Summary

Chapter 2 moves into the past, opening with a sketch of the characters and lives of Mary and Hugh Keating, Edgar’s parents. They worked their way out of poverty as they built the Keating steel empire, and have achieved great wealth. Mary dedicates herself to fitting in with the moneyed classes, and she and Hugh dream of a perfect life with a family of four children. This large family would justify a large house, ostentatious gifts, and the lifestyle they want. When Edgar is born, the doctor informs them that Mary’s blood clot could be fatal if she has another child. As a result, Edgar finds himself living “the childhoods of all his brothers and sisters who did not exist” (22). All of his parents’ expectations—and the wealth they had expected to shower on the next generation—are focused on him. Hugh, in...