Herman Melville’s Short Story ‘The Lightning-Rod Man’

Fear in a flash: Melville exposes scare tactics in his 19th-century short story.
Herman Melville’s Short Story ‘The Lightning-Rod Man’
A forceful salesman and an ominous thunderstorm make for a fascinating story. Den Rozhnovsky/Shutterstock
Kate Vidimos
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Frequently, salesmen provoke a customer’s fears: “Get it, before it’s too late!” In doing so, they demand an immediate response to override the customer’s common sense. Herman Melville wrote about this fear tactic in his short story “The Lightning-Rod Man.” Moreover, he highlighted the conditions necessary to overcome such demands.

Unideal Conditions

One night in the Acroceraunian hills, a man inside his house marvels at the storm raging outside. Thunder booms all around and brilliant lightning brightens the sky.

While contemplating the storm, he suddenly hears a knock on the door.

Kate Vidimos
Kate Vidimos
Author
Kate Vidimos holds a bachelor's in English from the liberal arts college at the University of Dallas and is currently working on finishing and illustrating a children’s book.