Unit 5
Title: The Ransom of Red Chief[1]
Suggested Time: 4 days (45 minutes per day)
Common Core ELA Standards: RL.8.1, RL.8.2, RL.8.3, RL.8.4, RL.8.6, RL.8.7, RL.8.9; W.8.2, W.8.4, W.8.9; SL.8.1; L.8.1, L.8.2, L.8.5
Teacher Instructions
Preparing for Teaching 1. Read the Big Ideas and Key Understandings and the Synopsis. Please do not read this to the students. This is a description for teachers about the big ideas and key understanding that students should take away after completing this task. Big Ideas and Key Understandings Writers use irony to fuel the plot of a story. Synopsis Bill and Sam decide that the best way to finance their upcoming land swindle is to kidnap the child of a wealthy citizen and hold him for ransom. The boy they choose, instead of being the docile, frightened child one would expect, is a terror who abuses Bill in every way he can think of, all in the name of fun. The response to their ransom note is not what they would have wished: instead of paying $1500 to get Johnny back, the father demands $250 to take the boy off their hands. In desperation, they agree, and end the story poorer than they began.
Read the entire selection, keeping in mind the Big Ideas and Key Understandings.
Re-read the text while noting the stopping points for the Text Dependent Questions and teaching Tier II/academic vocabulary.
During Teaching 1. Students read the entire selection independently. 2. Teacher reads the text aloud while students follow along or students take turns reading aloud to each other. Depending on the text length and student need, the teacher may choose to read the full text or a passage aloud. For a particularly complex text, the teacher may choose to reverse the order of steps 1 and 2. 3. Students and teacher re-read the text while stopping to respond to and discuss the questions, continually returning to the text. A variety of methods can be used to structure the reading and discussion (i.e., whole class discussion, think-pair-share, independent written response, group work, etc.)
Text Dependent Questions
|In the first three paragraphs of page ___, the narrator shares that he and his partner have |They’re a group of harmless people who will not go after them. “It contained inhabitants of as|
|come up with the idea to kidnap someone. Why do they decide on the town of Summit? Use words |undeleterious and self-satisfied a class of peasantry as ever clustered around a Maypole.” |
|and phrases from the text to support your response. |(paragraph 2) |
| | |
| |It is a semi-rural community and they care for their children. (paragraph 3) |
| | |
| |“Philoprogenitiveness, says we, is strong in semi-rural communities; therefore … a kidnapping |
| |project ought to do better there than in the radius of newspapers that send out reporters in |
| |plain clothes to stir up talk about such things.” (paragraph 3) |
| | |
| |They don’t have the resources to capture the kidnappers because they don’t “have anything |
| |stronger than constables and, maybe, some lackadaisical bloodhounds and a diatribe or two in |
| |the Weekly Farmers’ Budget.” (paragraph 3) |
|What is ironic about calling the town Summit? |Summit means “highest point” or “top,” so you would expect a town of that name to be hilly or |
| |mountainous. Instead it turns out to be a flat town…”as flat as a flannel-cake.” (page 71) |
|On page ___, the narrator shares that the decision to kidnap the son of Ebenezer Dorset might |It may be more difficult than they had originally thought to commit this crime in Summit. They|
|not be the best idea. Based on the text, what can you infer about the kidnappers’ ability to |believed that it would be easy to do in kidnapping the boy for ransom “they don’t have the |
|be successful with their plan to kidnap the young boy? |resources to capture the kidnappers because they don’t “have anything stronger than constables |
| |and, maybe, some lackadaisical bloodhounds and a diatribe or two in the Weekly Farmers’ |
| |Budget.” (paragraph 3). |
| |They noticed the kid was “throwing rocks at kittens.” |
| |“The boy catches Bill neatly in the eye with a piece of brick.” |
| |“The boy put up a fight like a welterweight cinnamon bear.” |
| |(page ___) |
| |Since the boy is so mischievous, he might not behave himself while being kept by the |
| |kidnappers. The ironic humor in all of this is the fact that they took into account everything|
| |that could be a problem with this crime, but the behavior of a young boy. |
|On page ___, paragraph 5, the captured boy gives a dinner speech. Based on that speech, what |Bill and Sam realize the boy is not the ideal kidnapping victim. He doesn’t seem to be |
|kind of boy did they capture? |bothered by being kidnapped. In fact, he is “having the time of his life.” “Have you got beds |
