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Poetry · Chapter
The Oleomargarine Man explained
In Marin County, a thrifty butter-maker named Mr.
What happens
In Marin County, a thrifty butter-maker named Mr. Wilson attempts to churn a bull into butter, but the bull calmly defeats him and spreads the butterman on a slice of Southern Oregon.
Themes in this chapter
Deception and Self-Deception
Mr. Wilson's deluded confidence in his ability to churn the bull.
Nature and Artifice
The contrast between the bull's natural calm and Wilson's artificial scheme.
Characters to notice
- Mr. Wilson
The thrifty butterman who tries to churn a bull into butter.
Key passages
“I'll spread this mammal on a slice of bread!”
Wilson boasts he will turn the bull into butter.
Wilson's repeated battle cry reveals his absurd ambition.
“I've spread that butterman upon a slice of Southern Oregon.”
The bull claims to have defeated Wilson and spread him like butter.
The bull's final line reverses the intended outcome.