# The Lightning-Rod Man — Short Fiction character guide

> The Lightning-Rod Man in Short Fiction by Herman Melville.

**Role:** minor

**First appearance:** 0017-the-lightning-rod-man

## Who they are

A peddler who tries to sell lightning rods by instilling fear of storms.

## Relationships

### [The Narrator (Bartleby)](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_28_se/characters/the_narrator_bartleby)

_rivalry_

The Lightning-Rod Man aggressively tries to sell his wares to the narrator, creating a tense and adversarial encounter.

### [The Narrator (Bartleby)](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_28_se/characters/the_narrator_bartleby)

_rivalry_

The Lightning-Rod Man aggressively tries to sell his wares to the narrator, creating a tense and adversarial encounter.

## In the story

### [The Lightning-Rod Man](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_28_se/chapters/the-lightning-rod-man)

A lean, gloomy figure with dark hair and indigo-ringed eyes, dripping wet and carrying a copper lightning rod. He is a traveling salesman who uses the terror of the storm to peddle his rods, displaying both arrogance and cowardice.

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_28_se/characters/the_lightning_rod_man
- Book: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_28_se
- All characters: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_28_se/characters