Sybil · Chapter
Endnotes explained
This section provides editorial annotations and definitions for terms used in the main text, including explanations of the 'tommy' or 'truck' system of wages, the role of a 'butty' in mining districts, the People's Charter of 1838, and othe
What happens
This section provides editorial annotations and definitions for terms used in the main text, including explanations of the 'tommy' or 'truck' system of wages, the role of a 'butty' in mining districts, the People's Charter of 1838, and other historical and cultural references.
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 Resolution.
- Setup
- Escalation
- Breaking point
- Aftermath
- Closing
This scene is the dramatic climax because it marks the emotional and psychological peak where Sybil, having di…
Full beat labels and climax notes unlock in the reader.
Follow the arc while readingThemes in this chapter
- Social Class and Inequality
The 'tommy' system and the role of the 'butty' illustrate the exploitation and poverty faced by working-class laborers.
- Political Reform and Revolution
References to the People's Charter and Paixhans rockets highlight the push for democratic reform and the potential for revolutionary change.
Key passages
“Tommied to death”
Subjected to the 'tommy' or 'truck' system of wages.
Explains the exploitative wage system.
“Tommy”
The iniquitous system of paying workers with vouchers rather than money.
Defines the truck system.
“Butty”
A middleman in mining districts who often pays wages in goods from a tommy shop.
Describes the role of a butty.
“At play”
On strike.
Colloquial term for striking.
“Charter”
The People's Charter of 1838, demanding universal manhood suffrage and other democratic reforms.
Key political document of the Chartist movement.
“Paixhans rockets”
Artillery guns developed by French general Paixhans that fired explosive shells.
Symbol of modern military technology.
