The Turmoil · Character

Roscoe Sheridan

The steady elder Sheridan son, dependable as an old wheel-horse, who begins to buckle under his father's expectations and his own unraveling marriage.

supporting

Also known as Mrs. Sheridan, Mrs. Roscoe Sheridan, young Mrs. Sheridan, mother Sheridan, Poor Roscoe, Honest Roscoe, Old Roscoe

First appearance: i

As a supporting figure in The Turmoil, Roscoe Sheridan is not background color—the story leans on what they do once the chapter opens.

Bibbs's brother, involved in the family business and conforming to their father's expectations.

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Roscoe is the son Sheridan counts on now that Jim is gone, the one who shows up and does the work—until his father finds him slumped in his office, bloodshot and incoherent, refusing to say a word about the young Lamhorn. His collapse is a quiet catastrophe: the dependable one coming apart while the family's attention is elsewhere. He matters because his fracture exposes how much of the Sheridan edifice rests on men who cannot afford to feel anything.

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See Roscoe Sheridan in i

Character Web

17 connections

A slice of how Roscoe Sheridan sits in the book — open the reader for the full interactive map.

Relationship types

Family
Rivalry
Other

Character groups

Sheridan Family Circle
Protagonist

+12 more in the full Character Web

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Narrative arc

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

Setup
Escalation
Breaking point
Aftermath
Closing

This passage marks the narrative climax because Bibbs reaches an emotional and psychological peak by articulat…

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Relationships

Sibyl Sheridan
family · negative
Roscoe and his wife Sibyl have a troubled marriage, strained by Roscoe's ambition and… How this plays out →
Edith Sheridan
family · ambivalent
James Sheridan
family · positive
Mary Vertrees
rivalry · negative
Robert Lamhorn
professional · ambivalent
Sibyl Sheridan
family · negative
Roscoe and his wife Sibyl have a troubled marriage, strained by Roscoe's ambition and… How this plays out →
Edith Sheridan
family · ambivalent
Mary Vertrees
rivalry · negative
Edith Sheridan
family · ambivalent
James Sheridan
family · positive
Sibyl Sheridan
family · negative
Roscoe and his wife Sibyl have a troubled marriage, strained by Roscoe's ambition and… How this plays out →
James Sheridan
family · positive

Sibyl Sheridan
Roscoe and his wife Sibyl have a troubled marriage, strained by Roscoe's ambition and emotional neglect.
Edith Sheridan
Edith and her brother Roscoe have a cordial but distant sibling relationship, with Edith often mediating family tensions.
James Sheridan
James and his son Roscoe share a pragmatic, business-oriented relationship, with James favoring Roscoe's ambition.
Mary Vertrees
Mary and Roscoe are antagonistic, as Roscoe resents her relationship with Bibbs and her influence on the family.
Robert Lamhorn
Robert Lamhorn and Roscoe Sheridan are business associates, with Lamhorn working under Roscoe's influence.
Sibyl Sheridan
Roscoe and his wife Sibyl have a troubled marriage, strained by Roscoe's ambition and emotional neglect.
Edith Sheridan
Edith and her brother Roscoe have a cordial but distant sibling relationship, with Edith often mediating family tensions.
Mary Vertrees
Mary and Roscoe are antagonistic, as Roscoe resents her relationship with Bibbs and her influence on the family.
Edith Sheridan
Edith and her brother Roscoe have a cordial but distant sibling relationship, with Edith often mediating family tensions.
James Sheridan
James and his son Roscoe share a pragmatic, business-oriented relationship, with James favoring Roscoe's ambition.
Sibyl Sheridan
Roscoe and his wife Sibyl have a troubled marriage, strained by Roscoe's ambition and emotional neglect.
James Sheridan
James and his son Roscoe share a pragmatic, business-oriented relationship, with James favoring Roscoe's ambition.

Relationship notes

How these ties play out is in the reading companion — open the free preview.

See Roscoe Sheridan in i

In the story

Roscoe Sheridan appears across 19 companion beats. Open any chapter in the free preview to see the notes beside the text.

The Turmoil
Bibbs's brother, involved in the family business and conforming to their father's expectations.
II
Mentioned as a successful son, married and ready to build his own house, held up by his father as a model of hard work and business acumen.
III
Mentioned as Sibyl's husband, who built a house across the street and is described by Edith as too lenient with Sibyl.
V
Mentioned as the middle son, married, and owner of the new house across the street where Robert Lamhorn visits.
VI
Sits next to Mary Vertrees, is taken aback by her flirtation, and is described as a literal, steady young businessman.
Chapter IX
Mentioned by Sheridan as an example of a son who is industrious and successful in business.
XII
Roscoe is dazed and shirks funeral responsibilities, justifying his inexperience. He follows Bibbs's directions.
XVII
Listens to Sibyl's mockery of the Vertrees family, expresses grim sympathy, and attempts to discuss Robert Lamhorn with Sibyl.
Chapter XVIII
Found drunk in his office by his father, who helps him home.
Chapter XX
Revealed to be drinking heavily and neglecting his work; Sheridan confronts him and arranges a family dinner to discuss the issue.
Chapter XXI
Looks ill at dinner; eats nothing and avoids looking at his father.
XXII
Mentioned briefly: an automobile is parked at the curb before Roscoe's house, though Bibbs does not recognize it.
XXIII
Broken by overwork and domestic trouble, he refuses his father's demand to return to business.
XXVI
Present in the scene, tearfully obeying Sheridan's commands and witnessing the confrontation.
XXVII
Arrives with Sibyl at the New House, crossing the street without acknowledging Mary and Bibbs.
Chapter XXVIII
Present during Sibyl's apology and revelations; moves to a chair in the library, remaining silent.
Chapter XXX
Remembers seeing Mary mail a letter the afternoon Jim was hurt.
XXXI
Mentioned as having once said that Mary Vertrees turned Sibyl out of the house.
XXXII
Referenced as the older son whom Mary had previously tried to attract due to her family's poverty.

Chapter companion notes

Spoil-light check-ins for Roscoe Sheridan unlock in the free preview.

See Roscoe Sheridan in i

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