100. The Magnificent Amberson’s Chapters 6 - 20

When George Amberson Minafer, our protagonist, was first introduced I didn’t think I was going to like him. Like the other characters in the book, I have been holding my breath for him to get his "come-upance”[sic], as they say. (chapter 2, pg. 37). He is arrogant, with very high expectations of what the world owes to him, simply because he is who he is. His family, the Amberson’s founded the town, referred to as Midland. The result of his grandfather ‘having made his fortune when others were losing fortunes’ (chap. 1 pg. 3) has given George an air of entitlement. But now, the further along I get, the more I just feel sorry for him. His attitude about life is taking him to his downfall.

He believes he needs no profession, because he is a gentleman, as his father and grandfather were. The family money will see him through, though this is eroding away and he’s not seeing it happen. Granted the characters that do seem to know this are reluctant to tell him and he’s just got no clue what’s going on.

What is going on? The turn of the century is going on; Progress, Automobile factories and the common man, “riffraff” to George, are improving their lot in life. All the while the world that George knows – an old world aristocracy type living– is crumbling.

I am greatly enjoying the writing. Tarkington has a way of making all of this very clear to the reader with subtle comments from the characters and explanations of the changes happening in George’s home town, and yet George, who is by no means an idiot, remains blissfully unaware. I think it will destroy him in the end.

I don’t understand why all the characters continue to pussyfoot around George though. I suppose to make the story longer and interesting, but it is starting to drag on a bit. I’m just slightly more than half way through and I’m ready for George to find out the old money he plans to live on for the rest of his life is gone (or going quickly) and that the love of his life doesn’t want to marry a man who doesn’t ‘do anything’ (At least that’s what I think she the reason for her reluctance). It’s starting to get frustrating, but I will finish, not just to find out what happens but also to read the humorous dialogue and the gems of writing that flash throughout this book.

Such as the following:

Quick sum up – Eugene Morgan is one of the inventors of Automobiles and friends of the Amberson/Minafer family. He built a factory in the town where this novel takes place. Now, in a span of just a few years automobiles are fast out numberings horses on the roads.

At a dinner party one evening, George, who’s in a foul mood says, “Automobiles are a useless nuisance, They’ll never amount to anything but a nuisance. They had no business being invented” (Chap. 21 pg. 274)

Remember this book was written in 1918, cars were a novelty and for people who were used to quiet horse and buggies, cars were loud, smoke belching monsters. Many people then believed them to be a passing fad. If only they had been.

[Eugene Morgan responds to the comment,] “I’m not sure he’s wrong about automobiles,” he said. “With all their speed forward they may be a step backward in civilization – that is, in spiritual civilization. It may be that they will not add to the beauty of the world, nor to the life of men’s souls. I am not sure. But Automobiles have come, and they bring greater change in our life than most of us suspect. They are here and almost all outward things are going to be different because of what they bring. They are going to alter war, and they are going to alter peace. I think men’s minds are going to be changed in subtle ways because of automobiles; just how, though, I could hardly guess. But you can’t have immense outward changes that they will cause without some inward one’s, and it may be that George is right, and that the spiritual alteration will be bad for us.” (chap 21 pg. 275)

Spooky huh? How would Tarkington feel were he alive today and saw where the automobile has taken us? This isn't a modern writer reflecting on something that happened in the past. This is a writer, writing about his present time, with a very accurate premonition about the future. The BP rig in the Gulf is still gushing and more off shore rigs are planned around the world for our thirst to keep this ‘fad’ going. In less than a hundred years our lives as individuals and lives as a collective society have become almost completely dependent on the automobile.

It’s frightening and oh, how I wish George Minafer had been right. They should not have been invented.

I said in the previous post that I have be struck by the parallels between the world of the early 20th century and the world of the early 21st. George, it would appear, is stuck in the 19th, unwilling and unable to cope with the drastic changes occurring in his world. I find myself more understanding of his resistance as I often feel it too, with the rapid and thoughtless change happening in my world. We’re moving so fast and it’s so rare that anyone stops and just thinks, is this change good for us?

I watch George struggle against the ever increasing speed of world changing in front of him and I am sad to realize that – that’s when is started. “The Magnificent Amberson’s” chronicles the beginning of this ‘progressive’ madness that has yet to slow down a hundred years later. Aside from George’s sense of entitlement, we’re not so different, him and me. We’re both frightened by it and feel totally out of control.


The one difference is I know it George doesn't, but when he does it's going to be one hellva a "come-upance"