| |to sleep on in this cave?” |
| |He sees this “kidnapping” as an adventure. He says, “I like this fine. I never camped out |
| |before.” |
| | |
| |He asks a series of questions with no connections, and he shares a lot of disconnected |
| |information as well. “Does the trees moving make the wind blow?” “Are the stars hot?” “Amos |
| |Murray has got six toes.” |
|Choose 2 - 3 sentences or passages from page ___ or ___ that share the irony of this kidnapping|The kid seems to be in charge instead of the kidnappers. He has begun a game of make-believe |
|so far. Explain your choice. How is it humorous? |playing Indian, and he has named them all. The boy isn’t afraid of being kidnapped at all. |
| |He points a stick at me when I come up, and says: “Ha! Cursed paleface, do you dare to enter |
| |the camp of Red Chief, the terror of the plains?” (page ___) The boy is taking charge. |
| |At the beginning of the boy’s dinner speech, he begins with a bit of irony. He is treating the|
| |kidnapping as a campout. “I like this fine. I never camped out before.”(page ___) |
| |The narrator even noticed that the boy was behaving the exact opposite of how you would think a|
| |boy would act. “Yes, sir, that boy seemed to be having the time of his life. The fun of |
| |camping out in a cave had made him forget that he was a captive himself.” (page ___) |
| |“We weren’t afraid he’d run away. He kept us awake for three hours, jumping up and reaching |
| |for his rifle screeching: “Hist! pard,” in mine and Bill’s ears…” (page ___) |
| |The narrator fell asleep and dreamed that he had been chained to a tree by a ferocious pirate |
| |with red hair. (page ___) |
| |“Red Chief,” says I to the kid, “would you like to go home?” |
| |“Aw, what for?” says he. “I don’t have any fun at home. I hate to go to school. I like to |
| |camp out. You won’t take me back home again, Snake-Eye, will you?” (page ___) |
| |The narrator awoke to sounds of Bill screaming because “Red Chief was sitting on Bill’s chest |
| |with one hand twined in Bill’s hair,” Red Chief was actually going to scalp Bill. (page ___) |
| |Instead of being a ruthless criminal, Bill is afraid of Red Chief now. ”What you getting up so |
| |soon for, Sam?” asked Bill. |
| |“Me?” says I. “Oh, I got a kind of pain in my shoulder. I thought sitting up would rest it.” |
| |“You’re a liar!” says Bill. “You’re afraid." (page ___) |
|Why is Bill’s favorite character King Herod? Why is this humorous? Use evidence from the text|Bill is being attacked by Red Chief and he feels that eventually he is going to kill this kid. |
|to support your answer. |“He put a red-hot boiled potato down my back,” explained Bill, “and then mashed it with his |
| |foot; and I boxed his ears. Have you got a gun about you, Sam?” (page ___) Bill compares |
| |himself to King Herod because if King Herod was around today Red Chief wouldn’t be. King Herod|
| |killed all baby boys under the age of two. Bill would not have to deal with the boy at all |
| |because in King Herod’s day, the boy would not have survived to his current age. |
|Based on pages ___-___, what is ironic about how the kidnapping plan is going? Give evidence |The kidnappers are realizing that their plan isn’t going as expected. |
|that supports this statement. How is this humorous? |The men realize that the town doesn’t show any signs of distress. “Over toward the Summit, I |
| |expected to see the sturdy yeomanry of the village armed with sythes and pitchforks beating the|
| |countryside for the dastardly kidnappers.” Instead, they just saw a peaceful village. (page |
| |___-___) |
| | |
| |“Nobody was dragging the creek; no couriers dashed hither and yon, bringing tidings of no news |
| |to the distracted parents.” (page ___) |
| | |
| |Red Chief is getting into more and more mischief and destruction. “A rock the size of an egg|
| |had caught Bill just behind the left ear.” |
| |The kid had made a sling and was whirling it around his head. (page ___) |
| | |
| |The “kidnappers” are now negotiating with Red Chief to NOT take him home. “If you don’t |
| |behave,” says I, “I’ll take you straight home. Now, are you going to be good or not?” (page |
| |___) |
| | |
| |Bill begs Sam to reduce the ransom to ensure Dorsett will pay for the boy. “I ain’t |
| |attempting,” says he, “to decry the celebrated moral aspect of parental affection, but we’re |
| |dealing with humans, and it ain’t human for anybody to give up to two thousand dollars for that|
| |forty-pound chunk of freckled wildcat.” (pages ___ -___) |
| | |
| |The plan is backfiring on the kidnappers. |
|On page ___, Bill and Sam signed their ransom note, “Two Desperate Men.” Discuss the possible |Sam and Bill sign their note that way to suggest that they are hardened criminals who will stop|
