Previous
Chapter 15
Themes
and Colors
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in The Bonfire of the Vanities, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Morality, Power, and Self-Interest
Stereotypes, Ignorance, and Racism
Wealth, Class, and Status
Transactional Relationships
Truth and Bias
Summary
Analysis
Kramer, Martin, and Goldberg sit in Bernie Fitzgibbons’ office. Bernie is the Homicide Bureau Chief in the District Attorney’s office. Martin tells Bernie about questioning Sherman. He says that at first, everything with Sherman seemed normal. But when they asked about seeing the car, Sherman got squirrely. Martin says that if Sherman had simply said the car was in the shop or being used, he (Martin) might not have gone back to check it out. Instead, though, Sherman seemed like he was panicking.
Sherman’s previous statement that he doesn’t know how to lie proves to be prophetic, as his awkward and bungled attempts at lying have aroused Goldberg and Martin’s suspicion. Martin’s comment that Sherman could have evaded that suspicion simply by saying the car wasn’t around again shines a light on the police department’s lack of diligent engagement with the case, as Martin admits that they would have missed their prime suspect if Sherman had told a believable lie offhandedly.
Active
Themes
After questioning Sherman, Martin and Goldberg went to look for the car. They found the right garage, and the car didn’t have a spot on it. But when they asked the garage attendant if Sherman had taken the car out last Tuesday (the night of the hit and run), the attendant said Sherman had and that he looked like a mess when he came back. Bernie asks Goldberg and Martin if they think Sherman is guilty, and Goldberg and Martin both say yes. Kramer, Martin, Goldberg, and Bernie then talk about how they’ll go about building a case against Sherman to eventually convict him.
Martin and Goldberg reiterate their certainty that Sherman is guilty of the hit-and-run. Notably, that certainty stems from Sherman’s suspiciousness when he tried to lie when Martin and Goldberg questioned him. Considering that Sherman was not in fact driving the car when it hit Henry, the novel suggests that Sherman’s self-interested desire to ensure he doesn’t face consequences for his actions may be self-defeating because if he had gone directly to the authorities, he would not be the principal suspect in the hit-and-run case as he is now.
Active
Themes
Sherman goes to Tribeca to see the criminal defense lawyer Thomas Killian. Sherman thinks the office is a seedy place when he arrives. He sits in the waiting room and hears Killian speaking loudly to a client behind a closed door. When that client leaves, Sherman goes into Killian’s office. Sherman gives Killian the details of his version of events, and Killian says he’s also been reading about it in the papers. Sherman is put off by Killian’s New York accent but reassures himself that Killian went to Yale Law School.
Active
Themes
After Sherman finishes detailing the night of the hit and run and the visit from Goldberg and Martin, Killian tells Sherman that he shouldn’t talk to anyone about the case. Killian also says that his job at this point isn’t to defend Sherman but to make sure Sherman’s case doesn’t get to a point where he needs to be defended. Killian says he’ll ask Bernie Fitzgibbons, who he started out with and who is his friend, if he has any info about Sherman and the case. Killian then asks Sherman if Maria would be willing to make a sworn statement. Sherman isn’t sure, but he says he’ll talk to her about it.
Active
Themes
Get the entire The Bonfire of the Vanities LitChart as a printable PDF.
"My students can't get enough of your charts and their results have gone through the roof." -Graham S.
