An American Tragedy · Chapter
Souvenir explained
The chapter introduces the Griffiths family as they conduct street preaching in San Francisco.
What happens
The chapter introduces the Griffiths family as they conduct street preaching in San Francisco. The group consists of Asa Griffiths, his wife Elvira, their young son Clyde, and two other women. They set up a portable organ, sing hymns, and preach to passersby. After the service, they return to their mission, the 'Star of Hope.' The chapter ends with young Clyde asking his grandmother for a dime to buy an ice-cream cone.
Themes in this chapter
Hypocrisy of Religion and Morality
The chapter portrays the Griffiths family's public piety and their marginal, impoverished existence, highlighting the contrast between their religious fervor and their social insignificance.
Social Class and Ambition
The family's low social standing is evident in their worn clothing and the dismissive comments of passersby, setting the stage for Clyde's later aspirations to rise above his origins.
Characters to notice
- Asa Griffiths
The elderly, feeble street preacher who carries the organ and leads the sermon.
- Elvira Griffiths
Asa's wife, a strong and determined woman who leads the group with conviction.
- Clyde Griffiths
The young boy, referred to as Russell in the chapter, who is part of the street preaching family and asks for a dime for ice cream.
- Esta Griffiths
The faded and unattractive woman of twenty-seven or eight, likely the daughter, who plays the organ.
Key passages
“Dusk, of a summer night. And the tall walls of the commercial heart of the city of San Francisco—tall and gray in the evening shade.”
It is dusk on a summer evening, and the tall, gray buildings of downtown San Francisco cast long shadows.
Sets the atmospheric scene for the family's street preaching.
“Street preachers, observed a passing bank clerk to his cashier girl friend. Sure—I see them up here nearly every Wednesday.”
A bank clerk remarks to his girlfriend that the group are street preachers, noting they are a regular sight on Wednesdays.
Shows how the family is a familiar but marginal presence in the city.
“Kin' I have a dime, grandma? I wana' go up to the corner and git an ice-cream cone.”
The boy asks his grandmother for a dime to buy an ice-cream cone from a nearby vendor.
Reveals the boy's simple desire and the grandmother's affection for him.