The Ransom of Red Chief By O. Henry Concepts: Tone and Irony

Early Life O. Henry was born William Sydney Porter, son of a doctor and an artistic mother, on September 11, 1862 in North Carolina. According to O. Henry, “I did more reading between my thirteenth and my nineteenth years than I have done in all the years since.”

Jobs At age fifteen O.Henry’s formal schooling ended, and he took an apprenticeship at his uncle’s pharmacy. At age nineteen he became a licensed pharmacist. This job choice was ironic since O.Henry began suffering from tuberculosis around that same time.

Jobs (cont.) Shortly after his marriage in 1887, O. Henry began perfecting his short stories which he previously had written simply to entertain friends. To pay the bills, he took on a job as a banker and worked as a reporter and occasional cartoonist for a Houston newspaper.

O. Henry’s Style Eventually, O. Henry wrote around 300 short stories (sixty-five in 1904 alone!), during his 10 year literary career. Nearly all stories included his signature surprise ending, or “snapper” as he called it.

Snappers in Real Life O. Henry’s own life was full of twists and turns, making his interest in the surprise, twisty endings understandable. For instance, while serving time in prison O. Henry- in the right place at the right time- saved a warden who had overdosed on arsenic. As a reward, O. Henry was allowed to roam freely about the jail, telling stories, and gathering stories from fellow prisoners.

More Snappers Escaped the police who tried to arrest him on false charges of embezzling $1,000 from the bank where he worked Fled to Honduras Went to trial, was found guilty, and was sentenced to five years in a federal penitentiary in Columbus, Ohio Upon release- after three years for good behavior- went to New York City where his popularity as a writer soared.

Philosophy on Writing “I’ll give you the whole secret of short-story writing…Rule 1: Write short stories that please yourself. There is no Rule 2.” – O. Henry “You can’t write a story that’s got any life in it by sitting at a writing table and thinking. You’ve got to get out into the streets, into the crowds, talk with people, and feel the rush and throb of real life- that’s the stimulant for a story writer.” – O. Henry, 1902

Philosophy (cont.) O. Henry’s exemplified his philosophy in his variety of life experiences and travels: North Carolina Texas New Orleans

Of Historical Importance Civil War prior to O. Henry’s birth A year after O. Henry’s birth, Abraham Lincoln issues the Emancipation Proclamation (1863). Lincoln assassinated in 1865. Rise of small-press publishing around 1904- making it possible for more people to have access to a variety of literature- coincided with O. Henry’s rise to fame.

“Local Color” During the heydey of O. Henry’s writing career (early 1900’s), a literary genre called “local color” sprang up to combat post-Civil War social separation. Local color involved focusing on a specific regional culture as a source for strength- finding common qualities between different American regions.

“Local Color” (cont.) O. Henry’s region of choice was New York, though he also wrote stories set in the West, the deep South, and New Orleans. He also convincingly wrote stories about a variety of people: crooks, chiefs, policemen, cowboys, aristocrats, con-men, poverty-stricken, and millionaires. The “local color” genre sought to draw society together by finding common ground between different kinds of people

How can I identify an author’s tone in a short story? Essential Question #1 How can I identify an author’s tone in a short story? Tone is the writer’s attitude toward his subject. Look for key words or phrases that show specific emotions such as happiness or sadness to determine the tone.

Tone in Fictional Short Stories Tone provides the reader with insight about the author’s emotions/feelings when writing the story. For example, a happy story may have a lighthearted tone, and a sad story may have a heavier tone.

What is your prediction about the story’s tone? Predicting Definition: to guess about future events Look at the title Pay attention to details and clues from the narrator Pay attention to the characters’ dialogue and actions Look at the story’s title and make a prediction about the subject of the story. What is your prediction about the story’s tone?

Anticipation Guide Do you agree or disagree? Most people believe that you have to work hard to make a lot of money. Most people have tried or will try a “get rich quick” scheme at one point in their lives. Sometimes criminals kidnap individuals as a way to quickly earn money through a ransom. A kidnapper’s captive is always afraid and behaves in a submissive way during his captivity.

Why do authors use irony? Essential Question #2 Why do authors use irony? Authors use irony to surprise readers and keep them interested in the story.

Create a Word Map: “Expectation” What does it mean? Does everything always work out the way that you expect it? Are you ever surprised? If so…. the situation could be ironic.

Irony Definition: the contrast between what is expected and what actually exists or happens; a surprise ending For example: At half time of the football game, your team is winning 35-3. You expect them to win the game. BUT… the other team comes back with a different quarterback and wins 35-38. That is ironic because you were positive that your team would win.

Three Types of Irony Situational Irony Verbal Irony Dramatic Irony

Think of an example from a book you’ve read. Situational Irony The contrast between what a character or the reader expects and what actually happens Think of an example from a book you’ve read.

Verbal Irony Also called sarcasm The contrast between what someone says and what he or she means Think of an example from a recent conversation.

Think of an example from a movie you’ve seen. Dramatic Irony The contrast between what a character knows and what the reader or audience knows Think of an example from a movie you’ve seen.

Words to Know Diatribe Ransom Pervade Collaborative Comply Surreptitiously Palatable Proposition Commend Impudent Write one original sentence using at least three of these words. It doesn’t have to make perfect sense; just try. 

The Real Definitions Diatribe: condemnation; bitter, abusive criticism Ransom: a price or payment demanded in return for the release of property or a person Pervade: to be spread or to be present throughout Collaborative: to work together on a project Comply: to act according to a command, request, or order Surreptitiously: in a sneaky way; secretly Palatable: acceptable to the taste; able to be eaten Proposition: a suggested plan Commend: to speak highly of; to praise Impudent: offensively bold and disrespectful