Character Analysis
(Avoiding Spoilers)
Grew Up… in a small town in upstate New York. He had a good, Christian upbringing, and was rightfully instilled with the values of Christ and his church. He was raised to believe that America is a God-fearing nation, where one should tremble before both the Lord and the law.
Visiting… Atlantic City, N.J. Nelson is stationed away from his home in upstate New York. It is difficult for him to be separated from his wife, Rose, but he has come to Atlantic City to do God’s work of enforcing the law.
Profession… Prohibition Agent with the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It is Van Alden’s job to take down Nucky Thompson, the kingpin of the Atlantic City illegal alcohol trade. The sale, distribution and consumption of alcohol are, of course, outlawed in the United States due to Prohibition. As Nelson puts it my quoting from Scripture: “And the angel said: That who worships the beast, shall drink from the wine of the wrath of God. And he shall torment with fire in the presence of the Lamb.”
Relationship status… married with no children, despite trying hard to have one. Agent Van Alden’s wife, Rose, lives apart from him while he works in Atlantic City. Though it is unclear where his real commitments lie: with his wife, with the Bureau, or with God? Rose may not be getting the attention that she needs from her husband.
Challenge… overcoming the FBI’s lack of resources and general indifference to enforce the Eighteenth Amendment, which outlawed alcohol. Van Alden’s colleagues believe that their mission is futile, that the government has little chance of taking down Atlantic City’s criminal network. Nelson, on the other hand, sees it as his duty to God to topple Thompson’s empire, no matter what the cost.
Personality… very little. Nelson is an extremely serious man with an intense commitment to his work and his God. When criminals are controlling America’s streets, there is very little to laugh about.
Get to Know him 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
