'Memoirs of Carwin, the Biloquist' is a story that begins with Carwin as a young boy, about 14 years old, living on a farm with his father and brother in Pennsylvania. Carwin is different from his family because he wants to have an education, especially through the means of reading books. His father, however, discourages this and wishes for Carwin to have a simple agrarian life. In rebellion, Carwin continuously sneaks into the woods at night to read in the moonlight. During one of these escapes, Carwin is inspired to become a biloquist after hearing his echo. After several nights of practice, Carwin has the "power to impersonate" different people.