# Cost of Living Carrin — Short Fiction character guide

> Cost of Living Carrin in Short Fiction by Robert Sheckley.

**Role:** supporting

**Also known as:** Carrin, Mr. Carrin

**First appearance:** 0003-cost-of-living

## Snapshot

Carrin owns a house full of Avignon Electric luxuries he can barely afford, and a neighbor's suicide is spoiling his day off.

## Who they are

Carrin lives surrounded by A.E. appliances—the Auto-towel, the Kleen-presser, the Wall-reminder reciting chores he hasn't done—and a finance man is due in half an hour. Miller's suicide nags at him even as he tries to enjoy the shower and the perfume and the dressed-and-ready routine. His anxious scramble to hide the Castile Motors bartender before Mr. Pathis arrives shows a man whose comforts have become obligations, and whose story is really about what all this buying is for.

## Relationships

### [Mr. Pathis](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_48_se/characters/mr_pathis)

_social_

Cost of Living Carrin and Mr. Pathis are acquaintances who meet at social gatherings.

### [Mr. Pathis](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_48_se/characters/mr_pathis)

_social_

Cost of Living Carrin and Mr. Pathis are acquaintances who meet at social gatherings.

### [Mr. Pathis](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_48_se/characters/mr_pathis)

_social_

Cost of Living Carrin and Mr. Pathis are acquaintances who meet at social gatherings.

## In the story

### [Cost of Living](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_48_se/chapters/cost-of-living)

Protagonist who is troubled by Miller's suicide and signs a debt contract for his son's future earnings.

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_48_se/characters/cost_of_living_carrin
- Book: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_48_se
- All characters: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_48_se/characters