# XXII: Close of the Campaign explained — Struggles and Triumphs

> Chapter companion for Struggles and Triumphs by P. T. Barnum.

## What happens

Barnum recounts the final leg of Jenny Lind's American tour, including a visit to the Hermitage, an April Fools' prank on his company, a concert in a pork house, and a ruse in Cincinnati. Upon returning to New York, tensions with Lind's advisers lead to an early termination of their contract after the ninety-third concert, with Lind paying a forfeiture. The chapter concludes with Lind's marriage to Otto Goldschmidt and a statement of the tour's total receipts.

## Themes in this chapter

### Showmanship and Humbug

Barnum's April Fools' prank and the Cincinnati ruse demonstrate his flair for theatrical deception and public amusement.

### Public Perception and Reputation

The crowd's reaction to the Cincinnati ruse and the influence of Lind's advisers highlight the constant negotiation of public image.

### Financial Wisdom and Economy

Barnum's offer to close the contract for a forfeiture and his statement of total receipts underscore the financial calculations behind the tour.

## Character check-ins

### P. T. Barnum

Orchestrates an April Fools' prank, negotiates the end of the Lind engagement, and reflects on the tour's conclusion.

### Jenny Lind

Visits the Hermitage, performs in various cities, and accepts Barnum's offer to close the contract after the ninety-third concert.

### Le Grand Smith

Receives a fake telegraph about his village burning; later plays an April Fools' revenge by fabricating a highway robbery plot.

### Mr. Otto Goldschmidt

Marries Jenny Lind after the tour concludes.

### Mr. James Gordon Bennett

Not directly mentioned in excerpts, but referenced in the context of advisers; omitted as no direct evidence.

### George D. Prentice

Accompanies the party from Louisville to Cincinnati with his wife.

## Key lines

> I'll give five dollars to any man who will take me out and give me a good horsewhipping! I deserve it, and am willing to pay for having it done. To think that I should have been such a fool as to have paid forty-eight dollars for four tickets for my wife, two daughters, and myself, to listen to music for only two hours, makes me mad with myself, and I want to pay somebody for giving me a thundering good horsewhipping!

A ticket buyer in Nashville regretted spending $48 on four tickets for a two-hour concert and offered $5 for someone to horsewhip him.

_Illustrates the post-purchase regret and the high cost of Lind's concerts._

> Well, Barnum has humbugged us after all!

A Cincinnati crowd member admitted that Barnum had fooled them by passing Jenny Lind off as his daughter.

_Shows Barnum's successful ruse to avoid a crowd._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/struggles_and_triumphs_se/chapters/xxii-close-of-the-campaign
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/struggles_and_triumphs_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/struggles_and_triumphs_se/chapters