Flames: Fur Summary & Analysis

In a letter to Thurston Hough, Levi writes his admiration for Thurston’s book, The Wooden Jacket, before asking for his help in building a coffin for Charlotte, who will be the first woman in their family to be buried instead of cremated. Levi also mentions that he asked Hough’s editor for his address, having found no other method to communicate with him. Thurston replies to Levi’s letter with a barrage of insults: he’s upset that Levi has interrupted his “quiet life of monastic contemplation.” He says that he doesn’t take on unsolicited clients then notes that his fees are likely too high for Levi to afford. He ends his letter by demanding Levi never contact him again.

Levi writes to Thurston again, apologizing for offending him. He explains that Levi and Charlotte’s mother died recently, and the loss has left Charlotte “barely clinging to the edge of her sanity.” He suggests that a coffin might help his sister settle down, and he offers Thurston $5,000 for his advice and offers even more if Thurston can help in a more substantial way.

Thurston responds to Levi, addressing him as “Mr Moron.” After more insults, he explains that a “difference of opinion with the Tax Department,” which his nosy neighbors caused when they informed the department of Thurston’s whereabouts, has left him in urgent need of funds. He then describes himself as not only an expert on coffins, but also “the world’s finest coffin maker,” and he offers to make a coffin for Charlotte with fine timber and a fur lining. He tells Levi to reply as soon as possible with his sister’s age, measurement, and “probable cause of death.” Levi replies, offering Thurston a further $22,000 for building the coffin. He provides Charlotte’s age and measurements, but he explains that she’s not actually dying, and he needs the coffin as proof that she’ll be buried, not cremated—hopefully she won’t need to use it for many years.

In Thurston’s next letter, he calls Levi a “nincompoop” with “brain-shattering levels of stupidity.” His process is highly dependent on the condition of the coffin’s inhabitant and his choice of materials depends on who the subject was. For instance, a blackwood coffin would mean no trees could grow in a 50-meter radius from it, apart from a single, huge blackwood that would sprout from the plot and house a single, territorial cormorant. This kind of coffin wouldn’t be suitable for a popular, sociable person. Thurston writes that he should decline Levi’s request, given that Levi seems to know very little about his process, but thanks to Mavis and her Country Women’s Association, the Tax Department is hounding him, so he needs Levi’s payment.

Thurston continues by describing the coffin he’ll make for Charlotte: he’ll use snowgum wood, which is appropriate for the coffins of those who die young because it fossilizes their bodies and immortalizes the beauty of their youth. He writes, “I understand she isn’t dying right now, but she could die at any time.” Though he mentioned a fur inlay, he explains he won’t be using wombat fur as he usually does, thanks to a wombat shortage. Instead, he’ll use the pelt of a particularly beautiful water rat he trapped a few days ago. He finds himself habitually running his fingers through it. He tells Levi not to contact him again—he’s begun working.

Levi replies to thank Thurston. Two weeks later, after no reply, he writes another letter, saying that he’d like to update Charlotte about the coffin but hasn’t seen her in weeks (though, thanks to local reports, he knows she’s alive and travelling). He tells Thurston he has a lot of free time now and offers to help with building the coffin. Thurston replies with more insults and tells Levi to leave him alone. He says the only thing Levi could do to help him would be to poison the South Esk River, because its inhabitants—water rats, frogs, eels, even birds—attack him as soon as he’s within twenty meters of the river. He calls this the “price of genius” and insists that the coffin is shaping up beautifully.

A month later, Levi writes to Thurston, having received no recent updates. He asks for a report on Thurston’s progress and says that the police have been unable to find Charlotte, so he’s hired a private detective to look for her. Thurston replies to tell Levi that this will be the last letter he writes to him: he’s unable to complete the coffin because the river creatures have besieged his house. He can’t go outside without the creatures attacking him, and the water rats are digging at the house’s foundations. During daylight hours, he shoots at the creatures from his window, but they return at night in even greater numbers. Thurston tells Levi to feel free to collect the half-finished coffin, though he won’t give up the pelt of the water rat, which has been his “sole comfort.”