Poetry · Chapter
Bennett Griffin explained
A brief poetic portrait of Bennett Griffin, an insurance man in Chicago, who uses a fiddle and bow to persuade reluctant customers into buying life insurance.
What happens
A brief poetic portrait of Bennett Griffin, an insurance man in Chicago, who uses a fiddle and bow to persuade reluctant customers into buying life insurance.
Free preview opens on this chapter — companions, themes, and character notes appear beside the text.
Narrative arc
Story tension across the book.
- Setup
- Escalation
- Breaking point
- Aftermath
- Closing
This is the story's dramatic climax because the speaker confronts the painful realization that his child’s lov…
Full beat labels and climax notes unlock in the reader.
Follow the arc while readingThemes in this chapter
- Work and Profession
Bennett Griffin's profession as an insurance man is central to the chapter.
- Humor and Satire
The whimsical image of a fiddle and bow being used to close a sale adds a humorous twist to the insurance pitch.
Characters to notice
- Bennett Griffin
Insurance man in Chicago who plays a fiddle and bow to convince customers.
Key passages
“Bennett Griffin Insurance Man, Chicago “You need life insurance,” he’ll urge, And when you are just on the verge Of telling him “No,” Out come fiddle and bow And he changes your mind with a dirge.”
Bennett Griffin, an insurance salesman in Chicago, insists you need life insurance. Just as you're about to refuse, he pulls out a fiddle and bow and plays a mournful tune that convinces you otherwise.
Summarizes the entire chapter's content.
