The Turmoil · Chapter
Chapter XX explained
Bibbs returns home and tells his father he is ready to go back to the machine shop.
What happens
Bibbs returns home and tells his father he is ready to go back to the machine shop. Sheridan, worried about Roscoe's drinking and the future of his business, agrees but remains grim. Later, Sheridan confides his fears to Mrs. Sheridan, expressing anxiety about Roscoe's health and the instability of his empire.
Themes in this chapter
Bigness and Industrialization
Sheridan's monologue emphasizes the relentless pressure of maintaining a large fortune in an era of industrial growth, competition, and 'the great unrest.'
Family and Legacy
Sheridan's fear that his sons are unfit to carry on his business drives the chapter, highlighting his obsession with legacy and continuity.
Mortality and Health
Roscoe's drinking and Sheridan's worry about his health, along with the memory of Jim's death, underscore themes of physical and moral decay.
Characters to notice
- Bibbs Sheridan
Returns home and voluntarily agrees to go back to the machine shop, claiming he is cured and ready to work.
- James Sheridan
Confronts Bibbs about returning to work, worries about Roscoe's drinking, and expresses deep anxiety about the future of his business.
- Roscoe Sheridan
Revealed to be drinking heavily and neglecting his work; Sheridan confronts him and arranges a family dinner to discuss the issue.
- Mrs. Vertrees
Appears briefly as Mrs. Sheridan, who is drowsy and tries to comfort her husband about Roscoe's health.
Key passages
“I tell you this business life is no fool’s job nowadays—a man’s got to have eyes in the back of his head.”
Sheridan argues that modern business requires constant vigilance and shrewdness to survive.
Reflects Sheridan's view of the cutthroat nature of industrial capitalism.
“Suppose something happened to Roscoe. Then what’d I have to look forward to? Then what could I depend on to hold things together? A lummix!”
Sheridan fears that if Roscoe fails or dies, only the incompetent Bibbs would be left to manage the business.
Highlights Sheridan's despair over his sons' inadequacies and his obsession with legacy.