Summary

In “Hump,” an unnamed narrator recounts the period after her father's death when she suffered from a personal and professional dissatisfaction. During this time, she found an odd hump on her shoulder while taking a shower. At her office job, she scoured the internet for information on what the hump could be. She slept with her boss even though she did not like him. She told her work friend Paula about the hump, but Paula was distracted by a phone conversation with the maintenance department about missing garbage bins.

The narrator's boss complained about her work performance and suggested she take time off to grieve her father, which she agreed to do. She entered into a series of “friendships” (60) with older men and continued to obsess over the hump, trying various remedies like yoga, massage, and chiropractics. She called...