The story revolves around a main character, Don Pietro the Hunchback, a man who, despite his nickname, has no physical deformity. The narrative focuses on a series of small annoyances and discomforts that he encounters in his daily life, such as an insect sting, a bothersome callus, or a blade of grass stuck to his clothes. These 'fatty annoyances,' as Capuana defines them, become the obsessive focus of Don Pietro's attention, amplifying his reactions and creating an atmosphere of grotesque exaggeration.