The Pit · Chapter
Conclusion explained
Laura and Curtis Jadwin leave their Chicago home after the collapse of the great wheat corner, reflecting on the destruction it caused—including Cressler's suicide and widespread financial ruin—as they depart for a new life.
What happens
Laura and Curtis Jadwin leave their Chicago home after the collapse of the great wheat corner, reflecting on the destruction it caused—including Cressler's suicide and widespread financial ruin—as they depart for a new life. A letter from Page Court brings news of friends and family, and Jadwin acknowledges his past mistakes, expressing hope for a fresh start with Laura.
Themes in this chapter
The American Dream and Its Costs
The Jadwins' departure from their opulent home symbolizes the collapse of their pursuit of wealth and the human toll of ambition.
Speculation and Greed
The wheat corner's catastrophic failure underscores the destructive power of unchecked speculation and market forces.
Love and Marriage
Laura and Curtis reaffirm their commitment to each other, seeking a new beginning based on mutual understanding rather than material success.
Characters to notice
- Laura Jadwin
Reflects on the wheat corner's devastation and her husband's role, ultimately choosing to focus on their future together.
- Curtis Jadwin
Accepts blame for the past, expresses remorse, and looks forward to rebuilding his life with Laura.
- Page Dearborn
Writes a letter to Laura, now married to Landry Court, sharing news of friends and her hope for a simple life.
- Landry Court
Mentioned in Page's letter as devoted to Jadwin and planning to return to work in a railroad office.
- Charles Cressler
His suicide is recalled as a direct consequence of the wheat corner's collapse.
- Sheldon Corthell
Mentioned in Page's letter as having sailed for Europe, closing a chapter in Laura's past.
Key passages
“The great corner was a thing of the past; the great corner with the long train of disasters its collapse had started.”
The failed corner had triggered a cascade of financial ruin.
Summarizes the aftermath of Jadwin's speculative scheme.
“I fancy we both have been living according to a wrong notion of things. We started right when we were first married, but I worked away from it somehow and pulled you along with me.”
Jadwin admits they lost their way, but he believes they can start anew.
Jadwin's reflection on their marriage and his role in their drift.
“This huge resistless Nourisher of the Nations—why was it that it could not reach the People, could not fulfil its destiny, unmarred by all this suffering, unattended by all this misery?”
Laura questions why the wheat, meant to feed the world, causes so much pain.
Laura's philosophical struggle with the paradox of abundance and suffering.