# Mr. Elliott — Short Fiction character guide > Mr. Elliott in Short Fiction by Ring Lardner. **Role:** supporting **Also known as:** Elliott **First appearance:** 0000-my-roomy ## Snapshot An older man with money on his mind and a secondhand Trinidad Twelve waiting, Mr. Elliott listens to a synopsis when a full reading would cost him a bargain. ## Who they are Mr. Elliott is the practical man in the room when Hazlett pitches his Irish melodrama — the one who'd rather hear the main idea than sit through three acts because a car is being held for him until half-past three. He's avaricious in a small, recognizable way, and his impatience with the story's conventions mirrors the reader's own awareness of how formulaic the plot is. His presence turns the pitch meeting into a comedy of commerce, where art is measured against the clock and the price of a used automobile. ## Relationships ### [John Knowles](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_62_se/characters/john_knowles) _professional_ John Knowles and Mr. Elliott have a professional relationship, perhaps as student-teacher or employee-supervisor. ### [John Knowles](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_62_se/characters/john_knowles) _professional_ John Knowles and Mr. Elliott have a professional relationship, perhaps as student-teacher or employee-supervisor. ## In the story ### [I](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_62_se/chapters/i) New player with incredible hitting but terrible fielding; mysterious and broke. ### [II](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_62_se/chapters/ii) Has disruptive habits like running water all night and shaving in the middle of the night, scaring his roommates. ### [Chapter III](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_62_se/chapters/iii) The narrator's roommate, a skilled hitter who shaves at night and is proud of his abilities. ### [IV](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_62_se/chapters/iv) Elliott's singing disrupts the hotel, but his hitting prowess and confidence keep him on the team. He reveals his plan to marry if he gets five hundred dollars. ### [V](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_62_se/chapters/v) Elliott is the central figure in this chapter, known for his singing and poker-playing antics. He dreams of marrying and performing on the vaudeville circuit, but his behavior puts his position on the team at risk. ### [VI](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_62_se/chapters/vi) Elliott's reckless play and elevator stunt cause chaos and nearly get the team expelled from the hotel. ### [VII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_62_se/chapters/vii) The roommate who is a powerful hitter but behaves erratically; he tears up a letter from his girlfriend, tries to join New York, and is sold to Atlanta. ### [VIII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_62_se/chapters/viii) Elliott is the subject of the chapter; his tragic fate is revealed through a letter and his own note. ### [VI: Syracuse to Hudson 183.2](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_62_se/chapters/vi-syracuse-to-hudson-183-2) The father, who drives and makes sarcastic comments throughout the trip. ### [III: Lady Perkins](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_62_se/chapters/iii-lady-perkins) Mentioned as the manager of the hotel. ### [XV: Sport Writer on The Rabies](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_62_se/chapters/xv-sport-writer-on-the-rabies) The sporting editor, nicknamed 'Oatmeal Haney' due to his obsession with oatmeal. ### [XIX: A Soft Job](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_62_se/chapters/xix-a-soft-job) The narrator, now a ticket agent, applies his imaginative methods to his new job. ### [XXV: Even Judge Ogle Smiled](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_62_se/chapters/xxv-even-judge-ogle-smiled) The narrator of the chapter, recounting the trial and the luncheon. ### [Sun Cured](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_62_se/chapters/sun-cured) The narrator, a thirty-eight-year-old insurance man from Brooklyn, who is returning from a Florida vacation and feels rejuvenated. ## Links - HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_62_se/characters/mr_elliott - Book: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_62_se - All characters: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_62_se/characters