Southern Man Chapter 90: A Plot Unfolds Amid Chaos and Conspiracy
Spoiler Notice: This summary contains detailed plot points and character developments from Chapter 90 of Southern Man. If you have not yet read this chapter, proceed with caution.
Summary
In a conference room overlooking Bienville, Bobby White and the power brokers—Dixie Donnelly, Claude Buckman, Wyatt Cash, Arthur Pine, and later Tommy Russo—watch live feeds of a vehicle attack at Battery Row. A pickup truck is stopped by a deputy in an MRAP before it can mow down the protest crowd. The driver is identified as a local meth user fired from the paper mill. The group sees CNN footage of Deputy Kenneth LeJay in jail. Mayor-to-be Bobby gets a threatening call from Sheriff Tarlton, who has a witness placing Bobby’s assistant Corey Evers with the dead Charlot Dufort at Snake Creek. Tensions escalate as a standoff between city police and sheriff’s deputies erupts at the Corner Bar, where PSP militia members have set up a temporary HQ. The city board votes 4–2 to dissolve Bienville, triggering a cheer. A PSP-marked bus approaches the bluff, and Bobby orders the Guard to stop it by force if necessary, declaring, “Today we’re calling the shots.” The chapter ends with the group bracing for what comes next.
Key Events
- A pickup truck attempts to ram the protest crowd on Battery Row but is stopped by a deputy driving an armored Caiman (MRAP).
- The driver is confirmed as a local meth user from the paper mill, not a PSP operative.
- CNN broadcasts Chief Mason Morgan and Marshall McEwan at the jail with Deputy Kenneth LeJay.
- A standoff breaks out at the Corner Bar when PSP militia heckle passing Black families; city police and sheriff’s deputies aim guns at each other.
- Bobby White receives a threatening call from Sheriff Tarlton, who claims a witness saw Corey Evers with Charlot Dufort at Snake Creek Indian Village.
- The Bienville city board votes four to two to dissolve the city.
- A PSP-marked bus loaded with armed men drives toward the bluff, and Bobby orders the National Guard to blow it up if it tries to breach the barriers.
Character Development
- Bobby White: Shows increasing moral conflict as his plan to let Donny Kilmer assassinate Kendrick Washington and then kill Kilmer to become a hero weighs on him. He is shaken by the near-slaughter but remains committed to the scheme. Tarlton’s threat about Corey Evers reveals a vulnerable side.
- Dixie Donnelly: Remains pragmatic, managing the group’s response and keeping her journalist daughter Jenna Kay sidelined.
- Claude Buckman: Advocates for distraction tactics like looting; his casual racism and hunger for control are evident.
- Sheriff Buck Tarlton: Defiant and threatening, using his knowledge of Corey and Charlot to pressure Bobby. His power struggle with the city police is a central tension.
- Wyatt Cash and Arthur Pine: Loyal but reactive players who observe the unfolding events with alarm.
- Tommy Russo: Brings street-level intelligence; his comment about Dufort’s debt dying with him hints at Bobby’s involvement.
Themes, Symbols, or Motifs
- Manipulation of Media and Public Perception: The group watches CNN and orchestrates events (e.g., the “broken water main” to thin the crowd) to control the narrative.
- Racial Violence and White Supremacy: The vehicle attack, PSP militia, and the plot to assassinate Kendrick Washington underscore the racial hatred driving the crisis.
- Power and Compromise: Bobby and the cabal are willing to sacrifice innocent lives for political gain. The dissolution of the city is a legal maneuver to seize control.
- Moral Decay and the Abyss: Bobby’s internal reflections—imagining “dead babies bouncing like basketballs” and considering how many he would have to kill—show his descent into evil.
Why This Chapter Matters
This chapter is a pivot point in the novel. It raises the stakes from local unrest to a potential massacre. The dissolution of Bienville removes the final legal barrier, and the arrival of the PSP bus signals that the violence Bobby has been orchestrating is about to become uncontrollable. Tarlton’s threat to Bobby about Corey Evers introduces a personal vulnerability that could unravel the conspiracy. The chapter also deepens the reader’s understanding of Bobby’s cold calculation and the lengths to which he will go to achieve his vision.
Study Questions and Answers
1. Why does Bobby order the National Guard to destroy the PSP bus if it attempts to breach the barriers, and what does this reveal about his strategy?
Bobby wants to prevent the PSP from triggering a massacre that could be blamed on white supremacists rather than on the staged attack he and Donny Kilmer have planned. By destroying the bus, he maintains control of the narrative and ensures that the only “hero” (himself) emerges from the event he has scripted. It reveals his willingness to sacrifice even potential allies to preserve his own plan.
2. How does Sheriff Tarlton’s phone call to Bobby change the power dynamics among the conspirators?
Tarlton’s claim of a witness linking Corey Evers and Charlot Dufort at Snake Creek gives him leverage over Bobby. Up to this point, Tarlton has been subordinate to the governor’s team. Now he can threaten Bobby with exposure, which could derail the assassination plot and Bobby’s political future. This creates a new internal threat to the cabal.
3. What is the significance of the Bienville city board’s vote to dissolve the city? How does it affect the remaining action?
The dissolution eliminates the legal authority of the city police, effectively handing all law enforcement power to the county sheriff (Tarlton) and the governor’s appointed officials. It removes a potential obstacle to Bobby’s plan, because there will be no independent city government to investigate or intervene. The vote also emboldens the conspirators, as seen in their celebratory reaction.