Henry V

O. Henry wrote his own magazine entitled, "The Rolling Stone". The magazine did poorly and Henry stooped to stealing from bank accounts to which he became arrested. Henry's writing came to a halt due to jail time and he eventually died nine years after being set free. The time period in which O. Henry's finest works created, occurred in the late 1800's to the early 1900's where he dazzled readers with his unorthodox, romantic style. A short story titled "A Retrieved Reformation" written by O. Henry, who sold it to George Tyler who later turned the work into a Broadway show. "Alias Jimmy Valentine"as it came to be called dazzled America, England, France, and Spain for over a decade. In the short stories "The Social Triangle" and "A Retrieved Reformation", O. Henry uses the literary devices of symbolism, plot twists, and characterization.

"The Social Triangle" one of the great works by O. Henry, uses symbolism, plot twists, and characterization. The triangle includes a poor hard-working, lower-class man named Ikey Snigglefritz who uses his whole weeks pay to setup drinks for a middle-class man named Billy McMahon. Ikey's wife and her three sisters become outraged at his actions. Despite their animosity toward him, he gladly gave up his pay to spend it on someone whom he admires and the way he spent his wages is a symbol of achievement. "Ikey threw is week's wages in a crumbled roll upon the bar." With only slight hesitation, Ikey made a friendly gesture to a man of a higher class who will probably never know how hard it he worked to get that money. Both Ikey and Billy got their jollies by shaking the hand of someone from a social class above them.

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Van Duyskink got his jollies by shaking the hand of the impoverish Ikey Snigglefritz which happens to classify as a plot twist. "To solve the improbable triangle, Van Duyskink...impulsively leaves his car to grasp the hand of Ikey Snigglefritz. The plot appears to be twisted because nobody expects Van Duyskink to be happy to shake the hand of a poor man due to the fact that he is a millionaire. O. Henry developed Ikey and Billy through the story by using characterization. Henry describes Billy McMahon as "...the greatest man, the most wonderful man...flushed and triumphant and mighty. Henry goes on to represent just how important and wonderful this man is. Ikey is described by Henry when he says that Ikey is, "...pallid, stooping, insignificant, squalid, doomed to exist in penury of body and mind...". In comparison of the quotes it displays just how differently the two are portrayed in the story. Just three of the of the many literary devices used by Henry in this piece were symbolism, plot twists, and characterization.

"A Retrieved Reformation", a story with major plot twist, uses symbolism and characterization as well. The story is about a young man named Jimmy Valentine who has sunk to the life of a criminal. Jimmy carries a briefcase loaded with tools he uses to break open safes. A women catches Jimmy's eye and he gives up his life of burglary to be with her. Symbolism is portrayed in this story when Jimmy Valentine writes a letter to his friend saying that he can have his tools because he found a woman he really loves symbolizes a new crime-free start for Jimmy. Plot twist is another key literary device used by O. Henry. When a little girl finds herself trapped in the new "burglar-proof" safe, bystanders begin to fear for her life. The safe supposedly cannot be opened because the time lock was not set yet. Jimmy blew his cover of

Jacobs 3 being an ex-criminal while standing while standing right next to his fiancé. He opened his briefcase and within seconds cracked the safe opened and the girl freed. Knowing that his fiance now became aware of his past, he walked back to his old home without saying a word. Characterization also helps the story develop by generating an image in the reader's head as to what each character looks like. O. Henry says that, "There are few people in the town who have as good looks and style as Jimmy Valentine.". The mental image in the reader's head shows a handsome man, nicely dressed, and sort of unique. Characterization made this story better by helping the reader visualize characters. Characterization, as well as plot twists and symbolism were just 3 literary devices used in "A Retrieved Reformation".

In the short stories "The Social Triangle" and "A Retrieved Reformation", O. Henry uses the literary devices of symbolism, plot twists, and characterization.