|meanings of this signature using evidence from the text. |at nothing to get what they want. However, there is some verbal irony in their choice of |
| |words. The kidnappers are literally desperate to get Red Chief off their hands, thus their |
| |bargaining position is much weaker than they had hoped when they first planned the kidnapping. |
| | |
| | |
| |“You know, Sam,” says Bill, “I’ve stood by you without batting an eye in earthquakes, fire, and|
| |flood---in poker games, dynamite outrages, police raids, train robberies, and cyclones. I |
| |never lost my nerve yet till we kidnapped that two-legged skyrocket of a kid. He’s got me |
| |going. You won’t leave long with him, will you?” (page ___) |
| | |
| |…it ain’t human for anybody to give up to two thousand dollars for that forty-pound chunk of |
| |freckled wildcat.” (page ___) |
|How do dialect and figurative language contribute to the meaning and tone of the text? Use |Dialect, a regional speech pattern, and figurative language give the reader a “country” feeling|
|dialogue, word, phrases, and description to support your response. |about the story, the impression that people are rather laid back and easy going. The narrator|
| |talks about Sam going to the post office and store and “talking with the chaw-bacons that came |
| |in to trade.” These language forms also make the reader believe the kidnappers are not so |
| |equipped to pull off this kidnapping. The speech of the kidnappers indicates that this idea of|
| |a kidnapping was impromptu, not really thought out, and definitely conducted by unprofessional |
| |criminals. The idea of kidnapping came to the men “during a moment of temporary mental |
| |apparition” as they later reflected on the event. “At first it looked like a good thing, but |
| |wait till I tell you” and the ironic story of the kidnapping unfolds. |
| |The boy, who is thoroughly enjoying being the victim of a kidnapping, chooses to play a game |
| |typical of boy of that time: cowboys and Indians, and uses such language as “Hist! pard,” in |
| |mine and Bill’s ears, the fancied crackle of a twig…” (page ___). He explains the game to Bill|
| |in the following way: “I’m the Scout and I have to ride to the stockade to warn the settlers |
| |that the Indians are coming…” “You are the hoss” he says to Bill. |
| |The men are afraid of the boy because of his actions, something not typical of this kind of |
| |situation. After the boy threatened them with a knife, Bill said, “You was to be burned at |
| |sunrise, and you was afraid he’d do it. And he would, too, if he could find a match. Ain’t it|
| |awful, Sam? Do you think anybody will pay out money to get a little imp like that back home?” |
| |(page ___). |
| |“He don’t seem to be much of a homebody.” (page ___) |
| |“The boy put up a fight like a welterweight cinnamon bear.” (page ___) |
| |It is a humorous simile that gives the reader a clear picture of a small boy who is putting up |
| |such a struggle that he resembles a professional fighter. The cinnamon bear refers to a |
| |red-colored bear of North America that is ferocious and wild. The combination illustrates |
| |quite a fight! |
| |“Look comes in his eye like a rabbit’s when you catch it in a trap.” (page ___). This shows |
| |the reader how poor Bill feels about having to play with Red Chief once again. The dialect and |
| |language used in the text provide humor and exaggeration to the actions and tone of the |
| |characters. The continued belittling and badgering by the boy, and the surrender that Bill |
| |feels is expounded upon when the boy speaks, describing every good guy/bad guy game he think |
| |of. His behavior, while indicative of a mischievous boy, is exaggerated greatly to portray his|
| |foil, Bill. |
|On page ___, paragraph 3, Bill compares himself to a martyr. Why does he make this comparison?|A martyr is someone who “suffered death rather than give up the particular graft they enjoyed.”|
| | |
| |Bill can’t take it anymore. He feels defeated. He doesn’t feel that he can handle Red Chief |
| |and his ego has been deflated. Bill has dealt with the behavior of Red Chief. Since he has |
| |dealt with so many problems without giving up until now, he feels that he is a martyr. |
| | |
| |“I suppose you think I’m a renegade, but I couldn’t help it. I’m a grown person with masculine|
| |proclivities and habits of self-defense, but there is a time when all systems of egotism and |
| |predominance fail. The boy is gone. I sent him home. All is off.” |
| | |
| |Bill believes that he has suffered enough. He was “tortured,” “rode,” and forced to eat sand |
| |that “ain’t a palatable substitute.” (page ___) |
