Conversation:

At first I thought this was a pseudofable, and possibly that's what the author intended, but it went way off track somewhere around the appearance of the pink dressing gown. The violence could have been handled more sensitively too.

Exactly how does one deal sensitively with extreme violence brought about by an abject lack of sensitivity, and indeed why should you?
The " pseudofable ", as you put it, or simple fictitious story, or even true account of a ridiculous event, is hardly supposed to be a pleasant read. The vicious, and unthinking actions of the townsfolk would hardly have the same impact if written as " everyone was angry, so they threw stuff. "
Be harsh, be in your face, if that's what it takes to make people think.