Hudson River Bracketed · Chapter
XXXVIII explained
Vance visits his grandmother Mrs.
What happens
Vance visits his grandmother Mrs. Scrimser at Mrs. Mennenkoop's, torn between disillusionment with the 'Seekers' who exploit her and his own financial struggles. He finds her negotiating a lecture tour with Bunty Hayes of 'Storecraft,' who sees her religious movement as a commodity. Vance confesses his money troubles and Laura Lou's illness, and Mrs. Scrimser offers to help with an advance from the tour. Vance protests that the money is not 'honestly got,' but she fails to grasp his scruples, leading to a tense standoff.
Themes in this chapter
Spirituality and Religious Hypocrisy
Mrs. Scrimser's genuine faith is commodified by Bunty Hayes and the 'Seekers,' highlighting the exploitation of spirituality for profit and social sensation.
The Pursuit of Wealth and Success
Vance's financial desperation and Mrs. Scrimser's decision to lecture for money reflect the pressure to achieve success, even at the cost of integrity.
The American Dream and Its Disillusionment
Vance's disillusionment with New York's 'Seekers' and his own failed ambitions mirror the broader collapse of the American Dream, as both he and his grandmother struggle to find their place.
Characters to notice
- Vance Weston
Visits his grandmother, torn between anger at the 'Seekers' exploiting her and his own financial desperation; he confesses his money troubles and Laura Lou's illness.
- Mrs. Scrimser
Aged and weary but optimistic, she negotiates a lecture tour with Bunty Hayes to pay off debts and help Vance, though she fails to understand his moral objections.
- Bunty Hayes
Representing 'Storecraft,' he treats Mrs. Scrimser's religious movement as a product to be marketed, offering to organize a lecture tour.
- Saidie Toler
Mrs. Scrimser's daughter, who manages the logistics of the tour and speaks in business jargon, irritating Vance.
- Laura Lou
Ill in bed at Mrs. Hubbard's; Vance and Mrs. Scrimser discuss her need for nursing and comfort.
Key passages
“All night he had lain awake, torn between his disillusionment and his wrath against those who had shared it.”
Vance spent the whole night unable to sleep, conflicted between his loss of faith and his anger at the people who had also believed in the same illusions.
Highlights Vance's internal conflict and growing cynicism.
“After all, wasn’t his own case precisely hers? He too was the raw product of a Middle-Western town, trying to do something beyond his powers, to tell the world about things he wasn’t really familiar with; his pride winced at the exactness of the analogy, and it moved him to acuter sympathy.”
He realized that he and his grandmother were in the same situation—both were naive provincials attempting to succeed in a world they didn't fully understand, which made him feel both embarrassed and more compassionate.
Reveals Vance's self-awareness and his empathy for his grandmother's plight.
“‘Storecraft’ aims to handle all the human interests. We can’t leave out religion, any more’n we could art or plumbing.”
Bunty Hayes claims that his company, Storecraft, treats religion as just another product to be marketed, no different from art or plumbing.
Illustrates the commercialization of spirituality.
“I can’t take your money—no matter how much of it you make. I want you to give up lecturing; to give it up at once. I want you to go back home now—tomorrow. Don’t you see, Granny, we can’t either of us live on money that isn’t honestly got?”
Vance refuses to accept any money from his grandmother's lectures, insisting she stop immediately and return home, arguing that neither of them can live on earnings obtained through dishonest means.
Shows Vance's moral stance and his rejection of the compromised path.
