Oil! · Chapter
IX: The Victory explained
Bunny finishes his first term of school and goes on a family excursion to visit Paul at an army cantonment.
What happens
Bunny finishes his first term of school and goes on a family excursion to visit Paul at an army cantonment. He discusses college with Dad, who reluctantly accepts Bunny's desire for more education. During the visit, Paul offers a sympathetic view of the Russian Revolution, contrasting with Dad's hostility. Bunny later joins the army himself, is assigned to military transportation due to his oil knowledge, and returns home on furlough to learn about Dad's new corporate venture, Ross Consolidated.
Themes in this chapter
Oil and Capitalism
Dad's new Ross Consolidated corporation is a seventy million dollar enterprise, with Bunny assigned to military transportation due to his oil knowledge, and Dad hoping to influence contracts.
Idealism vs. Pragmatism
Bunny wants to go to college to learn more, while Dad fears he will lose interest in oil; Paul's idealistic view of the Russian Revolution clashes with Dad's pragmatic hostility.
Family and Morality
Dad organizes a family excursion to visit Paul, and Bunny avoids the sex adventures common in the army, reflecting family values.
War and Imperialism
The chapter is set against World War I, with Bunny joining the army and discussions of the Russian Revolution and its impact on the war.
Characters to notice
- Bunny Ross
Finishes first term of school, discusses college with Dad, visits Paul at cantonment, joins army and studies military transportation, returns home on furlough.
- Dad Ross
Reluctantly accepts Bunny's wish for college, organizes family excursion to visit Paul, discusses Russian Revolution with Paul, arranges for Bunny to avoid overseas service, moves to a palace in Angel City and plans Ross Consolidated.
- Paul Watkins
Working at army cantonment, discusses Russian Revolution with Bunny and Dad, offers a sympathetic view of the Bolsheviks.
- Ruth Watkins
Joins the family excursion to visit Paul, smiles at Bunny's joke about the Trans-Siberian Railway.
- Eli Watkins
Holds revival meetings near the cantonment, has dropped rolling and tongues under influence of wealthy backers, improving his social graces.
- Aunt Emma
Now mistress of the household in the new Angel City palace.
- Aunt Allie
Head critic of the household when she is home.
- Vernon Roscoe
Receives ten millions in bonds and stock for his properties in the Ross Consolidated deal.
Key passages
““Dad, I’m afraid you’re going to be disappointed in me, but this is the truth—I want to go to college.””
Bunny tells Dad he wants to attend college, fearing Dad's disappointment.
Bunny expresses his desire for higher education, leading to a discussion about his future.
““No, son, if you go to college, you’ll get so high up above us oil fellers, you won’t know we’re here.””
Dad worries that college will make Bunny look down on the oil business.
Dad's fear that education will alienate Bunny from the family business.
““Bunny, do you remember our oil strike, and what we read about it in the papers? Suppose you had never been to Paradise, and didn’t know the strikers, but had got all your impressions from the Angel City newspapers! Well, that’s the way it seems to me about Russia; this is the biggest strike in history, and the strikers have won, and seized the oil wells.””
Paul compares the Russian Revolution to the oil strike, suggesting that media reports are biased.
Paul offers a sympathetic view of the Bolsheviks, contrasting with Dad's opinion.
“Dad was quietly determined that Bunny was not going across the sea, no, not if this man’s war lasted another ten years.”
Dad secretly ensures Bunny will not be sent overseas to fight.
Dad uses his influence to keep Bunny safe from combat.
