“Hazel Morse was a large, fair woman of the type that incites some men when they use the word ‘blonde’ to click their tongues and wag their heads roguishly.”

Why is it great? With this opening line to her famous short story, Parker does so many things: She gives us an image of Hazel that’s Kodachrome clear: I can almost hear the old-fashioned pop of the flash. She also establishes Hazel in relation to men, who lust after her, but will not treat her kindly. (The use of the word “incites” is purposeful and wonderful.) And by showing her relationship to men, Parker has launched the arc of the story; we know from this first sentence that things will not end well for Hazel Morse.