|What is ironic about how Ebenezer Dorset responds to the ransom note? Based on the text, why |He responds with a counteroffer. “You bring Johnny home and pay me two hundred and fifty |
|does he respond this way? How is this response Ironic? (page ___) |dollars in cash, and I agree to take him off your hands.” (page ___) |
| |This is the exact opposite of what you would think a father would do if his son was kidnapped. |
| |Based on the behavior Red Chief displayed throughout the kidnapping, the father probably has to|
| |deal with him daily and knows what the kidnappers are going through. We can also infer that he|
| |knows that the kidnappers will want to send Red Chief back as soon as possible. |
| |“I think you are a little high in your demands…” |
| |He also asks the kidnappers to bring him home at night because the neighbors are happy he is |
| |gone. |
| |“You had better come at night, for the neighbors believe he is lost, and I couldn’t be |
| |responsible for what they would do to anybody they saw bringing him back.” (page ___) |
|Why do Bill and Sam meet Mr. Dorsett’s demands? Explain. Why is this ironic? |Bill can’t wait to get rid of the kid because he feels he may go crazy because of Red Chief’s |
| |behavior. “What’s two hundred and fifty dollars, after all? We’ve got the money. One more |
| |night of this kid will send me to a bed in Bedlam.” |
| | |
| |In addition, Sam can’t wait to get rid of the kid. Sam has been annoyed by Red Chief’s |
| |behavior too, and he feels that they should cut their losses. “Tell you the truth, Bill,” says|
| |I, “this little he-ewe lamb has somewhat got on my nerves too. We’ll take him home, pay the |
| |ransom, and make our getaway.” (page ___) |
| | |
| |Kidnappings don’t usually end with the kidnappers paying the ransom. |
|How does Henry’s use of irony, create a humorous tone? Use examples from the text to justify |Most of the irony in the story is situational—i.e., what we expect to happen and what actually |
|your answer. |happens are two very different things. |
| |In the beginning, Bill and Sam realize the boy is not the ideal kidnapping victim. He doesn’t |
| |seem to be bothered by being kidnapped. In fact, he is “having the time of his life.” “Have you|
| |got beds to sleep on in this cave?” (page ___) |
| | |
| |The kid even seems to be in charge instead of the kidnappers. He has begun a game of |
| |make-believe playing Indian, and he has named them all. Now, he has captured them! |
| |“Red Chief,” says I to the kid, “would you like to go home?” |
| |“Aw, what for?” says he. “I don’t have any fun at home. I hate to go to school. I like to |
| |camp out. You won’t take me back home again, Snake-Eye, will you?” (page ___) |
| | |
| |Instead of the kidnappers terrorizing the captive, the captive is terrorizing the kidnappers. |
| |The boy makes Bill his horse. “The Scout jumps on Bill’s back and digs his heels in his side.”|
| |(page ___) |
| | |
| |In the end, instead of Mr. Dorset jumping at the chance to have his son returned, he provides a|
| |counteroffer when the kidnappers offer to return Red Chief for a ransom. “I think you are a |
| |little high in your demands, and I hereby make you a counterproposition, which I am inclined to|
| |believe you will accept.” (page ___) |
Tier II/Academic Vocabulary
| |These words require less time to learn |These words require more time to learn |
| |(They are concrete or describe an object/event/ |(They are abstract, have multiple meanings, are a part |
| |process/characteristic that is familiar to students) |of a word family, or are likely to appear again in future texts) |
|Meaning |Page ___ - inhabitants, semi-rural, constables |Page ___ – fraudulent, scheme, provisions |
|can be |Page ___ – ferocious, buzzard |Page ___ – humiliating, industriously |
|learned |Page ___ – emit |Page ___ – dashed, distracted, Biblical, external |
|from |Page ___ - couriers, boxed, whoop |Page ___ – peremptory, sullenly |
|context |Page ___ – hereinafter, foil |Page ___ - concealed |
| |Page ___ - glade |Page ___ - subjugated |
| |Page ___ - brute |Page ___ – inclined |
| |Page ___ - leech |Page ___ - extracting |
|Meaning |Page ___ – ransom Page ___ - stockade |Page ___ - apparition Page ___ - treachery |
|needs to |Page ___ – cedar brake Page ___ – graft |Page ___ - radius Page ___ - comply |
|be |Page ___ – court plaster Page ___ - depredation |Page ___ - diatribe Page ___ - collaborated |
|provided |Page ___ - lambkin Page ___ - cauterized |Page ___ - prominent Page ___ - solitary |
| |Page ___ - lackadaisical Page ___ - ineffable |Page ___ - forecloser Page ___ - chronic |
| |Page ___ - fancier |Page ___ - mortgage Page ___ - palatable |
| |Page ___ – peasantry |Page ___ - captive Page ___ - surreptitiously |
| |Page ___ – bas-relief Page ___ - yodel |Page ___- stealthy Page ___ - renegade |
