Poetry · Chapter
H. H. Blum explained
A brief, humorous verse about a women's wear dealer in Chicago who skillfully persuades a customer to purchase a fur coat she didn't initially intend to buy.
What happens
A brief, humorous verse about a women's wear dealer in Chicago who skillfully persuades a customer to purchase a fur coat she didn't initially intend to buy.
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
- Humor and Satire
The chapter uses a light, rhyming verse to satirize the persuasive tactics of a clothing salesman.
- Work and Profession
Highlights the profession of a women's wear dealer and the art of salesmanship.
Key passages
“When she entered, it didn't occur To this dame that she needed a fur. But there's little doubt That when she walks out, He'll see that the fur is on her.”
A woman walks into a shop not planning to buy a fur coat, but the salesman is so convincing that she will leave wearing one.
Summarizes the central sales pitch and outcome of the chapter.
