020 - Chapter 20

Turmoil is the captivating first novel in the Growth trilogy, which also features The Magnificent Ambersons (1918) and The Midlander (1923, later retitled National Avenue in 1927). In 1942, Orson Welles brought the second volume to life with his film adaptation, also titled The Magnificent Ambersons. This trilogy intricately explores the evolution of the United States through the lens of the declining fortunes of the aristocratic Amberson family in a fictional Midwestern town, set against the backdrop of the rapid industrialization and socio-economic transformation that occurred between the end of the Civil War and the early 20th century. The fall of the Ambersons starkly contrasts with the rise of industrial tycoons and new-money families, who gained power not through lineage but through their actions. As George Ambersons friend famously remarks, dont you think being things is rahthuh bettuh than doing things? (Summary adapted from Wikipedia by Gesine)