| |Page ___ – welter-weight Page ___ - malaria |Page ___ - desperate Page ___- egotism |
| |Page ___ - imp Page ___ - proclivities |Page ___ - reconnoiter Page ___ - predominance |
| |Page ___ - dote Page ___ - bedlam |Page ___ - contiguous Page ___ - martyrs |
| |Page ___ - yeomanry Page ___ - spendthrift |Page ___ - vicinity Page ___ - proposition |
| |Page ___ - dastardly Page ___ - calliope |Page ___ - pervading Page ___ - commend |
| |Page ___ - sylvan Page ___ - stockade |Page ___ – decry Page ___ – liberal |
| |Page ___ - somnolent Page ___ - impudent |Page ___ - moral |
| |Page ___ – hither Page ___ - counterproposition |Page ___ - acceded |
Culminating Writing Task • Prompt • O’Henry is known for using irony in his literary works. How does he use of irony in the story, “The Ransom of Red Chief”? Write an essay discussing how O’Henry’s use of irony creates humor in the piece. Be sure to include textual references to support your analysis using direct quotes and page numbers. • Teacher Instructions 1. Students identify their writing task from the prompt provided. 2. Students complete an evidence chart as a pre-writing activity. Teachers should remind students to use any relevant notes they compiled while reading and answering the text-dependent questions.
|Evidence |Page number |Elaboration / explanation of how this evidence supports ideas or argument |
|Quote or paraphrase | | |
|“Philoprogenitiveness, says we, is strong in semi-rural communities; | |Most of the irony in the story is situational—i.e., what we expect to happen |
|therefore, and for other reasons, a kidnapping project ought to do better | |and what actually happens are two very different things. |
|there than in the radius of newspapers that send reporters out in plain | |In the beginning, Bill and Sam think that the kidnapping will be easy, |
|clothes to stir up talk about such things.” | |however, they soon realize the boy is not the ideal kidnapping victim. He |
| | |doesn’t seem to be bothered by being kidnapped. |
|He is “having the time of his life.” “Have you got beds to sleep on in this | | |
|cave?” | |The kid even seems to be in charge instead of the kidnappers. He has begun a|
| | |game of make-believe playing Indian, and he has named them all. Now, he has |
|“Red Chief,” says to the kid, “would you like to go home?” | |captured them! |
|“Aw, what for?” says he. “I don’t have any fun at home. I hate to go to | | |
|school. I like to camp out. You won’t take me back home again, Snake-Eye, | | |
|will you?” | | |
|“The Scout jumps on Bill’s back and digs his heels in his side.” | |Instead of the kidnappers terrorizing the captive, the captive is terrorizing|
| | |the kidnappers. The boy makes Bill his horse. |
|“I think you are a little high in your demands, and I hereby make you a | |In the end, instead of Mr. Dorset jumping at the chance to have his son |
|counterproposition, which I am inclined to believe you will accept.” | |returned, he provides a counteroffer when the kidnappers offer to return Red |
|“You had better come at night, for the neighbors believe he is lost, and I | |Chief for a ransom. |
|couldn’t be responsible for what they would do to anybody they saw bringing | | |
|him back.” | | |
|“What’s two hundred and fifty dollars, after all? We’ve got the money. One| |Bill can’t wait to get rid of the kid because he feels he may go crazy |
|more night of this kid will send me to a bed in Bedlam.” | |because of Red Chief’s behavior. |
| | | |
|“Tell you the truth, Bill,” says I, “this little he-ewe lamb has somewhat | |In addition, Sam can’t wait to get rid of the kid. Sam has been annoyed by |
|got on my nerves too. We’ll take him home, pay the ransom, and make our | |Red Chief’s behavior too, and he feels that they should cut their losses. |
|getaway.” | |Kidnappings don’t usually end with the kidnappers paying the ransom. |
|He responds with a counteroffer. “You bring Johnny home and pay me two | |This is the exact opposite of what you would think a father would do if his |
|hundred and fifty dollars in cash, and I agree to take him off your hands.” | |son was kidnapped. |
| | |Based on the behavior Red Chief displayed throughout the kidnapping, the |
|“I think you are a little high in your demands…” | |father probably has to deal with him daily and knows what the kidnappers are |
| | |going through. We can also infer that he knows that the kidnappers will want|
| | |to send Red Chief back as soon as possible. |
| | |He also asks the kidnappers to bring him home at night because the neighbors |
| | |are happy he is gone. |
