The Last Woman

"The Last Woman" by Ross Beeckman is a story from the early 1900s about Patricia Langdon, a smart and determined young woman, who finds herself in a tricky situation because of her father's money problems and the attention of a man named Roderick Duncan, who wants to marry her. The book looks at themes like being proud, staying loyal to family, and the pressure from society to get married for money. Patricia's father is in a financial mess, and when he hints that Roderick might help if Patricia marries him, things get complicated. Patricia feels like she's being used as a way to solve her father's business issues, so she stands up to both her father and Roderick. This leads to a battle for freedom and control, as Patricia makes it clear that if she does agree to marry Roderick, she wants money in her own name, showing how strong and determined she is. The beginning of the book sets the scene for a story full of feelings and comments on society.