Poetry · Chapter
The Two Cavees explained
In a dramatic verse play set in 1875, Deacon Fitch and his partner Pickering stand on the brink of a deep railway cut, hurling missiles—a dead cat and an antique egg—at the workers below, specifically targeting Stanford and Mike de Young.
What happens
In a dramatic verse play set in 1875, Deacon Fitch and his partner Pickering stand on the brink of a deep railway cut, hurling missiles—a dead cat and an antique egg—at the workers below, specifically targeting Stanford and Mike de Young. After a brief appearance by Old Nick, who retrieves his tar-stick, the two sit down to smoke and sing a bawdy song. A massive explosion, supposedly caused by argument rather than explosives, sends a section of the bank crashing down, flinging Mike de Young into the distance. Fitch and Pickering survive and decide to join the labor below.
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 Falling action.
- 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
- Political Satire
The chapter satirizes capitalist monopolies and labor relations through exaggerated characters and absurd missile-throwing.
- Deception and Self-Deception
Pickering hides the tar-stick and lies about it, and the characters deceive themselves about the power of argument over explosives.
Characters to notice
- Deacon Fitch
One of the two cavees; he hurls missiles and sings a song about a wench.
- Loring Pickering
Fitch's partner; he encourages the missile-throwing and later decides to drive the dump-cart.
- Old Nick
Appears to retrieve his tar-stick, which Pickering had taken; withdraws in tears.
- Mike de Young
Drives a dump-cart for Stanford; is struck by the falling bank and flung skyward.
- Stanford
Referenced as the capitalist for whom Mike de Young works; is 'grassed' by the dead cat.
Key passages
“Designed to admonish, Persuade and astonish The capitalist and—”
The dead cat is meant to warn, convince, and shock the capitalist.
The cat's song frames the missile as a tool of protest against capitalism.
“Explosives all have had their day and season; The modern engineer relies on reason. He'll talk a tunnel through a mountain's flank And by fair speech cave down the tallest bank.”
Explosives are outdated; a modern engineer uses persuasive argument to blast through rock.
Pickering's ironic claim is immediately contradicted by the actual explosion.
