The Titan · Chapter
An Hour of Defeat explained
Cowperwood faces political defeat after the election, which gives his enemies control of the city council.
What happens
Cowperwood faces political defeat after the election, which gives his enemies control of the city council. He learns of Tiernan and Kerrigan's treachery but focuses on the future. His enemies, led by Schryhart, Hand, and Arneel, plan to introduce an elevated railway franchise to undermine his street-railway interests. Cowperwood meets with Patrick Gilgan to try to win him over, but Gilgan is cautious. Cowperwood also contemplates reaching out to the new mayor, Chaffee Thayer Sluss.
Themes in this chapter
Ambition and Power
Cowperwood's relentless drive to maintain control despite political defeat; his enemies' ambition to destroy him through the elevated railway scheme.
Politics and Public Opinion
The election results shift the balance of power; Cowperwood must navigate the new council and mayor, while public sentiment is swayed by reformers and newspapers.
Determinism and Fate
Cowperwood reflects on the inevitable passing of things and the consequences of his own nature, accepting Aileen's desertion as part of life's course.
Characters to notice
- Frank A. Cowperwood
Reflects on Aileen's desertion and the political defeat; plans to conciliate enemies and approaches Gilgan for support.
- Aileen Cowperwood
Cowperwood learns of her desertion; he mourns the loss of their early love.
- Patrick Gilgan
Cowperwood meets with him to seek his allegiance; Gilgan is noncommittal, feeling caught between Cowperwood and the reformers.
- Norman Schryhart
Leads the faction planning an elevated railway to cripple Cowperwood.
- Hosmer Hand
Allies with Schryhart and Arneel in the scheme against Cowperwood.
- Timothy Arneel
Joins Schryhart and Hand in plotting the elevated road franchise.
Key passages
“The stoic Cowperwood, listening to the blare and excitement that went with the fall campaign, was much more pained to learn of Aileen’s desertion than to know that he had arrayed a whole social element against himself in Chicago.”
Cowperwood was more hurt by Aileen leaving him than by the social opposition he had stirred up in Chicago.
Highlights Cowperwood's personal grief over political defeat.
“Change! Change! the inevitable passing of things! Who parts with a perfect thing, even if no more than an unreasoning love, without a touch of self-pity?”
Cowperwood muses on the inevitability of change and the sorrow of losing something once perfect, even if it was just blind love.
Reflects Cowperwood's introspective nature and theme of determinism.
“Out of the thirty-two Democratic aldermen nominated only ten were elected, giving the opposition a full two-thirds majority in council.”
Only ten of the thirty-two Democratic aldermen won, handing the opposition a two-thirds majority in the city council.
Describes the scale of Cowperwood's political defeat.
“Let them sink their money, and about the time the population is sufficient to support the lines they will have been driven into the hands of receivers. That will simply chase the game into my bag, and I can buy them for a mere song.”
Cowperwood had earlier told Addison that if rivals built elevated railways, they would fail and he could buy them cheaply later.
Shows Cowperwood's long-term strategic thinking about the elevated railway threat.
“It’s rather a flat proposition you’re makin’ me, askin’ me to throw down me friends the moment I’ve won a victory for ’em.”
Gilgan tells Cowperwood that asking him to betray his allies right after their victory is a poor offer.
Gilgan's reluctance to switch sides despite Cowperwood's persuasion.
