The Garotters by William Dean Howells is a short story that offers a critical, yet humorous exploration of social class and moral integrity in 19th-century America. The story centers around a young man, who, while walking through a city street, is confronted by two figures—a poor man and a woman—who attempt to "garotte" him, a form of robbery that involves strangling the victim to take their valuables. The attempted crime, however, takes an unexpected turn, as the young man’s response to the situation leads to an ironic and surprising conclusion.Through this encounter, Howells presents a moral tale where the young man’s reaction to the garotters reveals his own understanding of social structures. Rather than reacting with fear or hostility, he views the situation with a level of detachment, recognizing the social and economic forces that have led the garotters to commit such an act. Howells uses the story to comment on the causes of crime and the class divisions that fuel it, suggesting that the perpetrators are as much victims of society’s inequities as their intended target.