3. Once students have completed the evidence chart, they should look back at the writing prompt in order to remind themselves what kind of response they are writing (i.e. expository, analytical, argumentative) and think about the evidence they found. (Depending on the grade level, teachers may want to review students’ evidence charts in some way to ensure accuracy.) From here, students should develop a specific thesis statement. This could be done independently, with a partner, small group, or the entire class. Consider directing students to the following sites to learn more about thesis statements: http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/545/01/ OR http://www.indiana.edu/~wts/pamphlets/ thesis_statement.shtml. 4. Students compose a rough draft. With regard to grade level and student ability, teachers should decide how much scaffolding they will provide during this process (i.e. modeling, showing example pieces, sharing work as students go). 5. Students complete final draft. • Sample Answer “I think you are a little high in your demands, and I hereby make you a counterproposition, which I am inclined to believe you will accept” (page ___). What father in his right mind would actually have the gall to juxtapose the demands of kidnappers with his own, risking the life of his one and only son? Not many, but in “The Ransom of Red Chief,” O. Henry, the author, uses situational irony to create a thread of humor that permeates the piece. The author begins the story with Sam, the narrator and kidnapper, discussing the particulars of the caper that he and Bill Driscoll are preparing themselves to embark on. Everything seems to be copasetic. Sam explains the reasons why they chose the town, “Philoprogenitiveness, says we, is strong in semi-rural communities; therefore, and for other reasons, a kidnapping project ought to do better there than in the radius of newspapers that send reporters out in plain clothes to stir up talk about such things.” (page ___). They also systematically acquire goods for their crime. “About two miles from Summit was a little mountain, covered with a dense cedar brake. On the rear elevation of this mountain was a cave. There we stored provisions” (page ___). Since Bill and Sam meticulously plan the kidnapping, the reader would believe that the actual crime will be perpetuated without a hitch, but that is exactly the opposite of what happens. When Bill attempts to kidnap the boy, he “catches Bill neatly in the eye with a piece of brick” (page ___). Later that night, when Sam, Bill, and the boy, are having supper, the last thing you would think would happen did. The boy, Red Chief, begins to see the kidnapping as an adventure or vacation. “I like this fine. I never camped out before…Are there any real Indians in these woods…Have you got beds to sleep on in this cave” (page ___)? Red Chief also decides that he is having more fun being kidnapped than being at home. “I don’t have any fun at home. I hate to go to school. I like to camp out. You won’t take me back home again, Snake-eye, will you” (page ___)? Any logical person would assume that the kidnappers will be the enforcers in this kidnapping relationship and the whole town would be scouring the countryside for the young boy. However, the exact opposite occurs. Red Chief rains down an onslaught of terror on Bill that causes him to question his own masculinity and the authenticity of the ransom request. “I’m a grown person with masculine proclivities and habits of self-defense, but there is a time when all systems of egotism and predominance fail” (page ___). Also, instead of Bill or Sam inflicting physical harm on the boy, Red Chief is the one inflicting physical pain on Bill. “Red Chief was sitting on Bill’s chest, with one hand twined in Bill’s hair. In the other he had the sharp case knife we used for slicing bacon; and he was industriously and realistically trying to take Bill’s scalp…” (page ___). Bill begins to even question if the money they are asking for ransom is too high. “Do you think anybody will pay out money to get a little imp like that back home” (page ___)? Furthermore, when Sam leaves the hideout to view the chaos caused by the town searching frantically for the missing boy, he is left dumbfounded by the contrary scene. “I expected to see the sturdy yeomanry of the village armed with scythes and pitchforks beating the countryside for the dastardly kidnappers. But what I saw was a peaceful landscape dotted with one man plowing with a dun mule. Nobody was dragging the creek; no couriers dashed hither and yon, bringing tidings of no news to the distracted parents” (pages ___-___). This kidnapping is turning out to be a mockery. Again, the author continues with an ironic situation where the kidnappers react in a way that further establishes this humorous continuum. Sam decides to unleash his well thought out “scheme for collecting