Cimarron · Chapter
Chapter XXV explained
Sabra Cravat, now a Congresswoman, leads a party of influential men to the crude oil town of Bowlegs to expose its lawless, frontier-like conditions.
What happens
Sabra Cravat, now a Congresswoman, leads a party of influential men to the crude oil town of Bowlegs to expose its lawless, frontier-like conditions. After witnessing a squalid trial and a dance-hall girl's case, she learns that an old bum—revealed to be Yancey Cravat—has been fatally injured catching a can of nitroglycerin. She rushes to him and holds him as he dies, forgiving him and speaking words of love.
Themes in this chapter
Pioneer Spirit and Manifest Destiny
The oil boom towns are described as a throwback to the frontier, with the same rush and scramble as the Run of 1889.
Myth vs. Reality
Yancey, once a picturesque pioneer, is now a dying bum, contrasting the romanticized pioneer myth with harsh reality.
Gender Roles and Women's Agency
Sabra, as a Congresswoman, leads a political tour and takes charge, while the dance-hall girls represent exploited women in the oil fields.
Characters to notice
- Sabra Cravat
Now a Congresswoman, she leads a tour of Bowlegs to expose its lawlessness and is devastated to find Yancey dying.
- Yancey Cravat
Appears as an old, broken bum known as 'old Yance' or 'Sim'; dies after catching a can of nitroglycerin, and Sabra forgives him.
- Cim Cravat
Mentioned in Sabra's thoughts; she wishes her son had become like the young Harvard engineer.
Key passages
“He lay on the ground, a queer, crumpled, broken figure. She flung herself on the oil-soaked earth beside him and lifted the magnificent head gently, so that it lay cushioned by her arm.”
Sabra kneels beside Yancey's broken body on the oily ground and cradles his head in her arm.
Sabra's final act of tenderness toward Yancey as he dies.
“She forgave him everything. Quite simply, all unknowing, she murmured through her tears the very words of Solveig. 'Sleep, my boy, my dearest boy.'”
Sabra forgives Yancey completely and whispers words of love as he dies.
Sabra's forgiveness and love for Yancey in his final moments.