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The Man with the Golden Arm
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The Man with the Golden Arm

novel by Algren
Written and fact-checked by
Britannica Editors
Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree....
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History

The Man with the Golden Arm, novel by Nelson Algren, published in 1949. It won a National Book Award in 1950.

Set on Chicagoā€™s West Side, the novel evokes the gritty street life of petty criminals and hustlers. Hero Frankie Machine is a shrewd poker dealer whose ā€œgolden armā€ shakes as he relies on morphine to overcome the pain of a war injury and to numb the guilt he feels for a drunken spree that put his wife, Sophie, in a wheelchair. Much of the psychological action centres on Sophieā€™s attempts to manipulate him.

This article was most recently revised and updated by Kathleen Kuiper.