# Chapter XXIV explained — The Financier

> Chapter companion for The Financier by Theodore Dreiser.

## What happens

Edward Butler and his son Owen discuss Cowperwood's financial crisis following the Great Chicago Fire. Owen advises his father to call in his loan and let Cowperwood fail, while Butler weighs the political implications for the Republican party and his own interests. The chapter reveals the political dynamics among Butler, Mollenhauer, and Simpson, and the precarious position of Stener, who has loaned Cowperwood $500,000 of city funds.

## Themes in this chapter

### Corruption and Power

The chapter exposes the corrupt use of city funds by Stener and Cowperwood, and the political maneuvering among Butler, Mollenhauer, and Simpson to protect their own interests and the Republican party.

### Survival and Resilience

Cowperwood's attempt to survive the financial panic by seeking support from powerful figures highlights his resilience, while Butler and Owen debate whether to let him fail or save him.

### Deception and Self-Justification

Owen argues that Cowperwood's dilemma is his own fault, not Stener's, and that the banker should be punished. Butler, despite his liking for Cowperwood, begins to see the deception in Cowperwood's dealings.

## Character check-ins

### Edward Malia Butler

Butler is torn between his liking for Cowperwood and the political and financial risks of supporting him. He considers calling in his $100,000 loan and seeks advice from his son Owen.

### Frank Algernon Cowperwood

Cowperwood is in a tight financial spot due to the Chicago fire, having used Stener's city funds to buy stocks. He has asked Butler to help rally bankers to support the market.

### George W. Stener

Stener is revealed to have loaned Cowperwood $500,000 of city money, making him a pawn in Cowperwood's schemes and a liability to the Republican party.

### Henry A. Mollenhauer

Mollenhauer is a political rival of Butler and a key figure in the Republican party. Stener is more directly responsible to him than to Butler.

### Mark Simpson

Simpson represents Republican control of the State legislature and is a strong rival of Butler. He is involved in the decision about whether to support Cowperwood.

## Key lines

> Cowperwood’s been using this money of Stener’s to pick up stocks, and he’s in a hole. If it hadn’t been for this fire he’d have got away with it; but now he wants you and Simpson and Mollenhauer and the others to pull him out.

Owen explains that Cowperwood used Stener's funds to buy stocks and would have succeeded without the fire, but now he needs help from Butler, Simpson, and Mollenhauer.

_Owen reveals the core of Cowperwood's scheme and his reliance on the fire as the cause of his crisis._

> If Cowperwood should fail and that money couldn’t be put back—

Butler worries about the consequences if Cowperwood fails and the city funds cannot be repaid.

_Butler's concern shifts from Cowperwood's fate to the political fallout of a potential scandal._

> My advice to you is to call that one-hundred-thousand-dollar loan of yours in the morning, and meet the drop in your stocks that way. It may make Cowperwood fail, but that won’t hurt you any.

Owen advises his father to recall his loan to Cowperwood, even if it causes Cowperwood's bankruptcy, as it will protect Butler's own interests.

_Owen prioritizes financial self-preservation over loyalty to Cowperwood._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_financier_se/chapters/xxiv
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_financier_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_financier_se/chapters