The Pit: a Story of Chicago

The Pit: A Story Of Chicago is Frank Norris' novel detailing wheat speculation and the trading pits at the Chicago Board of Trade Building. It was the second book in what was to be the Epic of Wheat trilogy, the first book being The Octopus. The third book, Wolf, was never completed. The Pit follows a businessman who begins speculating in the commodities market on a small scale then, overcome by greed and addicted to the art of the deal power, gambles recklessly in the market while the fortunes of farmers and small investors hang in the balance. His independent-minded young wife becomes bored with domesticity and feeling abused by his neglect, risks her marriage by contemplating an affair with a former suitor. By interweaving the conventions of the business plot and the romance Frank Norris broke with the traditions of his time and brought a fresh perspective to the American novel.