Chapter 33: 50 States of Grey – Benjamin Harrison
⚠️ Spoiler Warning: This guide contains detailed spoilers for the entire novel. Proceed only if you've finished reading or are comfortable knowing the plot.
Summary
Chapter 33, “50 States of Grey—Benjamin Harrison,” opens with a vivid image: President Benjamin Harrison is completely surrounded by Grover Cleveland. Cleveland is in front of him (as the 22nd president) and behind him (as the 24th president). Harrison, the 23rd president, is “hemmed in by the mustached Ohioan bulk of Grover Cleveland,” serving his single term between Cleveland’s two nonconsecutive presidencies. The chapter title puns on Fifty Shades of Grey while also nodding to the number of states that entered the Union during Harrison’s term, though the text itself focuses almost entirely on the quirky historical fact of Cleveland’s split terms and Harrison’s sandwiched position. Petri’s narration treats Harrison’s place in history as comically claustrophobic—a president defined more by who came before and after than by his own achievements.
Key Events
Because the chapter is a short, comic piece rather than a chronological narrative, the only explicit “event” described is the structural irony of Harrison’s presidency:
- Harrison’s Inauguration and Exit: Harrison takes office after Cleveland’s first term and leaves office when Cleveland returns for a second term, making him the only U.S. president whose predecessor and successor are the same person serving nonconsecutive terms.
Character Development
- Benjamin Harrison: He is portrayed not as a fully developed individual but as a figure trapped by circumstance. His character arc in this chapter is a flat line—he exists between two identical mustached bookends. Petri suggests that Harrison feels the weight of Cleveland’s presence both before and after him, but no further personality traits or growth are shown.
- Grover Cleveland: Not a direct character in the chapter (he is only mentioned as the surrounding figure), but his presence looms symbolically. Cleveland’s nonconsecutive terms create the shape of Harrison’s predicament.
Themes, Symbols, or Motifs
- Being “Hemmed In”: The dominant theme is entrapment within history. Harrison cannot escape the shadow (or mustache) of Cleveland, illustrating how some presidents are defined by their lack of definition.
- Nonconsecutive Terms as a Quirk of American Politics: The chapter highlights the rarity of a president serving two separate terms—a unique feature of the U.S. system that no other president has repeated since Cleveland.
- The Pun of “50 States of Grey”: The title plays on a popular erotic book series while referencing the 50 states that were part of the Union during Harrison’s term (though state admissions are not detailed). The “grey” suggests the blandness or obscurity of a president sandwiched between two more colorful figures.
Why This Chapter Matters
This chapter serves a comic but substantive purpose: it reminds readers that not every president can be a towering figure. Benjamin Harrison’s story is a lesson in the power of context—his entire historical identity is shaped by the fact that Grover Cleveland served before and after him. The chapter’s brevity and narrow focus also demonstrate how a single quirky fact can define a presidency in popular memory. By centering on the “hemming in” metaphor, Petri encourages readers to think about the larger forces and coincidences that shape political careers.
Study Questions and Answers
1. What unique distinction does Grover Cleveland hold that creates the central joke of this chapter?
- Cleveland is the only U.S. president to serve two nonconsecutive terms. This means Benjamin Harrison, the president between them, is bookended by the same man—a rare and ironic historical situation.
2. How does the chapter’s opening imagery (“Grover Cleveland surrounded him… hemmed in by the mustached Ohioan bulk”) convey Harrison’s predicament?
- The repetition of “Grover Cleveland” in front and behind creates a claustrophobic, almost mazelike feeling. The phrase “mustached Ohioan bulk” makes Cleveland seem physically overwhelming, emphasizing that Harrison is trapped by a presence too large to ignore. This visual gag underscores Harrison’s lack of historical agency.
3. Why might the chapter title reference “50 States of Grey” rather than a straightforward title like “Benjamin Harrison’s Presidency”?
- The title satirizes the popular book Fifty Shades of Grey, implying a tone of absurdity or taboo, and it plays on the number of states (50) that existed during Harrison’s term. It also hints at a theme of “greyness”—Harrison’s presidency is a blurry, indistinct period between two more clearly defined Cleveland terms. The pun invites readers to laugh at the obscurity of a president known mainly for being surrounded.