# English Thornton explained — Spoon River Anthology

> Chapter companion for Spoon River Anthology by Edgar Lee Masters.

## What happens

English Thornton delivers a fiery, patriotic call to arms, urging the descendants of Revolutionary War and Black Hawk War veterans to rise up against the corrupt elites and pretenders who have inherited wealth and power through bribery and theft. He threatens that if they fail to destroy these 'vermin,' his ghost will annihilate the city and state.

## Themes in this chapter

### Class and Power

Thornton contrasts the hardy yeomanry with the parasitic elites who inherited wealth through bribery and theft, calling for a class-based uprising.

### Hypocrisy and Corruption

He condemns the descendants of those who took bribes from railroads and sat in legislatures, highlighting systemic corruption.

## Character check-ins

### English Thornton

Delivers a passionate, vengeful speech calling on the sons of early American fighters to reclaim their city and state from corrupt elites.

## Key lines

> You sons of the men Who fought with Washington at Valley Forge, And whipped Black Hawk at Starved Rock, Arise!

You descendants of the soldiers who fought under Washington at Valley Forge and defeated Black Hawk at Starved Rock, rise up!

_Thornton invokes the heroic legacy of the listeners' ancestors to inspire action._

> Do battle with the descendants of those Who bought land in the loop when it was waste sand, And sold blankets and guns to the army of Grant, And sat in legislatures in the early days, Taking bribes from the railroads!

Fight against the heirs of those who speculated on worthless land, profiteered from the Union Army, and took railroad bribes as legislators.

_He identifies the corrupt elite by their ancestors' shady dealings._

> By God! If you do not destroy these vermin My avenging ghost will wipe out Your city and your state.

I swear, if you fail to eliminate these parasites, my vengeful spirit will annihilate your city and state.

_Thornton threatens supernatural retribution if his call to action is ignored._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/spoon_river_anthology_se/chapters/english-thornton
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/spoon_river_anthology_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/spoon_river_anthology_se/chapters