Family and Morality

Where it surfaces

• Oil!

  The Ross family's dynamics and moral choices are central, as they balance ambition with ethical considerations.

• I: The Ride

  The father-son dynamic, Dad's protective guidance, and Bunny's moral reflections on poverty and death.

• I

  The father-son relationship is central, with the boy modeling his behavior and appearance after his father, reflecting familial influence and moral instruction.

• III

  The father-son bond is central, with Dad teaching Bunny about dignity, order, and navigating a corrupt world.

• IV

  Dad teaches Bunny about generosity, respect for machinery, and family jokes, reinforcing moral lessons during the journey.

• V

  Bunny's moral questioning about cruelty and poverty is set against his father's pragmatic worldview, highlighting the tension between inherited values and personal conscience.

• VIII

  Paul's conflict with his father over religious extremism and his struggle to maintain personal integrity while rejecting his family's beliefs.

• IV

  Dad Ross's dedication to teaching Bunny the business underscores the family bond and the transmission of values and skills.

• V

  The Ross family's dynamics show how sudden wealth reshapes relationships and leisure, with grandmother painting genteel scenes and Aunt Emma indulging in vanity.

• VI

  Dad's decision to take Bunny to the oil field over formal education reflects a family value system that prioritizes practical knowledge and business acumen.

• IV: The Ranch

  Bunny navigates complex family dynamics, including his parents' separation, his aunt's suspicions, and his loyalty to his father.

• I

  The strained family dynamics and moral confusion Bunny experiences due to his parents' separation.

• II

  Bunny's moral concern for the Watkins family contrasts with the impersonal logic of business and banking, highlighting family bonds and ethical responsibility.

• III

  The Watkins family's religious fervor and simple life contrast with the Rosses' worldly ambitions.

• IV

  The Watkins family's simple, religious lifestyle contrasts with the Rosses' modern camping gear and worldly ways, exploring different moral frameworks.

• V

  The Watkins family's religious fervor and Dad's protective lies highlight different family moral frameworks.

• VI

  Bunny's internal struggle between obeying his father and doing what he feels is right toward the Watkins family.

• VII

  Ruth's devotion to Paul and fear of her father's wrath underscore family dynamics and moral codes.

• IX

  Ruth's concern for Paul's soul and Paul's anger over the family's loss of independence highlight the moral tensions within the Watkins family.

• V: The Revelation

  Bunny's relationship with Dad reveals double standards in business ethics and personal conduct, while Paul's estrangement from his father highlights familial conflict over belief and independence.

• I

  Dad's 'serious talk' reveals conflicting moral codes about driving, smoking, drinking, and sex, highlighting generational and class tensions.

• III

  Abel Watkins' harsh discipline of Ruth for reading a forbidden book raises questions about parental authority and moral duty.

• IV

  The Watkins family's religious unity is shattered by Eli's jealous defense of his spiritual role, revealing deep familial tensions.

• V

  Eli's religious fervor and control over Ruth contrast with Bunny's desire to help her escape.

• VI

  Paul's break with his father over religion and independence, contrasted with the supportive bond between Bunny and Dad.

• VII

  The bond between Bunny and Dad is highlighted, as Dad protects Bunny from moral discomfort, while Bertie's frivolous spending contrasts with Dad's hard-earned wealth.

• VI: The Wildcat

  Bunny reflects on his parents' separation, Dad's distrust of women, and the fading of his innocent romance with Rosie as he matures.

• IV

  Bunny learns about his mother's abandonment and Dad's resulting distrust, highlighting family dysfunction and moral judgments.

• V

  Bunny's pride and the family's involvement in the well contrast with the undercurrent of exploitation and deceit.

• VI

  Bunny's emotional response to the dead man's family letters and Dad's attempt to teach him about life's harsh realities underscore the moral dilemmas tied to family and work.

• VII

  Dad Ross involves Bunny in the oil business as a learning experience, blending family bonds with business decisions.

• VIII

  Dad's protective actions and reassurance of Bunny highlight familial bonds amidst the crisis.

• V

  The Watkins family's support for the strike, including Ruth and Meelie baking food, underscores the moral choices tied to family loyalty and community solidarity.

• VI

  Bertie's class-bigotry and Dad's attempts at fairness create moral conflict within the Ross family.

