# Gas, Oil and Air explained — Short Fiction

> Chapter companion for Short Fiction by Ring Lardner.

## What happens

The narrator, Charley, a working-class man, competes with George Boles for Alice's affection. To win her over, he buys a Swift Six car on credit, despite his limited finances. After a series of mechanical mishaps and a breakdown on a trip, he and Alice confess their love and decide to marry, with Alice suggesting they sell the car to pay for furniture. The chapter satirizes the allure of consumerism and the lengths one goes to for love.

## Themes in this chapter

### Class and Aspiration

The narrator's purchase of a car on credit to compete with a wealthier rival highlights the pursuit of status and the financial strain it causes.

### Satire of Media and Business

The opening mocks advertising and correspondence courses, and the garage's shoddy work satirizes business practices.

## Character check-ins

### Harry Cross

Narrator Charley, who buys a car to win Alice's love and faces mechanical troubles.

### Alice

The narrator's love interest, courted by both Charley and George Boles.

### George Boles

Rival suitor with a chummy roadster, who interrupts Charley and Alice's moment.

## Key lines

> I’ve found a lucrative profession that you can go into without payin’ for lessons or wastin’ time on ’em. Anybody in the world can be a mechanic in a garage.

I discovered a way to make money without any training: just pretend to be a garage mechanic.

_The narrator's cynical take on easy money and the lack of skill required._

> I got $400 in the savin’s bank, besides a month’s pay.

I had $400 saved up plus my next paycheck.

_Shows the narrator's limited finances, making the car purchase a significant risk._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_62_se/chapters/gas-oil-and-air
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_62_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_62_se/chapters