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ANALYSIS OF STORIES Author O Henry or William Sydney Porter is a prolific writer and some of his stories are quite unforgettable. Six of these stories will be analyzed in this paper. In dwelling on its plot, the researcher hopes to find commonalities and differences in these stories and how O Henry works out his characters in a well-woven sketch that ends in a surprise at times. The story After Twenty Years was engaging as the readers attention is captured in the scene of a man waiting for his friend at the very spot they had agreed to meet twenty years hence. The man even retorts to the policeman who talks to him that they had figured that in twenty years each of us ought to have our destiny worked out and our fortunes made whatever they were going to be. " Since the plot is quite unique and original, one is led to just continue reading. The theme is on friendship and for all these six stories the theme on friendships and close relationships seem to be what the author likes to dwell upon.
By trying to understand everything in terms of memory, the past, and words, some people have never actually seen what the actual person really is. The setting of the story is in New York City in a dark doorway of a closed hardware store. The weather seems to sympathize with what was about to take place and the author maximizes this well. The policeman sees a man standing in the dark doorway and the man explains that he and his friend Jimmy Wells had separated at that exact spot twenty years ago to make their fortunes and had promised to meet there again after twenty years. Most of the information that the main person divulges to the policeman is on how he had been fortunate enough to do well and even displayed his diamond watch. But, the readers do not seem to be prepared for the ending of this because of the smoothness and calmness of the situation even as the man brag about his riches.
He seems to be a different person now. There are obviously specific incidents in the past that have changed him and he would like to see how his friend Jimmy had made his life, too. This theme on friendship makes Ohenry's stories classic because they remind people of their own relationships and how they relate to their friends in the past. In our relationships with each others, we can often and easily lock ourselves into the past. One may have felt hurt and belittled by something that one once did and one can continue to feel some negative feelings about that even as one refuses to let the past event be past.
In the case of this man and his friend Jimmy, they seem to have had a good friendship with the man. He even brags to the policeman, But I know Jimmy will meet me here if he's alive, for he always was the truest, staunchest old chap in the world. He " ll never forget. I came a thousand miles to stand in this door to-night, and it's worth it if my old partner turns up. " That is the reason why the reader will be surprised at the ending because Jimmy reveals in a letter delivered by the policeman who acts as if he is Jimmy, that, Jimmy was there at the appointed time, but when he saw that his friend was a wanted man in Chicago, he could not make the arrest himself, but just tell the policeman to do it for him. All the ideas about loyalty of friendship are blown away by the author because of this gesture by Jimmy. Henry seems to say that for him, lawlessness needs to be punished and there is no friendship when it comes to morality of issues.
The author also wants to say that wealth and ones stature in life are not what matters but ones integrity. What appears on the outside may not be what is the essence of the person inside. Buried Treasure Another story that deals on friendship and close relationships is Ohenry's Buried Treasure. The man had a longing for a certain May Martha Mangum, 18 years old. But there was another man who also yearned for May Martha Mangum for himself. This was Goodloe Banks, a young man who was an academician since he was knowledgeable in Latin, Greek, philosophy, and especially the higher branches of mathematics and logic.
They both tried to win the heart and attention of May Martha but they were both at a lost as to whom the girl favored more. But when her father knew of their intentions, he brought her daughter away and they just disappeared one day. This made the two closer because they just found their friendship with each other as their only solace with the disappearance of May Martha. Again like the first story, this friendship seems to be an odd one that was formed because of an odd cause. The only reason that the two men became friends is because they happen to court the same girl. Goodloe Banks was a learned man.
Disappointed in love, both Jim and Goodloe became friends in adventure. They were told that there was a buried treasure somewhere and they were both inclined to pursue it. In the middle of their hunt, Goodloe decides to quit. But Jim continues and at the end of his quest, he finds his love Mary May and thus his ambition before that she abide in him has come to fruition.
Again, the theme of friendship and a surprise ending is found in this story as in the first and the development of that friendship until such a time that you think it is solid and strong, only to be cut short by whatever surprise ending that the author has in store for his readers. Again the author seems to expound on what appears to be regarded by men as important like knowledge and education is not what matters but ones persistence and consistency. The Girl and the Habit This is a shorter story than the other two and concerns more one person, Miss Merriam, and her habit of cashiering at the Hinkle's. She had been a cashier there for quite a long time, charming people to her warm and affectionate ways. She seemed to have been a master of her craft. The Hinkle restaurant was always jampacked because it was a pleasure to see her and to pay their meals to her as its cashier.
