Luke Martin
March 16, 2016
Eng 587

Tono Bungay Book II,III, & IV

Book II- We last left off at the end of book I with George being unsure of his future in London and in life. Soon enough he beings to find traces of Bladesover in London. He also comes into contact with a childhood friend Ewart. Ewart has been doing odd jobs for tradesmen and is impressed that George has been working in science. Ewart speaks of London, “It’s like a sea and we swim in it. And at last down we go, and then up we come washed up here… We’re young, but sooner or later our whitened memories will wash up on one of these beaches on some such beach as this”. Ewart enlightens him in how to think critically about common ideas of the day. Soon George is inspired to make a difference in the world. Soon enough George falls in love with Marion while at the same time getting tired of his studies. Reluctantly George accepts a position working with his uncle and his new product “Tono-Bungay” making 300 pounds a year. Upon receiving an ultimatum from Marion saying that she will marry him so long as he makes 500 pounds a year, George’s prior moral dilemmas about selling an average product for higher than it is worth are thrown out the window. Inspired by his newly found love, George and his uncle work hard to make the product seem so good that it sells itself. It is worth noticing that modern marketing is very similar to how George and his uncle tried to deceive people into believing that they needed the product more than they actually did. Ewart also draws comparisons to how in advertising, the fact that you make a product sound good, makes it seem good. Soon after marrying Marion, the two move past the “honey moon stage” (the period when a married couple feel as though everything is perfect- with their perceptions being unrealistic) and soon are tired of eachother. George feels as though the two lack similarities in perception of the world. Soon enough George cheats on Marion with a typist named Effie. This event foreshadows the downfall of the marriage. As George’s marriage crumbles, his interest in the business also starts to wither, causing him to find a hobby in aeronautics.

Book III- George and his uncle now discover a new product to attract consumers with. The product is called “quap” and is shipped from West Africa. This product is known to apparently be the main ingredient in a new product named the ideal filament. The story takes a retroactive turn and tells the tale of George’s uncle’s rise in society. The theme of “old money” from The Rise of Silas Lapham returns as we learn that George’s uncle attempts to mimic obtaining old money. This is achieved in a way when him and George’s aunt make the move from the humble beginnings of Beckenham up the ladder to Lady Grove, and finally to the top when they build a new modern residence at Crest Hill. George’s uncle is soon cocky and thinks of himself as a social Napoleon conquering social classes. This leads to him cheating on his wife with a journalist. His wife does not accept this and puts him in his place. We soon return to the story and see that Beatrice has reappeared in George’s life. He is taking the aeronautic idea more seriously and treating it like a business. He is soon injured in a crash, but luckily has Beatrice at his side for support. He asks her to marry him but she declines even though she admits to loving him. As this romance is rekindling, George needs to make a trip to West Africa to try to salvage his uncle’s dwindling financial position. Approaching the village where the quap is, George explains to the captain of the boat that he is needed to drive the boat very aggressively in and out to escape with the goods. The captain is extremely reluctant because “dis is forbidden country”. Soon enough George is roaming through the jungle in search of the goods that he had come thousands of miles for when he encounters a native. Paranoid George is scared that the man will explain to his village that he is here to steal the quap. In a passionate move George kills a man to steal the quap. Soon George is on the boat on his way back when the boat sinks because of the quaps radioactivity. The survivors are picked up by a passing boat and George returns home safely. He learns that his uncle’s luck has run out and that he is being charged for forgery.

Book IV- In a vain attempt to get his uncle to safety George flies him across the English sound to France. Battling harsh westward winds, George and his uncle take 12 hours to cross into France. It is in France where George’s uncle dies. Upon returning to England George is able to have a short lasting romance with Beatrice. She soon explains that she is with Lord Carnaby. Spoiled by him, she explains that her and him would never be able to be a good couple because he is pretty much ruined and she is a spoiled brat. The final chapter explains George’s intention of trying to tell the story as clearly as possible while coasting on his destroyer up the Thames.