Poetry · Chapter
George W. Sheehan explained
A brief poetic portrait of George W.
What happens
A brief poetic portrait of George W. Sheehan, president of the Central Sugar Company in Chicago, humorously depicting him as a sugar king whose job is to keep sugar prices down.
Free preview opens on this chapter — companions, themes, and character notes appear beside the text.
Narrative arc
Story tension across the book.
- Setup
- Escalation
- Breaking point
- Aftermath
- Closing
This is the story's dramatic climax because the speaker confronts the painful realization that his child’s lov…
Full beat labels and climax notes unlock in the reader.
Follow the arc while readingThemes in this chapter
- Work and Profession
Highlights Sheehan's role as president of a sugar company and the ironic burden of his job.
- Humor and Satire
Uses playful rhyme and irony to depict the sugar king's attempt to keep sugar down.
Characters to notice
- George K. Schmidt
Mentioned as George W. Sheehan, president of Central Sugar Co., Chicago, described as the sugar king.
Key passages
“The sugar king, minus his crown. His job is the sweetest in town. The picture we see is Supposed to mean he is Attempting to keep sugar down.”
George W. Sheehan, though called a sugar king, has lost his crown; his sweet job actually involves trying to reduce sugar prices.
Summarizes the ironic contrast between the title 'sugar king' and the reality of his work.
