...El péndulo [Cuento. Texto completo]O. Henry | -Calle Ochenta y Uno... Dejen bajar, por favor -gritó el pastor de azul.Un rebaño de ciudadanos salió forcejeando y otro subió forcejeando a su vez. ¡Ding, ding! Los vagones de ganado del Tren Aéreo de Manhattan se alejaron traqueteando, y John Perkins bajó a la deriva por la escalera de la estación, con el resto de las ovejas.John se encaminó lentamente hacia su departamento. Lentamente, porque en el vocabulario de su vida cotidiana no existía la palabra “quizás”. A un hombre que está casado desde hace dos años y que vive en un departamento no lo esperan sorpresas. Al caminar, John Perkins se profetizaba con lúgubre y abatido cinismo las previstas conclusiones de la monótona jornada.Katy lo recibiría en la puerta con un beso que tendría sabor a cold cream y a dulce con mantequilla.Se quitaría el saco, se sentaría sobre un viejo sofá y leería en el vespertino crónicas sobre los rusos y los japoneses asesinados por la mortífera linotipo. La cena comprendería un asado, una ensalada condimentada con un aderezo que se garantizaba no agrietaba ni dañaba el cuero, guiso de ruibarbo y el frasco con mermelada de fresas que se sonrojaba ante el certificado de pureza química que ostentaba su rótulo. Después de la cena, Katy le mostraría el nuevo añadido al cobertor de retazos multicolores que le había regalado el repartidor de hielo, arrancándolo de la manta de su coche. A las siete y media ambos extenderían periódicos sobre los muebles...
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...of life. It's supposed to be. It's not something to regret. It's something to aspire to (Albom).” In this essay I will take a look at O Henry’s background, his life experiences and how it reflects in his work, “The Gift of the Magi”. As I travel through O Henry’s life you will see how there was no life event he regretted. Nor did he allow his life’s challenges to overtake him. If anything he used those challenges as opportunities to excel in his writing career. In his writings he is able to take all that he had experienced and learned by showing people in their ordinary form, just as he sketched the customers at his uncle’s drugstore. William Sydney Porter, an American writer from North Carolina is better known as O Henry (Langford). He is known to have changed his name twice. The first time he changed the spelling of his middle name from Sidney to Sydney (Langford). The second was after trying several pen names, he settled on O Henry. The final name changed occurred after he had gone to jail for robbery, though he persisted he was innocent (Langford). It was his hope, once he changed his name, he would be able to forget the embarrassing ordeal he had faced. O Henry was not immune to suffering. “At age three he lost his mother to tuberculosis” (Langford). Growing up he was an avid reader, reading everything from the classics to comics. O Henry several early years of career accomplishments. He worked for his uncle at his drugstore, where he later became a druggist (Langford)...
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...instead had to use gas to heat the curlers for her hair. The reading just reemphasized what Henry wrote about and how the act of giving was something they wanted to do for each other. The second source from Online Literature was just biographical information about O. Henry who was really named William Sydney Porter. Mr. Porter was born to a mother who had a talent for writing poetry and the ability to paint, but unfortunately she died when he was three years old. This may have led to him moving with his father to his relative’s farm. He eventually left the farm and married and had a child. He developed a magazine but he also spent time in prison for embezzlement. He eventually moved to New York City, which is the background for the Gift of the Magi. As a result of Porters problems with the law and drinking habits, I think that might be were the story line came from. He grew up poor and struggled and giving to others was probably not really something he could do. The third source from the author from the Columbia encyclopedia helps to understand what he may have been thinking about when he wrote the story. There is some irony in the couple sacrificing their possessions to buy gifts that were related to the possessions they were in fact each selling off. Poverty is the prominent theme and this work really looked at the lower class life during the time of the writing. Henry had a knack for trick endings in his works and I think this one is part of that structure...
