-
Gold discovered in California
James Marshall, a carpenter working for Sutter, discovered gold at the sawmill Sutter was having built in Coloma, on the American River (suttersfort.org). Allende writes, “The news of the gold discovered in California reached Chile in August” (144). As the romance begins to fizzle, the author draws readers in with news that gold was discovered in California. By doing this, Allende keeps the plot moving forward and begins to change the setting.
Photo: AmericasBestHistory.com