The Pit · Character

Curtis Jadwin

A South Side capitalist whose buggy, stopwatch, and thoroughbreds announce a man who attacks everything — courtship included — as a campaign to be won.

major

Also known as Mr. Jadwin, Jadwin, this Jadwin, the capitalist Jadwin, Curtis, Often Jadwin, Mr. Curtis Jadwin

First appearance: I

As a major figure in The Pit, Curtis Jadwin is not background color—the story leans on what they do once the chapter opens.

Introduced as a capitalist and speculator.

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Jadwin drives over to the Cresslers' nightly, times his team with a stopwatch, and enlists Mrs. Cressler as an auxiliary in his pursuit of Laura. His addresses carry the vehemence of a market raid, leaving her no room for finesse or delay. That same appetite — patient, methodical, and total — is what will eventually carry him into the wheat Pit, where his private life and his speculations become one gamble.

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See Curtis Jadwin in I

Character Web

26 connections

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Relationship types

Other

Character groups

Core Social Circle
Background Servants and Traders

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Narrative arc

Story tension across the book — this chapter sits in Exposition.

Setup
Escalation
Breaking point
Aftermath
Closing

This scene is the dramatic climax because it reveals the psychological breaking point of Jadwin, who has shift…

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Relationships

Laura Dearborn
romantic · ambivalent
Curtis Jadwin is Laura's eventual husband, a powerful financier whose obsessive love and… How this plays out →
Laura Dearborn
romantic · ambivalent
Curtis Jadwin is Laura's eventual husband, a powerful financier whose obsessive love and… How this plays out →

Relationship notes

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See Curtis Jadwin in I

In the story

Curtis Jadwin appears across 13 companion beats. Open any chapter in the free preview to see the notes beside the text.

Principal Characters in the Novel
Introduced as a capitalist and speculator.
The Pit
Introduced as a major figure in the wheat speculation world.
I
Jadwin is a wealthy Chicago real estate investor waiting for the Cresslers at the opera. He is initially suspicious of Laura's approach but quickly becomes embarrassed and deferential, revealing his character as a strong but somewhat awkward man.
II
A wealthy bachelor and friend of the Cresslers, who shows strong interest in Laura after meeting her.
Chapter III
Jadwin visits Gretry's office and, after flipping a coin, commits to selling a million bushels of wheat short, driven by a premonition of luck.
Chapter IV
Jadwin aggressively courts Laura, dismisses Cressler's warnings about speculation, and shares his belief in luck after a coin flip decision to sell wheat short.
Chapter V
Engaged to Laura, deeply in love with her, continues his speculative activities in the wheat market.
Chapter VI
Jadwin becomes a confident Bear speculator, buys a seat on the Board of Trade, and secretly turns Bull after three years of declining wheat prices.
Chapter VII
Returns to speculation as the 'Unknown Bull,' buying wheat aggressively and dominating the market, causing tension with Laura.
Chapter VIII
Obsessed with cornering the May wheat market, he works day and night, neglecting Laura and feeling trapped by the forces he unleashed.
Chapter IX
Jadwin is deeply absorbed in his wheat corner, rarely seeing Laura, and his heart hardens to the distress he causes. He recalls the phrase 'Vae victis' and feels trapped by his own success.
Chapter X
Determined to fight the bear clique, he plans to mortgage all his properties to raise funds and drive wheat prices higher, ignoring Gretry's warnings.
Conclusion
Accepts blame for the past, expresses remorse, and looks forward to rebuilding his life with Laura.

Chapter companion notes

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