To understand the characters in O. Henry stories we must understand what motivates each character to do the things they do. How stories that seem similar and have a common theme can change drastically when we begin to analyze their subtle differences. The O. Henry stories “The Gift of the Magi” and “Two Thanksgiving Day Gentlemen,” both follow a similar theme. The stories are about sacrifices that people make in order to give someone a better outcome. The tone and meaning of each story is changed, however, when we begin to focus on why the character chose to make the sacrifice. People make sacrifices for all different reasons, either because of love, guilt or believing they will receive something in return.
O. Henry stories are set through the holiday season, Thanksgiving and Christmas. The season does seem to bring out the giving nature of people. This may have been the reason O. Henry stories are set through the holiday season and not some random day. This time of year are when many people make sacrifices in order for someone to have something better. Every year people make material sacrifices to insure someone elses happiness. We don't want to disappoint the ones we love or the ones who depend on us because that seems like it would be out of character for the season. This is why the characters in these two short stories are so willing to make so many sacrifices. They feel more obligated to give because it is a time to celebrate. The characters in the stories may have not made these sacrifices any other time. O. Henry set his stories during the Christmas and Thanksgiving season in order for us to understand why the characters were so giving. If O. Henry set his stories for any other times the sacrifices that were made ma...
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... of a great love story. O. Henry stories are both about sacrifices, but the tone and meaning between the two stories are very different. “The Gift of the Magi,” is a passionate love story that most people can relate to because most people have known some type of love that has made us want to make sacrifice in someway. The message of “Two Thanksgiving Day Gentlemen,” is that people's attitudes toward holidays and customary traditions have accustomed people of what giving and sacrifices really are. O. Henry message is that people need to let go of this customary need to give and be charity during the holidays, instead be a good and charitable person all year round. O. Henry has done a good job and telling us similar stories with similar plots and twists but changing the character enough for us understand the different meanings in each of his stories.
These feelings drive O’Brien to seek out a journey in order to find out what is truly valuable to his self being. His adventure of self-knowledge mirrors the narrative archetype of the Hero’s Quest. One might argue that as a result of O’Brien’s uncooperative nature towards his circumstances, he is able to pursue the main motive of the Hero’s Journey, in which he departs from his ordinary world and is able to obtain the life treasure of self-acknowledgement.
Henry's first-person narrative is the most important element of these stories. Through it he recounts the events of his life, his experiences with others, his accomplishments and troubles. The great achievement of this narrative voice is how effortlessly it reveals Henry's limited education while simultaneously demonstrating his quick intelligence, all in an entertaining and convincing fashion. Henry introduces himself by introducing his home-town of Perkinsville, New York, whereupon his woeful g...
In Chapter 1 of A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court by Mark Twain, the role of inequality is emphasized heavily. The quote on page 8, paragraph 2 shows this. The quote is “They and the women, as a rule, wore a coarse tow-linen robe that came well below the knee, and a rude sort of sandals, and many wore an iron collar. The small boys and girls were always naked; but nobody seemed to know it.” (Twain PG 8). The Yankee seems to be looking down on the people around him, thinking he is better than they are. The role of inequality is shown throughout the book.
...s inner self. What is seen as a relationship amongst these two young men is now torn apart by the transformation of Henry caused from his witnesses during warfare.
Henry is somewhat naïve, he dreams of glory, but doesn't think much of the duty that follows. Rather than a sense of patriotism, it is clear to the reader that Henry goals seem a little different, he wants praise and adulation. "On the way to Washington, the regiment was fed and caressed for station after station until the youth beloved
A Christmas Carol, by Charles Dickens is a tale of the morality changes of a man. The uncharitable, cold heart of the main character, Ebenezer Scrooge, melts with ardent love as he receives visitations from three Christmas spirits who enlighten his soul with wise lessons and bring a warm change to his heart. In the beginning of the novel, Scrooge expresses his vices of greed and cold heartedness by his words and actions, but as the story unfolds, his life is renewed by these Spirits who shed light and truth upon him, resulting in making him become a better man, portraying the virtue of charity.
O. Henry is a very inspirational person, in “The Gift of the Magi,” he makes the story go a lot deeper than the words on the page, with a little something called symbolism. One thing he really specializes in is symbolism, certainly with adolescence, worriness, and timelessness in this story. Symbolism plays a huge role in the narrative, a role so big that without it, the story would be quite dull. Without symbolism, this story would not have half the meaning it does now, when you dig into the story, you discover how much Della and Jim really love one
Through Henry's progression in thoughts, Crane explores this changing view of the hero. As the book opens, "the youth [Henry] had believed that he must be a hero" (Crane 50), as he set out as a newly enlisted man. Awaiting the call of his first battle, Henry reflected that "[s]ometimes he inclined to believing them all heroes" (Crane 75) based simply on their role as soldiers. However, when confronted with the reality of battle, Henry soon noticed that "[t]here was a singular absence of heroic poses" (Crane 86). Trying to cope with his own inadequacy, Henry finds himself always lacking in comparison with those around him. As they marched along he thought that heroes "could find excuses . . . They could retire with perfect self-respect and make excuses to the stars" (Crane 123). Marching among those heroes wounded in battle, "they rendered it almost impossible for him to see himself in a heroic light" (Crane 125). Henry began to despair "that he should ever become a hero" (Crane 126). However, through a new confrontation in battle, Henry found himself funct...
