Short Fiction · Chapter
Buying a Piano explained
A Houston lawyer decides to buy his wife a piano for Christmas, but his inquiry attracts relentless piano agents who pursue him everywhere—at his office, on the streetcar, and even at home.
What happens
A Houston lawyer decides to buy his wife a piano for Christmas, but his inquiry attracts relentless piano agents who pursue him everywhere—at his office, on the streetcar, and even at home. His frustration escalates into a physical altercation with his minister, who also tries to pitch a piano, and ends with the family doctor, summoned to treat his injuries, recommending his brother's piano brand.
Free preview opens on this chapter — companions, themes, and character notes appear beside the text.
Narrative arc
Story tension across the book — this chapter sits in Exposition.
- Setup
- Escalation
- Breaking point
- Aftermath
- Closing
This excerpt marks the dramatic climax because it captures the precise moment the protagonist’s humor shifts f…
Full beat labels and climax notes unlock in the reader.
Follow the arc while readingThemes in this chapter
- Humor and Irony
The lawyer's attempt to buy a piano discreetly leads to absurd, escalating encounters with agents and even his minister, culminating in a comedic brawl.
Characters to notice
- Unknown Narrator
The narrator recounts the lawyer's ordeal with piano agents.
Key passages
“The insurance and fruit tree businesses are mild and retiring in comparison with the piano industry.”
Piano sales are far more aggressive than insurance or fruit tree sales.
Highlights the extreme competitiveness of piano agents.
“He fired away and knocked the minister’s tall hat across the street, and kicked him in the shin.”
He threw a stone at the minister, knocking off his hat, and kicked him.
Shows the lawyer's violent frustration with the relentless pitches.
