HAIRCUT

By Ring Lardner

Dramatic Curve

The dramatic curve in this story is that Jim who is the main character is the antagonist. He used
to make fun of people, he used to call cuckoo to others who were off their head, he used to
immitate others voices, he once made the narrator fool. Then he was not a good husband for
which his wife has to get divorce from him. Ironically in the end Jim let hold a gun which was
being used for duck shot to a brain handicapped person who shot him up.

Plot

This story is set in a small town and is about the silly boy named Jim Kendall. He loved to fool
others and to play prank with others. He was a client of Whitey barber who has narrated it. Jim
and his friend Hod Meyers used to keep the town in an uproar. They both had all kind of sports
with Mitt Shepard. Playing jokes on others was more important to Jim than doing sales at his job,
and was fired from his job later on. He used to write post cards to the people he don’t know. His
wife was very upset from him as he used to borrow money from her and was also interested in
another lady Julie Gregg. Jim’s wife was hesitant to take divorce at first but she took as it
became necessary. Jim was so silly that he also didn’t leave Julie. He also played jokes on her.
Then Jim goes for duck shooting with the boy to whom he teased very much and that boy killed
him accidently.

Story

A small town where a person plays pranks on everyone, entertainment at the expense of others.
Julie is his love interest but she likes the Doctor. The story starts with a romance and finishes at
the murder.

Theme

The theme is about the present world, whatever you do with the people that comes to you
eventually.

Character

Jim Kendall

He is the main character and the antogonist who immitates others voices and plays pranks on
others and at the end he is killed by a person on whom he played the prank.

Julie Gregg

She was a lady who was in her 30’s living in that town who was the love interest of Jim
Dick Whitey (Barber)

He is the narrator of the story who is really a nice guy and loved his town and all the people
living in it.

Paul Dickson

He was a boy who fell of the tree when he was ten years old. Jim called him cuckoo because he
was his head off, and at the end Jim was a victim of Paul as he murdered Jim.

P.O.V

The point of view used in this story is of the second person.