The Hour and the Man, An Historical Romance

"The Hour and the Man: An Historical Romance" by Harriet Martineau is a historical novel written in the early 19th century. The narrative centers on Pierre Dominique Toussaint l'Ouverture, a significant figure in the Haitian Revolution, and explores themes of freedom, rebellion, and the complexities of loyalty during a tumultuous time in history. The novel aims to portray the challenges faced by Toussaint, indicating his moral dilemmas and interactions as he navigates a society on the brink of upheaval. The opening portion of the book sets the stage in Saint Domingo during a particularly oppressive August evening in 1791. It introduces Toussaint and his family, who are waiting for the arrival of a friend, Jean. Tension builds as they observe multiple fires in the distance, which signify the start of a rebellion against the oppressive colonial regime. Toussaint grapples with the moral implications of the insurrection, expressing concern for the consequences of violence against their former masters. As conflicts arise with the looming insurrection, the narrative unfolds to reveal the dichotomy between the revolutionary fervor of the blacks and the anxieties of the white plantation owners, foreshadowing the larger rebellion that will engulf the entire colony. (This is an automatically generated summary.)

Harriet Martineau was an English social theorist. She wrote from a sociological, holistic, religious and feminine angle, translated works by Auguste Comte, and, rarely for a woman writer at the time, earned enough to support herself. The young Princess Victoria enjoyed her work and invited her to her 1838 coronation. Martineau advised "a focus on all [society's] aspects, including key political, religious, and social institutions". She applied thorough analysis to women's status under men. The novelist Margaret Oliphant called her "a born lecturer and politician... less distinctively affected by her sex than perhaps any other, male or female, of her generation."