Elmer Gantry · Chapter
Chapter XIX explained
Elmer Gantry arrives in Banjo Crossing to begin his new pastorate, expecting a grand reception but finding indifference from the locals.
What happens
Elmer Gantry arrives in Banjo Crossing to begin his new pastorate, expecting a grand reception but finding indifference from the locals. He meets Nathaniel Benham, a wealthy merchant and church trustee, who gives him a cool welcome. Elmer then encounters Cleo Benham, Nathaniel's daughter, who is immediately smitten with him. He also meets Jane Clark, his young landlady, and struggles with his old temptations while resolving to pursue a life of decency.
Themes in this chapter
Class and Social Climbing
Elmer's disappointment at the lack of a grand reception and his assessment of Banjo Crossing's rustic simplicity highlight his social aspirations and class consciousness.
Hypocrisy and Corruption in Religion
Elmer's internal struggle between his desire for purity and his immediate attraction to Jane Clark reveals the hypocrisy of his professed holiness.
Gender and Sexuality
Cleo Benham's idealized purity and Elmer's predatory thoughts about Jane Clark illustrate the tensions between religious virtue and sexual desire.
Characters to notice
- Elmer Gantry
Arrives in Banjo Crossing as the new Methodist pastor, feeling a mix of benevolence and despair at the humble reception.
- Nathaniel Benham
The leading trustee of the church and a wealthy merchant; gives Elmer a dry, questioning welcome.
- Cleo Benham
Nathaniel's daughter, a devout church worker who falls in love with Elmer at first sight.
- Widow Clark
Elmer's landlady, mentioned as absent due to a family emergency.
- Jane Clark
The widow's daughter, a jolly girl of fourteen or fifteen who welcomes Elmer and shows him to his room.
Key passages
“The Reverend Elmer Gantry was in a state of grace. Having resolved henceforth to be pure and humble and humanitarian, he was benevolent to all his traveling companions, he was mothering the world, whether the world liked it or not.”
Elmer felt virtuous and determined to be kind and selfless, acting as a caretaker to everyone around him, regardless of their response.
Highlights Elmer's self-deception about his moral transformation.
“He knew that she was the sort of wife who would help him to capture a bishopric. He persuaded himself that, with all her virtue, she would eventually be interesting to kiss.”
Elmer saw Cleo as a means to advance his career in the church, convincing himself that her goodness would make her worth pursuing romantically.
Reveals Elmer's calculating nature and his view of marriage as a strategic move.