Harper Lee and Truman Capote, two of the greatest 20th century authors, were once prodigious best friends. And best friends share everything; their thoughts, their dreams, but most importantly, their ideas. So could it be possible that Capote, a prolific writer, could have played a role in writing Lee’s esteemed novel, To Kill a Mockingbird? Doubtful. Through comparisons of Lee’s only work to Capote’s “A Christmas Memory” it can be seen that despite similarities, these friends’ works differ too greatly in the way they set the tone, emphasize their themes, and utilize imagery for them to have worked together on her novel.
Through the four stages of growth and development that Henry overcame, the glorious dreams that he once had were replaced by the more realistic horrors of war. Crane represents courage as an instinct, similar to cowardice. Only when instinct dictates courage, one can be heroic. Along Henry’s struggle to become self-aware, he has discovered new ideologies about war, death, courage, and manhood. He has a realistic image of war, an indifference to death, an instinctive courage, and a quiet manhood.
This difference in messages may be attributed to the cultural and temporal separation of the two stories. As seen in the comparison between the Grimms’ “Brave Little Tailor” (Heiner) and Robert’s “Yi”, there is an intrinsic stylistic difference between myths and folktales- “Yi” is dramatic, with a didactic undertone, while “Brave Little Tailor” is more light-hearted- that accounts for the different focuses. One of these key differences is in the characterization of the protagonists. Yi is a respected member of the Second Estate, sometimes even considered a deity, and acts out of a sense of duty and obedience- his very position and character links him to the more common definition of a hero as someone who, with great martial prowess, defeats his opponents to save his people. In contrast, the Tailor is clearly a part of the Third Estate, appearing more sly and having an attitude of self-importance that seems to stem from nowhere. His use of manipulation and trickery, mixed with a key trait of misplaced confidence, makes him the embodiment of an antihero, while his actions and social standing place him as the commoners’ hero. From the critical differences in style and characterization comes the deviations in the stories’ messages. The myth of Yi places a focus on the importance of social order, hard work, and military might. In contrast, “Brave Little Tailor” focuses on luck, and more importantly, wit, presenting the Tailor as a hero who not only vanquishes monsters, but also break through the bounds of
...d theme between The Knight’s Tale and The Miller’s Tale, it is evident that genre has an influence on the creation of meaning within the two stories; it also allows the reader to recognize The Miller’s Tale as a parody of the courtly and aristocratic values of The Knight’s Tale. By first recognizing that both stories are grounded in a similar basic plot, it is easier to compare the differences between them. Some major themes that exemplify the influence that genre has on meaning are divinity and predestination and love at first sight. By examining these themes and other aspects of the stories such as the combat and the endings, it is clear that style, theme, and genre are crucial in influencing the creation of meaning in a story. And this is how two stories can shift meaning from a tragic idealized courtly love among nobility, to a comic affair among middle class.
Truman Capote’s story A Christmas Memory, is about Capote’s childhood memory of a particular holiday season and how he enjoyed that moment in time with a special friend. Capote is illustrated by the main character, Buddy. Buddy and his distant cousin have a bonding friendship and tell of their exploits during that Christmas. They pick out a very special Christmas tree, make each other presents, and make fruitcakes.
O. Henry’s short story “The Gift of the Magi,” is about a couple who most unwisely sacrificed for each other the greatest treasures of their house. The story takes place on Christmas Eve in a furnished apartment at eight dollars a week. I feel that the narrator mocks Jim and Della for being poor. “It did not beggar description, but it certainly had that word on the lookout for the mendicancy squad.” (O. Henry 165). Della and Jim’s income shrunk from thirty dollars a week to twenty dollars a week causing them a great deal of financial problems. They both are troubled that Christmas is tomorrow and they cannot afford to buy each other a nice gift. Jim’s gold watch and Della’s hair play an important role in the story.
Henry, who wrote “Gift of the Magi”, showed the crazy love between a man and a woman in a serious relationship. Even though giving up their most prized possession was difficult, they did it out of loe for each other. They wanted to give each other the best life possible, even though that meant taking some of their own happiness