The Pit · Chapter
Chapter VI explained
Three years have passed since Laura and Jadwin's marriage.
What happens
Three years have passed since Laura and Jadwin's marriage. Wheat prices have steadily declined due to global overproduction, and Jadwin has grown increasingly wealthy and bold as a Bear speculator. He secretly turns Bull, planning a major coup. Meanwhile, Page and Landry Court discuss ambition, companionship, and gender roles in the library.
Themes in this chapter
Speculation and Greed
Jadwin's repeated successful Bear raids and his secret turn to Bull speculation highlight the relentless pursuit of profit.
Gender Roles and Independence
Page and Landry's conversation explores traditional gender roles in love and ambition, with Page questioning Byron's lines.
Social Class and Ambition
Jadwin's rising wealth and Landry's competitive drive reflect the social mobility and ambition of the era.
Characters to notice
- Curtis Jadwin
Jadwin becomes a confident Bear speculator, buys a seat on the Board of Trade, and secretly turns Bull after three years of declining wheat prices.
- Laura Jadwin
Laura remains largely unaware of her husband's financial dealings, learning of his near-defeat only later.
- Samuel Gretry
Gretry collaborates with Jadwin on speculative deals and advises caution, but Jadwin overrules him.
- Page Dearborn
Page lectures Landry on intellectual growth and discusses literature and companionship with him in the library.
- Landry Court
Landry visits the Jadwin home, bringing flowers and candy, and engages in a philosophical conversation with Page.
- Mrs. Gretry
Mrs. Gretry tells a story about Isabel's near-asphyxiation during the gathering.
Key passages
“he felt a quickening movement. Lethargy, inertia were breaking up. There was buoyancy to the current. In its ever-increasing swiftness there was exhilaration and exuberance. And he was upon the crest of the wave.”
Jadwin sensed a surge of energy and excitement as the market began to rise, feeling himself at the forefront of the trend.
Describes Jadwin's emotional response to the market shift.
“It was as though a lubricant had dried up. The cogs and wheels worked slowly and with dislocations. Things were a little out of joint.”
The economy slowed down, with business operations becoming sluggish and disrupted.
Metaphor for the economic stagnation caused by low wheat prices.
“He had developed into a strategist, bold, of inconceivable effrontery, delighting in the shock of battle, never more jovial, more daring than when under stress of the most merciless attack.”
Jadwin became a fearless and cunning trader who thrived under pressure and relished market conflicts.
Characterizes Jadwin's evolution as a speculator.
“Man's love is of his life a thing apart, 'Tis woman's whole existence.”
Men treat love as a separate part of life, while women make it their entire focus.
Page quotes Byron to question gender differences in love.