Short Fiction · Character

Hautboy

A cheerful, contented fiddler who lives a simple life despite his talent.

minor

Also known as Poor Hautboy, the easy, indifferent Hautboy

First appearance: The Fiddler

Hautboy's tie to The Narrator (Bartleby) is one of the pressures that moves Short Fiction—worth meeting in the text, not only on a cast list.

A short, full, ruddy-complexioned man of forty with a juvenile, cheerful demeanor; once a celebrated child prodigy (Master Betty) now living obscurely as a fiddling teacher, yet…

In the storyThe FiddlerOpen this moment free

See Hautboy in The Fiddler Book page

Free preview opens at this moment — character cards, Character Web, and themes sit beside the text as you read.

With The Narrator (Bartleby) (social): Hautboy is a cheerful, contented acquaintance of the narrator, representing a contrast to the narrator's own melancholy. With The Narrator (Bartleby) (social): Hautboy is a cheerful, contented acquaintance of the narrator, representing a contrast to the narrator's own melancholy. With The Narrator (Bartleby) (social): Hautboy is a cheerful, contented acquaintance of the narrator, representing a contrast to the narrator's own melancholy.

Continue beside the text

The fuller portrait of Hautboy sits in Reading Lens — open the free preview to keep reading with notes on the page.

See Hautboy in The Fiddler

Character Web

14 connections

A slice of how Hautboy sits in the book — open the reader for the full interactive map.

Relationship types

Social
Other

Character groups

Isolated and Oppressed Figures
Office and Social Contrasts
Narrators and Observers
Protagonist

+9 more in the full Character Web

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Narrative arc

Story tension across the book — this chapter sits in Exposition.

Setup
Escalation
Breaking point
Aftermath
Closing

This excerpt marks the climax because it reveals the story’s central psychological and moral crisis: the unres…

Full beat labels and climax notes unlock in the reader.

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Relationships

The Narrator (Bartleby)
social · positive
Hautboy is a cheerful, contented acquaintance of the narrator, representing a contrast to… How this plays out →
The Narrator (Bartleby)
social · positive
Hautboy is a cheerful, contented acquaintance of the narrator, representing a contrast to… How this plays out →
The Narrator (Bartleby)
social · positive
Hautboy is a cheerful, contented acquaintance of the narrator, representing a contrast to… How this plays out →

The Narrator (Bartleby)
Hautboy is a cheerful, contented acquaintance of the narrator, representing a contrast to the narrator's own melancholy.
The Narrator (Bartleby)
Hautboy is a cheerful, contented acquaintance of the narrator, representing a contrast to the narrator's own melancholy.
The Narrator (Bartleby)
Hautboy is a cheerful, contented acquaintance of the narrator, representing a contrast to the narrator's own melancholy.

Relationship notes

How these ties play out is in the reading companion — open the free preview.

See Hautboy in The Fiddler

In the story

Hautboy appears across 1 companion beat. Open any chapter in the free preview to see the notes beside the text.

The Fiddler

Chapter companion notes

Spoil-light check-ins for Hautboy unlock in the free preview.

See Hautboy in The Fiddler