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...two short stories that have their similarities and differences is Della in The Gift of the Magi by O. Henry and Mathilde in The Necklace by Guy De Maupassant. It is said that all women like to shop and look fabulous and with Della and Mathilde they both want an accessory they cannot afford, but Della wants to use her possession in a thoughtful way and Mathilde wants to use her possession in a selfish way. Also Mathilde makes everyone sacrifice but in the end she has to sacrifice while with Della, she sacrifices to show her companion how much he is loved. ”She was ransacking the stores for Jim’s present.” (Henry 352). Mathilde in order to get one of the many necessities she wants, she makes her husband sacrifice the money that he wants to save up for himself on her. “ Finally she answered,’ I’m not sure exactly, but I think with four hundred francs I could manage it.’ He turned a bit pale, he had set aside just that amount to buy a rifle so that the following summer, he could join some friends who were getting up a group to shoot larks on the plain near Nanterre.” (Guy De Maupassant 200). Whereas Della sacrifices her most prized item, her hair, to raise money to purchase a gold watch chain for her lover, which he had been wanting for a long time. “She got out her curling irons and lighted the gas and went to work repairing the ravages made by generosity added to love.” (Henry 352). People say that the rich get richer and the poorer get poorer. In this situation that saying...
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...O. Henry was an American writer whose short stories are known for wit, wordplay and clever twist endings. He wrote nearly 600 stories about life in America. He was born William Sidney Porter on September 11, 1862, in Greensboro, North Carolina. His father, Algernon Sidney Porter, was a medical doctor. When William was three his mother died and he was raised by his grandmother and aunt. He left school at the age of 15 and then had a number of jobs, including bank clerk. In 1896 he was accused of embezzlement. He absconded from the law to New Orleans and later fled to Honduras. When he learned that his wife was dying, he returned to US and surrendered to police. Although there has been much debate over his actual guilt, he was convicted of embezzling funds from the bank that employed him; he was sentenced to 5 years in jail. In 1898 he was sent to the penitentiary at Columbus, Ohio. While in prison he began writing short stories in order to support his young daughter Margaret. His first published story was "Whistling Dick's Christmas Stocking" (1899). He used a pseudonym, Olivier Henry, only once and changed his pen name to O. Henry, not wanting his readers to know he was in jail. He published 12 stories while in prison. After serving 3 years of the five-year sentence, he was released for good behavior. He moved to New York City in 1902 and wrote a story a week for the New York World, and also for other publishers. His first collection of stories was "Cabbages and Kings" (1904)...
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...------------------------------------------------- O. Henry (1862—1910), born William Sidney Porter, in Greensboro, North Carolina. When he was a young man, ------------------------------------------------- O. Henry moved to Texas and worked on a ranch for three years. Later, he moved to Houston, worked for a newspaper ------------------------------------------------- for a year, then bought a newspaper of his own in Austin, Texas for $250. He was not pleased with his newspaper's title; ------------------------------------------------- so he renamed it The Rolling Stone. For a while, he did the writing and even the illustrations, but couldn't keep it up. The ------------------------------------------------- Rolling Stone apparently gathered moss and failed. He was a master of the short story . He was an American story writer whose real name was William Sydney Porter.. ------------------------------------------------- Johnsy and Sue are artists who move into Greenwich Village in New York City.As winter approaches and the weather gets colder, Johnsy becomes ill with pneumonia. She gets so sick that she believes that when the last leaf falls from the vine outside her window , she will die. An old artist , named Behrman , who lives in the same building as the girls, braves a storm one night to paint a leaf on the wall – a leaf that will never fall.Cold and wet from painting in the icy rain , he catches pneumonia and dies. This gives Johnsy the hope to survive her illness...
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...Biography of O.Henry Early life William Sidney Porter was born on September 11, 1862, in Greensboro, North Carolina. He changed the spelling of his middle name to Sydney in 1898. His parents were Dr. Algernon Sidney Porter (1825–88), a physician, and Mary Jane Virginia Swaim Porter (1833–65). William's parents had married on April 20, 1858. When William was three, his mother died from tuberculosis, and he and his father moved into the home of his paternal grandmother. As a child, Porter was always reading, everything from classics to dime novels; his favorite works were Lane's translation of One Thousand and One Nights, and Burton's Anatomy of Melancholy.[2] Porter graduated from his aunt Evelina Maria Porter's elementary school in 1876. He then enrolled at the Lindsey Street High School. His aunt continued to tutor him until he was fifteen. In 1879, he started working in his uncle's drugstore and in 1881, at the age of nineteen, he was licensed as a pharmacist. At the drugstore, he also showed off his natural artistic talents by sketching the townsfolk. Move to Texas Porter in Austin as a young man Porter traveled with Dr. James K. Hall to Texas in March 1882, hoping that a change of air would help alleviate a persistent cough he had developed. He took up residence on the sheep ranch of Richard Hall, James' son, in La Salle County and helped out as a shepherd, ranch hand, cook and baby-sitter. While on the ranch, he learned bits of Spanish and German from the mix...
