The Turmoil · Chapter
Chapter IX explained
Bibbs Sheridan is summoned to his father's office, where Sheridan berates him for his lack of ambition and dreams of writing poetry and essays.
What happens
Bibbs Sheridan is summoned to his father's office, where Sheridan berates him for his lack of ambition and dreams of writing poetry and essays. Sheridan extols the virtues of business, progress, and the city's growth, contrasting Bibbs's passivity with the industriousness of his brothers, especially Jim. Bibbs questions the purpose of constant expansion, leading to a heated exchange. The chapter also depicts Bibbs's trolley ride through the city, observing the chaotic, industrial transformation and the toll it takes on the environment and human life.
Themes in this chapter
Bigness and Industrialization
The chapter vividly portrays the city's relentless growth, with new buildings, trolley cars, and industrial noise, while Sheridan champions the ethos of constant expansion and progress.
Individualism vs. Conformity
Bibbs's desire to write poetry clashes with his father's expectation that he conform to the masculine, business-oriented values of the family and society.
Class and Social Mobility
Sheridan's speech about opportunity for anyone with energy and gumption reflects the American Dream, but Bibbs's encounter with the day-laborer reveals a more cynical view from the working class.
Characters to notice
- Bibbs Sheridan
Summoned to his father's office, Bibbs reveals his desire to write poems and essays, but is ridiculed by Sheridan for his lack of ambition.
- James Sheridan
Sheridan angrily confronts Bibbs about his future, praising the virtues of business and progress while dismissing poetry as 'women's work.'
- Roscoe Sheridan
Mentioned by Sheridan as an example of a son who is industrious and successful in business.
- Edith Sheridan
Referenced by Sheridan as a contrast to Bibbs; her single poem is used to illustrate the impracticality of a writing career.
- Dr. Gurney
Mentioned by Sheridan as having declared Bibbs organically healthy, dismissing physical excuses for his behavior.
- George Waldo Emerson
Cited by Sheridan as an example of outdated writing, contrasted with the skill of advertising copywriter R. T. Bloss.
Key passages
“I don't understand—exactly—what you want it all bigger for?”
Bibbs questions the purpose of constant industrial expansion.
This question reveals Bibbs's philosophical divergence from his father's values.
“I take my hat off to the man that can write a good ad. The best writin' talent in this country is right spang in the ad business today.”
Sheridan praises advertising as the pinnacle of writing skill, dismissing poetry as outdated.
Sheridan's view reflects the commercial pragmatism of the era.
“The building had killed a man in the morning—and the steelworkers always stop for the day when that 'happens.'”
A fatal accident on a construction site halts work for the day, a customary response among steelworkers.
Highlights the dangerous working conditions and informal labor practices of the time.