The Old Adam: A Story of Adventure

"The Old Adam: A Story of Adventure" by Arnold Bennett is an early 20th-century tale centered on Edward Henry Machin, a man recently enriched by stock market ventures who finds himself strangely dissatisfied. As Edward returns home, the comfort of his surroundings is overshadowed by a sense of sadness, amplified by his family's domestic concerns and his own reflections on his life's burdens. The narrative swiftly intensifies when a minor incident—his son's dog bite—triggers a wave of anxiety in his wife, highlighting Edward’s inner struggle between his familial obligations and a yearning for freedom, setting the stage for a narrative that explores the complexities of wealth, family, and the search for personal fulfillment.