When a wealthy couple. Mr and Mrs. Mc Ramsey decide to adopt her, she agrees to it because that is a good opportunity for her to meet other people. Yet, it seemed that her habit of cashiering cant just leave her system and her ways. One day when she is out to help out at a booth that her adopted parents asked her to take charged of, she faints because she seems to say the very same things she did when she was still a cashier. Unlike the other two stories, this one had one focal point that of Miss Merriam.
But even if it concerns generally the life of Miss Merriam, the plot of the innate character of the person showing forth and demonstrating out into the scenes is well delineated. This time, it is the habit of cashiering. While the other two stories dealt on loyalty and consistency, this one was on the consistency of a habit that was difficult to let go. Again, the author indulges in a surprise ending that says it all because Miss Merriam found herself cashiering even if she had advanced in position in society. The Last Leaf Of the six stories here, this is the one with a tug at the heart. It is a heroic tale and as such becomes an emotional story all together.
It is the story of Johnsy who wanted to die and thought that the leaves on the tree outside her window signified that she was also going to die when the last leaf would fall down. No amount of convincing on the part of Sue would make her change her mind that the last leaf would signal her death too. But the last leaf does not fall down despite the bad weather and soon Johnsy realizes the folly of it all and gets the motivation to be well again. She is able to take in food again and nourish herself back to health. When she has fully recovered, Sue reveals that it was their neighbor painter who died the morning after he painted that leaf on the wall on top of the tree, making it appear that the leaf was there clinging on the branch all along.
It was actually their neighbor who saved her life. Many have heard of this story in different versions without knowing that it was actually Ohenry's story. More than the other stories, this one seems to be the most realistic one. The heroism shown by their neighbor Old Behrman describes the inner character of a person who wanted to help another person in need at the risk of losing his own life. It is the integrity of characterization of the author that makes the story memorable. Sometimes when one pauses to understand an obstacle, one realizes that what he plans to do does not fit the situation.
It may not be right for one or for another person who is affected or may conflict with more powerful forces that are at work. In any case, one can withdraw from that circumstance and so something else. Living through the difficult situations is an important way to learn if only one uses ones eyes and ears, ones reason and imagination. And stay in touch with ones heart and intuition.
Out of such learning can grow strength and wisdom. Out of this strength and wisdom comes the power to move past obstacles that would once have stopped one easily. The Gift of the Magi Delia and Jim Young who are the main characters in The Gift of the Magi, " are married but with little money. They must be able to scrimp for every little money they have. Before Christmas, Delia has not enough money to buy Jim a gift. She tries to think of ways to get the gift she thinks her husband would like.
At last she was able to think that it would be best to part with her hair for a fee so she could buy him a present. On the day that they exchange gifts, it turns out that Jims gifts are special combs she had always wanted. But everything works out well and they find that they love each other well anyhow. These stories tug at the heart and all have their own emotional appeal. They involve families who work together to make their relationships successful. Again, this is about the story of a couple who so loved each other but probably do not actually know each other because if they did so, they would not have chosen the gifts that they bought for their partner.
The intentions of both persons, though, are exemplary because they go to great extents just to buy the best gift they think would make their partner happy. The same kind of supposedly intense friendship is woven into the story but with each story, the author manages to pull out a surprise to cut that intensity down to its core. It is here where he introduces the surprises. Tommys Burglar This is not the usual story where the characters just act out their parts. More than that, the characters of the story, Tommy and the burglar, create the actual story that they are in. It is a refreshing departure from the usual short story writing done by Henry but it is an effective one and shows the great imagination and creativity of the author.
The intensity of the relationship may not be that close as the mother-daughter in The Last Leaf or the couple in The Gift of Magi, but still the rapport between the two characters, enhanced by the dialogues is something that needs to be reckoned with. It is amusing as the other Henry stories but this one is different because the objective is achieved even if the characters are the ones supposedly making the plot move. The value of man as capable of changing for the better is the main theme here and this kind of positive note in the innate integrity of the characters is seen in all the six stories analyzed here. REFERENCES O Henry stories. Retrieved August 8, 2008 at: web
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Research essay sample on Twenty Years O Henry
