Short Fiction · Character
Lawrence Watts
A practical man who bought a cuckoo clock outright and now shares his silent house with it, resenting every bird that refuses to perform on schedule.
supporting
Also known as Watts, Larry
First appearance: the hanging stranger
As a supporting figure in Short Fiction, Lawrence Watts is not background color—the story leans on what they do once the chapter opens.
Larry buys the cuckoo clock for Doris, resents it, and ultimately threatens it with a hammer before being attacked by the cuckoo.
Free preview opens at this moment — character cards, Character Web, and themes sit beside the text as you read.
Larry comes home to find his wife Doris and a young man named Bob Chambers standing before the antique clock she adores, and his response is immediate, proprietary, and cold. He keeps the clock after Doris leaves, not…
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The fuller portrait of Lawrence Watts sits in Reading Lens — open the free preview to keep reading with notes on the page.
See Lawrence Watts in the hanging strangerCharacter Web
10 connectionsA slice of how Lawrence Watts sits in the book — open the reader for the full interactive map.
Relationship types
- Romantic
- Other
Character groups
- Small town and fleet command
- Police and alien beings
+5 more in the full Character Web
Open in readerNarrative arc
Story tension across the book — this chapter sits in Exposition.
- Setup
- Escalation
- Breaking point
- Closing
This scene is the dramatic climax because it crystallizes the emotional chasm between Doris and Larry: Doris’s…
Full beat labels and climax notes unlock in the reader.
Follow the arc while readingRelationships
- Doris
romantic · positive
Doris and Lawrence Watts share a tender romantic relationship, characterized by mutual… How this plays out →
- Doris
romantic · positive
Doris and Lawrence Watts share a tender romantic relationship, characterized by mutual… How this plays out →
- Doris
romantic · positive
Doris and Lawrence Watts share a tender romantic relationship, characterized by mutual… How this plays out →
Relationship notes
How these ties play out is in the reading companion — open the free preview.
See Lawrence Watts in the hanging strangerIn the story
Lawrence Watts appears across 1 companion beat. Open any chapter in the free preview to see the notes beside the text.
Chapter companion notes
Spoil-light check-ins for Lawrence Watts unlock in the free preview.
See Lawrence Watts in the hanging stranger