The Turmoil

"The Turmoil" by Booth Tarkington is a novel set in a rapidly industrializing midland city, capturing the tension between personal aspirations and societal expectations. The story begins with a vivid description of the city, characterized by its smoke and dirt, symbolizing the relentless pursuit of wealth and growth. The protagonist, Bibbs Sheridan, returns home from a sanitarium, having been sent there due to his inability to cope with the demands of his father's business. Bibbs is portrayed as a sensitive and introspective young man, contrasting sharply with his father, James Sheridan, a self-made industrialist who embodies the city's spirit of change and expansion. The Sheridan family has recently moved into a grand new house, a testament to their success, yet it also highlights the social divide between them and the old-money families like the Vertreeses. The Vertrees family, facing financial decline, represents the old social order struggling to maintain its status amidst the city's transformation. Mary Vertrees, the daughter, is both amused and appalled by the Sheridans' ostentatious display of wealth. The novel explores themes of identity, societal change, and the cost of progress, as Bibbs grapples with his place in a world driven by material success. Through the interactions between the Sheridans and the Vertreeses, Tarkington critiques the relentless pursuit of bigness and the loss of personal and cultural values in the face of industrialization.