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...The Romance of a Busy Broker by O. Henry Short story Analysis produced by the student Sorocian Liudmila gr.LAE16M The story under analysis was written by the american writer O.Henry, whose real name was William Sydney Porter. His short stories are known for their wit, wordplay, warm characterization and clever twist endings. O.Henry wrote about ordinary people: clerks, policemen or waitresses, many of his stories take place in New York. The title of the story is suggestive, because we can predict that the story will be about the love and feelings of the very busy broker. It is the story about a busy town, in which there is no time for rest and getting satisfaction from life - this is the main idea of the text. The problem raised by the author is the relationship between two very different people - a very busy worker and his wife who is the absolute opposite of her husband but who loves him very much. The author`s message is that people should spend more time together not only just working , because they can forget or miss some very important events in their life. This topic is very actual nowadays. Talking about the setting of the story - the event take place in a global power city New York. The whole event takes place during just one day, exactly the morning time. It is a broker’s office with a busy office routine every day. As it is the whole story we can see all logical parts of it. "The Romance of a Busy Broker" has no introduction...
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...known by his pen name O. Henry, was an American writer. O. Henry's short stories are known for their wit, wordplay, warm characterization, and clever twist endings. O. Henry was born under the name of William Sydney Porter September 11, 1862 in Greensboro , North Carolina , USA . His middle name is Sidney , but was later changed to Sydney in 1898 . His father , Dr. Algernon Sydney Porter (1825-1888) , and his mother was Mary Jane Virginia Swain Porter ( 1833-1865 ) . They were married April 20, 1858 . His mother died of tuberculosis when he was 3 years old . Then Porter and father moved to live with her grandmother . Even as a child , Porter was very avid reader . He read everything he has, from the economic works of fiction to me cheap . and he studied at the private school her aunt , Evelina Maria Porter , employed until 1876 . He then continued his studies at the Lindsey Street High School under the auspices of his aunt until the age of 15 . In 1879 he worked for his uncle effective medicine , and then , in 1881 , when 19 years old , he obtained a pharmacist. Porter moved to Austin in 1884 VACO a pretty exciting life here. He participated in both singing and acting. By 1894, he founded the weekly newspaper The Rolling Stone humorous and served as editor. He also worked for other newspapers and journalists contributed occasionally drawing cartoons. In 1919, the Arts and Science (Society of Arts and Sciences) set "O. Henry Memorial Award" (O. Henry Memorial Awards), awarded...
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...Examine the endings (with close attention to the last ‘scene’ and the last paragraph) of at least three 20c. short stories and consider how the author handles them and their relation to the story as a whole. The art of ending short stories has been hotly contested for centuries. As humans we naturally desire firm conclusions that tie up the story’s various loose threads and leave us with a sense of satisfaction. Many writers, in modern times, have tried to challenge this convention, preferring to leave endings open for interpretation and development of thought. This is connected with the developing idea that a short story is, in essence, a brief glimpse into a character’s life. In this sense, there is a future outside of the ending, which negates the requirement for an effective conclusion. Flannery O’Connor is an example of a modern writer who sought to challenge the conventions of a story’s ending. Her tale, ‘Everything That Rises Must Converge,’ is told from the perspective of Julian, a college graduate who is being supported by his mother while he seeks employment. The plot revolves around a ride on an integrated bus, and the crisis point comes in the form of a confrontation between Julian’s mother and a black woman wearing the same hat. Julian repeatedly conveys his wish to be rid of his mother, going so far as to dream about her being seriously ill. Despite this, his reaction upon her stroke shows exactly how dependant he is on her: ‘His voice was thin, scarcely a...
