The Transformation of 1850s California: The Sisters Brothers by Patrick deWitt

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Recommended: Life in the california gold rush

The California Gold Rush left a huge mark on America. In the novel, The Sisters Brothers, written by Patrick deWitt, the Gold Rush had a large effect on transforming Californian lifestyle and its population. This research paper will prove that America was transformed by the 1851 Gold Rush and that this has been portrayed realistically in the novel.
The novel, The Sisters Brothers, written by Patrick deWitt is the story of two adventurous brothers named Eli and Charlie who travel from Oregon to San Francisco during the gold rush in the 1850s. The brothers are hired to find and kill a man named Hermann Warm. They run into a wide range of tough situations and sketchy characters such a rich businessman named Mayfield who runs his own town. The brothers have two very different characters which affect how they are to react to these situations. Eli is sweet, caring and chivalrous while Charlie is a quiet, angry man who was forced as a child to kill his father to protect his mother. Deep down they are both violent, cold blooded killers. Along their journey to San Francisco, Eli has an internal conflict to decide wether he wants to keep living the killer’s life or settle down and start a shop with his brother. When they arrived in San Francisco, they become exposed to the “gold fever” which was caused by the gold rush. Instead of killing their target they befriend Warm and search the rivers for gold to become rich. Sadly, Warm tragically dies from the chemicals and Charlie is burned and forced to have his hand cut off which leads to the brothers returning home to their mother as changed men.
Marsha Lederman wrote an article titled "Patrick DeWitt, Sensitive Cowboys Strike Gold." for the Globe and Mail on Patrick deWitt, a Canadian auth...

... middle of paper ...

...gration in population, help the California economy by building many businesses and caused violent conflicts between diverse groups of people. The Gold Rush in 1851 changed California.

Works Cited

"California." Britannica School. Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 2014. Web. 12 Jan. 2014 deWitt, Patrick. The Sisters Brothers. Toronto: Anansi, 2011. Print.
"The Gold Rush of 1849." History.com. A&E Television Networks, 2010. Web. 10 Jan. 2014.
Lederman, Marsha. "Patrick DeWitt, Sensitive Cowboys Strike Gold." The Globe and Mail. N.p., 12 Oct. 2011. Web. 12 Jan. 2014.
Medley, Mark. "Patrick DeWitt: The Good, the Bad and The Neurotic." The National Post. N.p., 27 May 2011. Web. 10 Jan. 2014.
Phelps, Robert. “California Gold Rush.” World Book Advanced. World Book, 2014. Web. 29 Jan 2014
"Politics And Pistols: Duelling In America." PBS.org. PBS, n.d. Web. 4 Feb. 2014.

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