My name is Eric Chan and in the class "Violence in Art and Culture" we are currently reading the book Caesar's Column by Ignatius L. Donnely. The story itself contains elements of dystopian and science fiction and was popular enough that it continues to be read today, despite being written in 1890. The book shares several themes with the The Destruction of Gotham, and lends itself to thematic comparisons.

Something that struck me while reading the novel was the passage in which the character Maximilian breaks down his views on morality to Gabriel, our protagonist. In it he proclaims that "Morality, in man or woman, is a magnificent flower which blossoms only in the rich soil of prosperity: impoverish the land and the bloom withers" (Donnely 22). Reading this passage I was reminded of Walton from The Destruction of Gotham who despite being poor, was the moral center of the novel.

In a book full of pitiable and villainous characters Walton stands as the pinnacle of virtue despite his poverty. His poverty is self imposed and is deeply tied to his strong sense of right and wrong. Many of the "prosperous" characters however such as Stone, Matherson, and the Millionaire are depicted as immoral. Indeed their lack of morality is the source of their prosperity as they are willing to do whatever is necessary to get ahead. I'm looking forward to seeing whether the idea that morality crumples in the face of bodily needs will be a main theme in Caesar's Column.