“The Man with the Golden Arm“ By Nelson Algren

“The Man with the Golden Arm“ is a novel by Nelson Algren, first published in 1949. The story takes place in Chicago and centers around the character of Frankie Machine, a professional card dealer and former World War II veteran. Frankie is struggling with addiction to morphine and trying to overcome his past mistakes and start a new life. The novel explores themes of addiction, poverty, and the human condition. The novel opens with Frankie being released from prison and returning to his neighborhood on the Near North Side of Chicago. He is immediately drawn back into his old life, including his addiction to morphine and his relationship with his wife, Zosh, who is confined to a wheelchair. Frankie’s goal is to get clean and start a new life, but he is constantly pulled back into his old ways by the people around him, including his friends and fellow addicts. As the novel progresses, Frankie’s addiction becomes increasingly severe, and he is unable to escape the cycle of using