# Chapter XX explained — The Turmoil

> Chapter companion for The Turmoil by Booth Tarkington.

## 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.

## Character check-ins

### 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 lines

> 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._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_turmoil_se/chapters/xx
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_turmoil_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_turmoil_se/chapters