# XVII: The New Tenderfoot explained — Brewster’s Millions

> Chapter companion for Brewster’s Millions by George Barr McCutcheon.

## What happens

Monty returns to New York in March after his illness, determined to accelerate his spending despite his friends' dismay. He consults Grant & Ripley about Swearengen Jones's views, exchanges darkly humorous telegrams with Jones about life insurance, and proceeds with a lavish French-themed ball at Sherry's. The ball is a costly success but leaves Monty feeling heartsick and mocked. Nopper Harrison confesses to losing $60,000 of Monty's money in a failed investment, resigns his position, and accepts Monty's offer to grub-stake him for a year of prospecting in the Rocky Mountains, becoming a new tenderfoot.

## Themes in this chapter

### Wealth and Extravagance

Monty's second ball, with a Versailles suite and a Viennese orchestra tour losing $56,000, epitomizes his reckless spending.

### Friendship and Loyalty

Monty's loyalty to Nopper Harrison is tested when Harrison confesses to stealing $60,000; Monty forgives him and grub-stakes his prospecting venture.

### Moral Dilemmas and Restrictions

Harrison's embezzlement and subsequent guilt, and Monty's struggle with the irony and mockery behind his friends' compliments, highlight moral conflicts.

## Character check-ins

### Montgomery Brewster

Returns to New York after illness, resumes extravagant spending, feels heartsick and mocked at his ball, and grub-stakes Nopper Harrison for a gold prospecting venture.

### Nopper Harrison

Confesses to losing $60,000 of Monty's money in a failed stock investment, resigns his position, and accepts Monty's grub-stake to prospect for gold in the Rocky Mountains.

### Swearengen Jones

Exchanges telegrams with Monty about life insurance, displaying his eccentric and sardonic mentorship.

### Grant & Ripley

Monty consults them about Jones's opinion; they report no complaint from Montana and advise him to continue.

### Elon Gardner

Returns to New York a physical wreck after the Viennese orchestra tour, which resulted in a net loss of over $56,000 for Monty.

### Paul Pettingill

Takes charge of the ball preparations, changes the theme from Spanish to French, and creates a Versailles suite at Sherry's.

### Mrs. Dan DeMille

Is satisfied with the ball, but Monty detects irony behind the compliments.

### Peggy Gray

Remains a loyal friend; Monty turns to her more often and visits her library frequently.

## Key lines

> Behind the compliments lavished upon him he detected a note of irony, which revealed the laughter that went on behind his back.

Monty sensed that the praise he received was insincere and that people were mocking him secretly.

_Reveals Monty's growing awareness of social hypocrisy._

> I've made up my mind, Monty, to go out west, up in the mountains perhaps. There's no telling, I may stumble on a gold mine up there—and—well, that seems to be the only chance I have to restore what I have taken from you.

Nopper decides to head west to prospect for gold as his only hope to repay the money he lost.

_Sets up Nopper's departure and the grub-staking arrangement._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/brewster_s_millions_se/chapters/xvii-the-new-tenderfoot
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/brewster_s_millions_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/brewster_s_millions_se/chapters