Poetry · Chapter
The Scurril Press explained
Tom Jonesmith wakes to find himself and acquaintances lampooned in the morning paper.
What happens
Tom Jonesmith wakes to find himself and acquaintances lampooned in the morning paper. He rails against the scurrilous press, especially the 'funny man' Grip, while his wife offers a wry counterpoint.
Free preview opens on this chapter — companions, themes, and character notes appear beside the text.
Narrative arc
Story tension across the book — this chapter sits in Exposition.
- Setup
- Escalation
- Breaking point
- Aftermath
- Closing
The emotional and psychological peak occurs when the speaker’s obsessive pursuit of the divine rose fragrance…
Full beat labels and climax notes unlock in the reader.
Follow the arc while readingThemes in this chapter
- Hypocrisy and Corruption
Jonesmith condemns the paper's libel while himself indulging in gossip and double standards about the same stories.
- Deception and Self-Deception
Jonesmith's outrage at being written up contrasts with his earlier amusement at others being lampooned, revealing self-deception.
Characters to notice
Key passages
“If Freedom shrieked when Kosciusko fell She’ll shriek again—with laughter—seeing how They treated Gast. with her.”
If the nation mourned when Kosciusko died, it will laugh now at how the press has treated Gast.
Jonesmith mocks the paper's treatment of a mutual acquaintance, 'Gast.'
“You skim their contents and you get but scum.”
When you read these papers, all you find is filth.
Jonesmith's summary judgment of the scurrilous press.
