Wife's ultimatum and narrator's feigned concession with his pipe

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description

# Wife's ultimatum and narrator's feigned concession with his pipe ## Overview This segment, titled "Wife's ultimatum and narrator's feigned concession with his pipe," is part of the short story "[I and My Chimney](arke:01KG8AJ72QDX8N8STJ3550X2NW)". It was extracted from the file "[i_and_my_chimney.txt](arke:01KG89J1H4TA19251AXAPE3ZWC)" and is part of the "[Melville Complete Works](arke:01KG89HMDZKNY753EZE1CJ8HZW)" collection. The segment covers lines 704 to 728 of the original text. ## Context The narrative depicts a domestic conflict where the narrator's wife issues an ultimatum: either the chimney or she must leave the house. Faced with this ultimatum, the narrator engages in a philosophical discussion with his pipe. This segment follows the "[Escalation of family's campaign and narrator's philosophical reflection on their persistence](arke:01KG8AJN5H3A1E8F1HN3REX8BV)" and precedes the segment titled "[Mr. Scribe's return for an estimate and narrator's renewed resistance](arke:01KG8AJN4ZPSHC168HKXHHGB7M)". ## Contents In this segment, the narrator describes his wife's escalating demands regarding the chimney, culminating in her threat to leave if it is not removed. The narrator, in a moment of feigned agreement, decides to write the chimney's "death-warrant" and a note to Mr. Scribe. He reflects on his and his pipe's "conspiracy" against the chimney, personifying them as old comrades and acknowledging their betrayal in the name of peace. The narrator concludes by noting that better thoughts soon returned, setting the stage for the subsequent events in the narrative.

description_generated_at

2026-01-30T20:48:01.060Z

description_model

gemini-2.5-flash-lite

description_title

Wife's ultimatum and narrator's feigned concession with his pipe

end_line

728

extracted_at

2026-01-30T20:47:36.358Z

extracted_by

structure-extraction-lambda

source_file

01KG89J1H4TA19251AXAPE3ZWC

start_line

704

text

At length my wife, getting much excited, declared to me, with pointed finger, that so long as that chimney stood, she should regard it as the monument of what she called my broken pledge. But finding this did not answer, the next day, she gave me to understand that either she or the chimney must quit the house. Finding matters coming to such a pass, I and my pipe philosophized over them awhile, and finally concluded between us, that little as our hearts went with the plan, yet for peace’ sake, I might write out the chimney’s death-warrant, and, while my hand was in, scratch a note to Mr. Scribe. Considering that I, and my chimney, and my pipe, from having been so much together, were three great cronies, the facility with which my pipe consented to a project so fatal to the goodliest of our trio; or rather, the way in which I and my pipe, in secret, conspired together, as it were, against our unsuspicious old comrade—this may seem rather strange, if not suggestive of sad reflections upon us two. But, indeed, we, sons of clay, that is my pipe and I, are no whit better than the rest. Far from us, indeed, to have volunteered the betrayal of our crony. We are of a peaceable nature, too. But that love of peace it was which made us false to a mutual friend, as soon as his cause demanded a vigorous vindication. But I rejoice to add, that better and braver thoughts soon returned, as will now briefly be set forth.

title

Wife's ultimatum and narrator's feigned concession with his pipe