that ransom without danger of being caught by counterplots” (page ___). He writes the ransom letter and scouts a location to make the transaction. In choosing this location, he accounts for distance to the road fence, openness of the field, and the ability to keep a close eye on the pick-up location. With all of this planning, one would again assume success. However, the kidnappers are further perplexed when Mr. Dorset actually asks for money to accept his son back. “You bring Johnny home and pay me two hundred and fifty dollars in cash, and I agree to take him off your hands” (page ___). Bill and Sam do finally come to the conclusion that returning the boy to his father is the safest decision. “What’s two hundred and fifty dollars, after all? We’ve got the money. One more night of this kid will send me to a bed in Bedlam” (page ___). Additionally, there is irony in the return of Red Chief. “Just at the moment when I should have been abstracting the fifteen hundred dollars…according to the original proposition, Bill was counting out two hundred dollars into Dorset’s hand (page ___). Then when the kid found the “kidnappers” were leaving him with his family, “he started up like a calliope and fastened himself as tight as a leech to Bill’s leg (page ___). In the end, the kidnappers ran as fast as they could out of Summit minus 250 dollars! The humor in the trials and tribulations of the kidnappers’ is compounded through the author’s repetitive use of ironical situations. What should have been an effortless, but fruitful plan turned out to be an unexpected nightmare!
Additional Tasks • View a clip from the film version of “The Ransom of Red Chief.” Then, with classmates, analyze the extent to which the filmed version of the story stays faithful to or departs from the text, evaluating the choices made by the director or actors. o Answer: After reading the short story, “The Ransom of Red Chief” by O’Henry and viewing the movie with the same name, it is evident that there were many similarities, but also differences between the two. Of course, the basic plot and characters in the film stayed pretty faithful to the text, but there were definitely differences in the setting and dialogue. Clearly a director must make many decisions to adapt a short story to film and make it work for the audience. Sometimes it does alter the original story. In this film adaptation, the time of the story has changed from the late 1800’s to the early 1900’s as referenced by “Buffalo Bill’s show” and driving a horse and buggy (page71) to after 1908 when the first Model T Fords were driven. It seems like a small change, but in the text, Bill and Sam used the buggy or were on foot which added to their hardships as opposed to driving in the car to make their “getaway” and then driving to return the boy to his family. Additionally, the movie was thirty minutes long. This meant that instead of Red Chief doing a few horrible things to Bill like bruising him, and hissing in his ear when he was asleep, and trying to scalp him, the director added more events to stretch out the time. For example, Red Chief shot the men with a pea shooter and even tried to light one of the guy’s shoes on fire before the scalping. It didn’t seem necessary and didn’t really add much to the characterization or the conflict of the story. Red Chief was already truly annoying, and the guys, especially Bill, were truly annoyed. Although some events and the setting were added or changed, being able to see the characters come to life and actually picturing what the town of Summit and the “camping” areas could be made the story very enjoyable. The characters who played the Red Chief, Bill and Sam portrayed the written characters perfectly. Bill’s pitiful behavior shines through in the movie, and the audience genuinely understands how hard it was for him to be terrorized by Red Chief. Red Chief shows how extremely mischievous he is by his actions, words and facial expressions. Instead of Sam narrating, he speaks most of it in dialogue, which does help move the action along. Much of the dialogue stayed true to the text and that added enjoyment for the reading audience. Although there was additional dialogue to support the extra events, it seemed to match O’ Henry’s style and seemed authentic. Finally, for movie-goers and movie-lovers, the use of a special effect, showing a “silent movie clip” to illustrate the parents supposedly weeping over their son’s kidnapping enhanced the visual pleasure. A written short story just can’t do that. So it’s a toss-up! If you are one who always sides with the written word, you will pick the short story, and if you are an avid movie-aficionado, you will pick the film. Either way, it is an enjoyable experience; so why not do both!
