Poetry · Chapter
John D. Black explained
A brief humorous quip from John D.
What happens
A brief humorous quip from John D. Black, a Chicago lawyer, who jokes that Rockefeller's Standard Oil Company would be struggling if not for the gas it sells to another John D.
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
- Humor and Satire
The chapter consists of a single humorous line poking fun at the oil industry and Rockefeller.
Characters to notice
- John D. Black
Chicago lawyer who makes a witty remark about Rockefeller and Standard Oil.
Key passages
“John D. Black Lawyer, Chicago My Pal Rockefeller told me That the Standard Oil Com’ny would be In the down and out class If ’twere not for the gas that it sells to this other John D.”
John D. Black, a lawyer from Chicago, said that his friend Rockefeller claimed Standard Oil would be bankrupt if it weren't for the gasoline it sells to him, another John D.
The joke relies on the coincidence of names and the essential product of oil companies.
