# Jim Kendall — Short Fiction character guide

> Jim Kendall in Short Fiction by Ring Lardner.

**Role:** supporting

**Also known as:** Jim, James H. Kendall, Ken

**First appearance:** 0000-my-roomy

## Snapshot

A Broadway headliner with three identical cars and a jockey's tip sheet, Jim Kendall marries in a blaze of flashbulbs and immediately starts flirting with the bride's sister.

## Who they are

Jim Kendall is a star comedian whose salary and spending are the stuff of gossip, a man who keeps his race winnings and his marriages equally casual. On his wedding day he poses for photographers, dismisses the cost of a diamond bracelet as boasting, and then asks his new sister-in-law if he can find her one just like it. The early arc of the story turns on whether his charm is a performance or a habit, and how much damage the difference makes.

## In the story

### [The Poor Simp](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_62_se/chapters/the-poor-simp)

Central figure in the chapter, embodying the 'poor simp' archetype, likely facing social or romantic disillusionment.

### [Where Do You Get That Noise?](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_62_se/chapters/where-do-you-get-that-noise)

Embodying the cynical voice that amplifies the noise of disillusionment.

### [The Golden Honeymoon](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_62_se/chapters/the-golden-honeymoon)

A congenial acquaintance met in St. Petersburg, who plays cards with the couple.

### [Bedtime Stories](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_62_se/chapters/bedtime-stories)

A salesman whose abrasive personality and failed ambitions lead to tragic consequences.

### [Haircut](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_62_se/chapters/haircut)

The town's comical but mean-spirited practical joker, whose death is the subject of the barber's story.

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_62_se/characters/jim_kendall
- Book: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_62_se
- All characters: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_62_se/characters