruption of both blacks and whites in the New South. When John March, Sr. dies, John Jr. becomes involved in a scheme to industrialize Widewood, his family plot. His earnest desire to grow into a gentleman, coupled with his bumbling naiveté, saves John from corruption, and he remains an endearing character surrounded by individuals intent on swindling away his land.