Short Fiction · Character
The Narrator (I and My Chimney)
A stubborn old householder who will surrender his farm, his fortune, and his peace before he surrenders the enormous chimney at the heart of his home.
major
Also known as Unknown, the man, this man
First appearance: I and My Chimney
As a major figure in Short Fiction, The Narrator (I and My Chimney) is not background color—the story leans on what they do once the chapter opens.
The narrator, who also appears in other stories, here recounts his observations of Jimmy Rose.
He is a genial, digressive country gentleman whose house is dominated by a vast central chimney, and whose wife and daughters have decided the chimney must go. What begins as domestic nagging becomes a siege, with architects, relatives, and even a visiting clergyman enlisted against him. His long, amused, immovable defense of the chimney is both a comic set-piece and a quiet argument for the claims of habit, memory, and a man's right to his own hearth.
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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.
Follow the arc while readingIn the story
The Narrator (I and My Chimney) appears across 3 companion beats. Open any chapter in the free preview to see the notes beside the text.
Chapter companion notes
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See The Narrator (I and My Chimney) in I and My Chimney