The Catbird Seat (Masterplots II: Short Story Series, Revised Edition)
At a glance:
- Author: James Thurber
- First Published: 1942
- Type of Plot: Wit and humor
- Time of Work: 1942
- Setting: New York City
- Principal Characters: Erwin Martin, Ulgine Barrows, Mr. Fitweiler
- Genres: Short fiction, Wit and humor
- Subjects: Power, personal or social, Women, Comedy, Office employees
- Locales: New York, NY
The Story
“The Catbird Seat” is the story of Erwin Martin's calculated destruction of the vulgar, ruthless Ulgine Barrows, who has made life at F & S miserable since her appearance two years before the story begins. The tale might almost be called a revenge comedy, and it is even more amusing because Mr. Martin's very dullness enables him to succeed. The story begins with an uncharacteristic action by Mr. Martin. He does not smoke; yet he is surreptitiously buying a pack of cigarettes. The purchase is part of his plan to kill Mrs. Ulgine Barrows, a plan that he has...
[The entire page is 1271 words long]
Join eNotes
Over 3,500 study guides, question and answer forums, literature criticism, reference content, and much more!
Navigate
See Also
