George Thompson
Venus in Boston: A Romance of City Life by George Thompson is a novel that explores themes of social inequality, virtue, and the exploitation of vulnerable individuals in an urban setting. The story follows Fanny Aubrey, a fourteen-year-old fruit vendor in Boston, who faces the harsh realities of poverty while caring for her ailing grandfather and younger brother. Amidst the bleak winter streets, Fanny embodies innocence and grace but is vulnerable to the dangers that come with her circumstances. The plot intensifies when Fanny is unknowingly drawn into a perilous situation with Mr. Tickels, a wealthy libertine who seeks to take advantage of her innocence. However, fate intervenes when she meets Corporal Grimsby, an eccentric and kind-hearted former soldier, who rescues her from the exploitative clutches of Tickels. As the story unfolds, it critiques the social corruption of the time, illustrating the stark contrast between innocence and vice within a city dominated by inequality. The novel ultimately explores themes of societal exploitation, personal resilience, and the struggle to protect virtue in a world rife with moral decay.
