Ed McCarthy
Ed McCarthy is the shop foreman at W-M Corporation, the San Francisco iron foundry that secretly mass-produces forgeries of pre-war American artifacts. He is first seen alongside his employer, Wyndam-Matson, when Frank Frink comes to reclaim his tools after being fired. McCarthy is described as a "hairy-armed shop foreman" and a "natural leader" with the knack of needling a man to do his utmost. He is a skilled craftsman himself, having drawn up designs for women's earrings and pendants, and he possesses a grim, angry determination that contrasts with Frink's despair.
Role in Frank Frink's Life and the Founding of Edfrank Custom Jewelry
McCarthy's most significant action is convincing Frink to go into business for himself. When Frink admits he cannot find work elsewhere, McCarthy suggests custom jewelry, arguing that there is a market for contemporary American art that no one is creating. He draws a bracelet design on scratch paper, showing Frink the abstract, flowing lines that would define their work. McCarthy's encouragement is blunt and psychological: he accuses Frink of having "picked up the Nazi idea that Jews can't create," a charge that stings Frink into considering the venture. When Frink consults the I Ching and receives the favorable hexagram Peace, he agrees to partner with McCarthy. McCarthy then reveals his plan to quit W-M Corporation and join Frink, saying, "My designs, see. What's wrong with that? I know they're good." He invites Frink to his apartment for dinner that evening, and the two begin setting up their basement workshop.
The Edfrank Custom Jewelry Venture
McCarthy and Frink invest their two-thousand-dollar payoff from Wyndam-Matson into equipment and materials, creating a line of handwrought jewelry in brass, copper, silver, and hot-forged black iron. McCarthy takes on the role of salesman, buying a new suit and tie to make the right impression. He approaches Robert Childan's store, American Artistic Handcrafts Inc., with a wicker hamper of their pieces. Despite his nervousness, he delivers a confident pitch, emphasizing that the pieces are "handwrought," "each unique," and "not plated." Childan, initially dismissive, eventually agrees to take the jewelry on consignment, a deal that McCarthy accepts reluctantly. When Frink asks how it went, McCarthy reports, "He didn't say no," but admits he let Childan take the pieces on consignment, a decision that leaves both men feeling defeated.
Relationships and Conflict
McCarthy's relationship with Frink is one of mutual respect and shared frustration. He is the more optimistic of the two, urging Frink to "look ahead" when the business struggles. After they fail to sell to five retail shops, McCarthy insists on trying three more stores before giving up, showing his persistence. He also demonstrates a practical, no-nonsense attitude, telling Frink, "Don't get it too shiny" and "Silverwork should have that old look." When Frink wants to quit, McCarthy refuses to buy him out, saying, "No, you take half of everything," and continues working alone. His loyalty to the partnership is evident when Frink is arrested and later released; McCarthy is at the bench eating dinner, and his only greeting is, "I had the impression you were dead," followed by a slap on the back.
Change and Ending
McCarthy's arc is one of quiet transformation. He moves from a factory foreman producing forgeries to a co-founder of a business dedicated to original, contemporary art. His belief in the value of their work is unwavering, even when sales fail. In the end, he remains at the bench, continuing to craft jewelry, embodying the novel's theme of creative persistence in a world that values only the past. His partnership with Frink, though strained by financial pressure, endures, and his influence on Frink is profound: it is McCarthy who gives Frink the courage to create, and it is McCarthy who keeps the dream alive when Frink falters.
Narrative Role and Evaluation
McCarthy serves as a catalyst for Frank Frink's character development and as a representative of the novel's exploration of authenticity. His insistence on creating "real modern contemporary" art challenges the novel's dominant culture of historical imitation. Through McCarthy, the novel suggests that genuine creativity can emerge even under oppressive circumstances. His character is flat in the sense that he is defined by his role as a craftsman and mentor, but his actions drive the plot and illuminate the themes of art, labor, and identity in a world where the past is commodified and the present is devalued.
