Ups and Downs in the Life of a Distressed Gentleman

"Ups and Downs in the Life of a Distressed Gentleman" by William L. Stone is a story about Daniel Wheelwright, whose life is full of highs and lows as he tries to navigate the world, which reveals lots about ambition, education, and staying strong through hard times; with the story starting with the main character thinking about fortunes and how people expect things to be, and then follows his life as he moves from being the son of coachmakers to trying to climb the social ladder, but he is clumsy, which leads to funny situations and a exploration of what society thinks is normal, showing he's determined as he faces problems.