Character Analysis
(Avoiding Spoilers)
Grew Up… in County Kerry, Ireland. Margaret comes from very humble beginnings. Her father, an alcoholic, passed away when she was only 16, leaving her and the rest of her family to fend for themselves. Margaret understands the value of hard work and dedication, which is why she thought that she would enjoy living in America.
Living… in a poor neighborhood in Atlantic City, N.J. Margaret left Ireland to find a better life, but instead she married an alcoholic baker, Hans Schroeder, causing her even more hardships. Thankfully, the United States is about to pass the 18th Amendment, outlawing alcohol. Hopefully this will clear up many of her problems. Right?
Profession… wife and mother of two. She’s also amember of the anti-alcohol Women’s Temperance League, not least because of the difficulty she faces with her abusive, drunken husband. Alcohol and gambling have been the ruin of much of Margaret’s family.
Interests… reading. Margaret learned the joys of reading when she worked for a wealthy Protestant barrister who allowed her access to his library.
Relationship Status… married to an abusive, sadistic husband who ignores his duties and spends his time drinking and gambling the family’s money away. But help might be coming in the form of County Treasurer Nucky Thompson, who also happens to be Atlantic City’s leading gangster. Nucky has taken a personal interest in Margaret and her situation. Nucky is a man who can make problems go away – and create new ones.
Challenge… realizing the American dream by working hard and overcoming her hardships. Margaret is used to being talked down to, but she will stand up for herself: “I’ve been lectured a great deal today by men who speak boldly and do nothing.” Margaret believes in noble deeds, not only noble words.
Personality… strong, self-sufficient, and smart. Margaret has already suffered terrible fortune in her short life. All she needs is a little luck and, perhaps, a caring, generous man to help. Could Nucky Thompson be that man?
Get to Know her in...
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Officially, Nucky Thompson is the beloved treasurer of Atlantic County, New Jersey. But most voters aren't aware of his other profession: bootlegging. Prohibition has made alcohol illegal in the U.S., which has created a huge opportunity for bold men willing to bend the law to become rich and powerful. For Nucky, the real challenge isn't getting the alcohol, it's keeping it out of the hands of other gangsters while also avoiding traps set by Agent Van Alden and the FBI.
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Through most of the 20th century, Atlantic City, New Jersey, was controlled by a powerful partnership of local politicians and racketeers. Funded by payoffs from gambling rooms, bars and brothels, this corrupt alliance reached full bloom during the reign of Enoch 'Nucky' Johnson - the second of the three bosses to head the Republican machine that dominated city politics and society. In Boardwalk Empire, Nucky Johnson, Louis 'the Commodore' Kuehnle, Frank 'Hap' Farley, and Atlantic City itself spring to life in all their garish splendour. Author Nelson Johnson traces 'AC' from its birth as a quiet seaside health resort, through the corruption, notorious backroom politics and power struggles, to the city's rebirth as an international entertainment and gambling mecca where anything goes. Boardwalk Empire is the true story that inspired the epic HBO series starring Steve Buscemi, Michael Pitt and Kelly Macdonald. 'As good, if not better, than the television series' Independent