• Ask students to sort the vocabulary words for: parts of speech, prefixes, suffixes, syllable counts, words that reflect the historical times/dialect, or word families. • Word families are groups of words that are sufficiently closely related to each other to form a 'family'. Words can be grouped into families in two main ways: they are similar in form or their meanings are related. In groups, students will take a word from the list and expand the list as much as they can. For example, Captive: captivating, capture, captivated, captivatingly, captivity, captor and captivation. From the vocabulary list: predominance, comply, captive, extracting, chronic, desperate and commend. This would be an excellent activity for all students to learn multiple words.
• Readers’ Theater: Have students choose a scene to recreate from the text. They could recreate a dialogue between the characters, or choose to do one of the monologues of the narrator, Sam…or even reread one of the ransom notes. This would be excellent for struggling readers as they would have the chance to work with the vocabulary and the dialect multiple times before reading orally to the class.
• How would the account of this kidnapping be different if it was told from the point-of-view of Red Chief instead of Sam, the kidnapper? Choose a scene from the piece and write a narrative of this account sharing Red Chief’s side of the story. Be sure to include the details of what happened and how Red Chief felt during the kidnapping. Reveal the irony or humor that occurs when Red Chief shares… One day, I was just minding my own business playin’ with a kitten in the street. We were having a good ole time when some strange fella attempted to offer me candy and a ride. So I threw a brick at him. I know better than to take up with the likes of a stranger. Well, this galoot wouldn’t give up, so we rastled to the ground, and I guess he won. But I did get a few licks in on him. It turns out, there were two of them, and they took me on an adventure I will never forget! First, we got to play Indian, so I called myself Red Chief, and I made Bill, my captive, Old Hank, the Trapper. What fun! Me and Bill and Sam, who I have named Snake-eye, the Spy are camping out in a cave playing all kinds of games all day long. Nobody ever wants to do that with me. Pa and Ma are always telling me to go find somethin’ to do! Now, I am havin’ the time of my life…like just this morning I was gonna scalp Bill, but darn, Sam stopped me. Here’s the funny thing…the guys say that I am the captive, but I don’t want to go back home. No Sir! I am gonna continue playin’ Indian as long as I can. My pa can wait!
Note to Teacher • If students need support for organizing their thoughts, utilize graphic organizers. • If students need support for specific terms/concepts, you might teach a quick mini-lesson. Some examples of mini-lessons for this text might include: dialect, figurative language, vocabulary, Biblical references, point of view, irony, and word choice,
Name ____________________________________________ Date _________________
“The Ransom of Red Chief”
1. In the first three paragraphs of page ___, the narrator shares that he and his partner have come up with the idea to kidnap someone. Why do they decide on the town of Summit? Use words and phrases from the text to support your response.
2. What is ironic about calling the town Summit?
3. On page ___, the narrator shares that the decision to kidnap the son of Ebenezer Dorset might not be the best idea. Based on the text, what can you infer about the kidnappers’ ability to be successful with their plan to kidnap the young boy?
4. On page ___, paragraph 5, the captured boy gives a dinner speech. Based on that speech, what kind of boy did they capture?
5. Choose 2 - 3 sentences or passages from page ___ or ___ that share the irony of this kidnapping so far. Explain your choice. How is it humorous?
6. Why is Bill’s favorite character King Herod? Why is this humorous? Use evidence from the text to support your answer.
7. Based on pages ___-___, what is ironic about how the kidnapping plan is going? Give evidence that supports this statement. How is this humorous?
8. On page ___, Bill and Sam signed their ransom note, “Two Desperate Men.” Discuss the possible meanings of this signature using evidence from the text.
9. How do dialect and figurative language contribute to the meaning and tone of the text? Use dialogue, word, phrases, and description to support your response.
10. On page ___, paragraph 3, Bill compares himself to a martyr. Why does he make this comparison?
11. What is ironic about how Ebenezer Dorset responds to the ransom note? Based on the text, why does he respond this way? How is this response Ironic? (page ___)
12. Why do Bill and Sam meet Mr. Dorsett’s demands? Explain. Why is this ironic?
13. How does Henry’s use of irony, create a humorous tone? Use examples from the text to justify your answer.
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[1] This story is a “duplicate.” (It is found in other anthologies, as well.) This particular revision was completed by a teacher who uses a different anthology than you, so the page numbers have been removed. This may require you to make some adjustments/add page numbers to some of the questions. 