• VIII: The War

  Bunny's moral struggle with his sexual desires, his father's silent understanding, and the dysfunctional Hoyt family illustrate family and moral conflicts.

• I

  Eunice's home life is marred by her father's infidelity and her parents' rows, contrasting with Bunny's more stable upbringing.

• II

  The generational conflict over sexual morality is highlighted as Bunny's family reacts to his late nights, while the young people forge their own ethical code.

• III

  The Ross family debates war, patriotism, and morality, with Grandma's defiance of war hysteria creating a family row.

• IV

  Ruth's frantic grief over Paul's departure and Eli's violent sermons highlight family bonds and moral conflicts around war.

• VII

  Explores the breakdown of traditional family structures and the hypocrisy of private understandings, including extramarital affairs and children leveraging secrets.

• IX

  Dad's gentle guidance and Bunny's internal struggle between duty and desire reflect family influence on moral choices.

• IX: The Victory

  Dad organizes a family excursion to visit Paul, and Bunny avoids the sex adventures common in the army, reflecting family values.

• IV

  The emotional confrontation between Bunny and his father highlights family duty versus personal moral conviction.

• VI

  Grandma's silent grief and death highlight the personal cost of war on families, while Bunny's avoidance of camp debauchery shows his moral restraint.

• Chapter X

  Ruth's intense emotional bond with Paul and Dad's paternal concern for his boss-carpenter highlight familial loyalty and moral responsibility.

• XI

  Dad's desire to keep Bunny close and in the family business clashes with Bunny's personal ambition for education, highlighting generational and moral conflicts within the Ross family.

• I

  Bunny's loyalty to his father conflicts with his moral alignment with the workers' cause.

• X

  Bunny's internal struggle with temptation and his commitment to a standard of conduct reflect the theme of personal morality against a backdrop of hedonism.

• III

  The unconventional domestic arrangement between Vernon Roscoe, his wife, and his mistress Annabelle Ames challenges traditional family and moral norms.

• VI

  The chapter explores family approval and propriety, as Bunny's sister Bertie must meet and approve of Vee, and Dad Ross is pleased with the match.

• XV

  Bunny and Vee's reconciliation underscores the fragility of love amid social pressures, and Bunny's reflections on not introducing women to each other.

• IV

  Bunny's moral conflict between supporting the workers and his duty to his ailing father is central to the chapter.

• VII

  Bertie's abortion and her scheme to trap Charlie Norman into marriage highlight the clash between family expectations, personal ambition, and moral compromise.

• IV

  Aunt Emma's matchmaking and the Ross family's social aspirations clash with Bunny's personal and political choices.

• V

  The origin of Eli's ministry is tied to a family conflict—Dad Ross's intervention to protect Ruth from Abel Watkins—highlighting how family dynamics shape moral and religious crusades.

• Chapter X

  The painful conversation between father and son highlights conflicting moral duties to family and to personal convictions.

• XI

  Dad's illness and emotional manipulation keep Bunny from leaving, highlighting family obligations and moral compromise.

• VIII

  Dad's illness and Bunny's care for him, along with family tensions over Bunny's political interests.

• Chapter X

  Bertie's outrage over Dad's Spiritualist involvement and Mrs. Olivier's perceived scheme highlights family tensions and moral concerns about protecting the family fortune.

• XIX: The Penalty

  Bunny's relationship with his father is central, exploring love, forgiveness, and moral conflict over Dad's business practices.

• IX

  Dad's marriage to Alyse and the distribution of wealth raise questions about loyalty, inheritance, and family dynamics.

• Chapter X

  Bunny's guilt and forgiveness with his father and sister highlight the moral conflicts within family relationships.

• III

  Ruth's protective love for Paul and Bunny's reflections on the stubbornness of the women in his life highlight familial and moral bonds.

• IV

  The conflict between Bunny and Bertie over the liberty bonds underscores moral dilemmas within family, as Bunny's integrity clashes with Bertie's greed.

• I

  Bunny's memory of his father and the ache of loneliness tied to family and lost happiness.

• VI

  Ruth's profound grief for her brother highlights the deep familial bonds and moral anguish in the face of tragedy.

• IX

  The Watkins family is fractured: Meelie reaches out, Eli performs a ritual, but Ruth is left alone in her grief, highlighting the moral and emotional strains within the family.

• XV

  Eli's insistence on a religious burial and the tragic fate of the Watkins family highlight moral conflicts.