Summary
In a harrowing exploration of the fragility of the American Dream, 'The Flash of Fate' (1918) chronicles the psychological and moral disintegration of Randolph Shorb. After the predatory stockbroker Abner Hinman orchestrates a financial collapse that drives Shorb’s father to a tragic suicide, Randolph abandons the constraints of conventional morality. He descends into a subterranean world of criminality, adopting the predatory moniker 'The Ferret' and leading a sophisticated syndicate of thieves alongside the seasoned crook Philadelphia Johnson. The narrative shifts from a revenge-fueled crime procedural to a high-stakes domestic drama when Joe Freeman, the brother of Randolph's paramour Mary, becomes ensnared in Johnson's web of coercion. This spiral of urban decay culminates in a desperate rooming house confrontation and a psychological breakdown that threatens to claim Joe's life. In a pioneering display of technological symbolism, Randolph utilizes the city's power grid to broadcast a Morse code message through the flickering lights of the metropolis—a luminous signal that serves as both a literal rescue and a metaphorical spiritual awakening, eventually leading the protagonist toward an arduous path of redemption.
Synopsis
When his father commits suicide after being ruined by dishonest stockbroker Abner Hinman, Randolph Shorb resolves to gain revenge and rebuild his fortune by whatever means necessary. With the aid of notorious crook Philadelphia Johnson, Randolph becomes the head of a gang of thieves and is thereafter known as The Ferret. Joe Freeman, the brother of Randolph's girlfriend Mary, moves to the city, where he is robbed by Johnson and forced to hold up a bank. Mary learns of Joe's troubles and rushes to the city to help him but is lured to a rooming house and attacked by Johnson. Joe disappears with the intention of committing suicide, after which Randolph, frantic over both Joe and Mary, goes to the power house and flashes a message in Morse code over all of the city's electric lights. Through his message, Joe regains hope and Mary is rescued. After the gang's arrest, Randolph vows to lead an honest life.
