Whitey"s Jim Dandy

Whitey?s Jim Dandy


Whitey, the barber in Ring Lardner?s ?Haircut?, told the story as if Jim Kendall was just a good ol? boy, yucking it up with the boys at the barbershop. Throughout the narration, Whitey admitted that Jim was ?rough?(166), but would immediately temper it by referring to him as ?a character? (167) or ?a card? (173). Whitey felt that he ?was all right at heart, but just bubbling over with mischief? (175), yet he does tell the story. The truth of Jim?s conduct is there, allowing the reader to interpret and form an opinion on the indirect presentation of the character. It is through the recantation of the tale to a new customer that we learn just how vile Jim truly was.
As I read the second paragraph of Whitey?s flashback I learned that Jim Kendall ?got killed? (165). This to me, indicated that someone had more than likely killed him because of a conflict, that possibly he was not a good person and that I probably wouldn?t like him. As I read on, my suspicions were...