Elmer Gantry · Chapter
Chapter IV explained
Elmer Gantry, urged by President Quarles, Eddie Fislinger, and others, considers entering the ministry for its social prestige and oratorical power.
What happens
Elmer Gantry, urged by President Quarles, Eddie Fislinger, and others, considers entering the ministry for its social prestige and oratorical power. Struggling to experience a divine Call, he endures a suffocating prayer meeting arranged by the president. Fleeing in distress, he meets Jim Lefferts, who gives him whiskey. Emboldened, Elmer returns to the group and falsely claims to have received his Call, which they accept.
Themes in this chapter
Manipulation and Showmanship in Evangelism
Elmer fabricates a divine Call after drinking, performing a dramatic declaration to satisfy the expectations of the prayer group, highlighting the performative nature of religious experience.
Hypocrisy and Corruption in Religion
Elmer's internal disgust with the piety of the faculty contrasts with his outward embrace of the ministry for social gain, and the leaders accept his false Call without scrutiny.
Ambition and the Pursuit of Power
Elmer is drawn to the ministry by the prospect of fame, influence, and oratorical control over audiences, seeing it as a path to dominance.
Characters to notice
- Elmer Gantry
Elmer is pressured into seeking a ministerial career and a divine Call, but he feels trapped and repulsed by the piety of his mentors. After drinking with Jim Lefferts, he fabricates a Call to secure his path.
- Jim Lefferts
Jim encounters Elmer in distress, offers him whiskey, and advises him to return to the prayer meeting, showing a cynical but supportive role.
- Eddie Fislinger
Eddie urges Elmer to become a minister and participates in the prayer meeting, nuzzling against Elmer in a way that Elmer finds repulsive.
- Willoughby Quarles
President Quarles orchestrates the prayer meeting to help Elmer receive a Call, using manipulative and cloying methods that Elmer resents.
Key passages
“What glory for Old Terwillinger and all the shrines of Gritzmacher Springs!”
President Quarles imagines the prestige Elmer would bring to the college and the town.
Highlights institutional ambition behind religious recruitment.
“He saw himself as a white-browed and star-eyed young evangel, wearing a new frock coat, standing up in a pulpit and causing hundreds of beautiful women to weep with conviction and rush down to clasp his hand.”
Elmer fantasizes about being a charismatic preacher who captivates and emotionally moves large audiences, especially women.
Reveals Elmer's narcissistic and manipulative vision of ministry.
“The nights were unadulterated hell. He felt guilty that he had no Call...”
Elmer suffers intense anxiety and guilt at night because he cannot experience the required divine calling.
Shows the psychological pressure of religious expectation.
“It's come! I feel it in everything! God just opened my eyes and made me feel what a wonderful ole world it is...”
Elmer, drunk and euphoric, declares he has received his Call, attributing his good mood to divine intervention.
Illustrates the fabrication of religious experience for social approval.