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..."The Last Leaf" by O. Henry is an interesting short story about a sick girl named Johnsy, who is deeply affected by a bare vine tree. Johnsy has decided she will not get well and has reconciled herself with the fact that she is going to die when the last leaf falls off the ivy bush outside her bedroom window. Johnsy's hopelessness and willingness to accept the worst without a fight is a major statement about the emotional state of the character. In his wonderful short-story “the last leaf”, using sacrificial themes, fear of pneumonia and a twist on the fatalistic tone, O.Henry depicted a really meaningful goal: Life must have hope. In brief, I love this story very much. Its plot and its characters are simply, but it is a very touching story that makes I recognize many things in life. Life is meaningful only for people who have hope and love. The hope helps us live better and heals our body and spirit. Hope is the foundation of our personal futures; each of us would probably suicide without hope. It is the virtue that helps us overcome obstacles. Without hope, we seem to give up easily like Johnsy in the story. Without hope, there is nothing. Another important thing in life is love. O. Henry, through the story, advices us should love ourselves and other people. The love between three persons, Johnsy, Sue and old Behrman makes a moving story. Johnsy had sometimes forgotten loving herself and cause the worry for Sue, but the biggest love is the love of the old Behrman for Johnsy...
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...Ashley Word Count: 654 English 100 L51 February 4, 2015 Alexie SWA # 1 In the short story “Superman and Me” by Sherman Alexie, he talks about being a 3 year old who lived on the Spokane Indian Reservation who loved to read. Alexie talks about the struggles that his family endures with money, but he doesn’t let that stop him from reading. Alexie learned to read from comic books such as “Superman”, he used the pictures to help tell the story. As he became older and started school he was teased because he was an Indian child who could read and write. Now, Alexie is a writer who visits schools to help Indian children to understand how reading had an impact on his life and he wants to try and get more Indian children involved with reading. Alexie describes his family as being poor but they are considered second class according to Reservation standards. As told in the story Alexie’s family consist of 7 family members and at least one parent held a job so the family could make it through a time where poverty was hitting the world hard. They lived on a combination of irregular paychecks, hope, fear, and government surplus food, but managed to be doing better than a lot of others in the reservation. The role of Alexie’s father played a huge role in his life. His father loved books and since Alexie loved is father with an aching devotion, he decided that he would love books also. Alexie’s father was one of the few Indians who attended a Catholic school, so I think that had a big...
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...Phillip Young Dr. Ochola English 100 29 September 2015 SWA 1 Superman and Me by Sherman Alexie is a short story about a young Indian boy living on the reservation with a passion for books. His passion is learned from his father who also an avid reader. Alexie tells the story about how he used books to override the stereotypes about Indian children being stupid. Alexie’s family consisted of his mother, father, older brother, his deceased sister, younger twin sisters and his adopted little brother. Alexie mostly speaks of his father, describing him as “one of the few Indians who went to Catholic school on purpose”, presumably to indicate that his father was an educated man. It is clear from Alexie’s story that his father was a very influential figure in his life. In the beginning of the story, Alexie creates an interesting metaphor. He describes how he “began to think of everything in terms of paragraphs”. For example, Alexie says “Our reservation was a small paragraph within the United States. My family’s house was a paragraph, distinct from the other paragraphs of the LeBrets to the north, the Fords to our south and the Tribal School to the west. Inside our house, each family member existed as a separate paragraph but still had genetics and common experiences to link us.” Alexie’s difficult experience with overcoming the stereotypes about Indian children have obviously embedded in him a strong desire for success as well as to see other Indian children achieve success...
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...The narrator in the story “Cathedral” by Raymond Carver is a stubborn man. The narrator constantly takes shots at Robert’s blindness while he has his own issues seeing. The narrator is not necessarily blind but does not see the limits he has put on himself. The narrator does not have the sight in the wonder of things, potential, and humanity in general. The narrator is a mean yet glib individual that has a sense of dark humor to him. He is really talkative though and clever. The glibness disappears at the conclusion of the story though when he is able to recognize how he has been. He is also detached from himself and feels as if he is in control. Constant drug use and alcohol is an easy way to understand this. Also throughout the story he does not ever mention jealousy he has of Robert and the former relationship that he had with his wife. “I heard my own name in the mouth of this Stanger, this blind man I didn’t even know! And then this: “From all you’ve said about him, I can only conclude- “But we were interrupted, a knock at the door, something, and we didn’t even get back to the tape. Maybe it was just as well. I’d heard all I wanted to” (Carver 34). This is a great example of his own detachment from himself. For a man that is alone and has no friends, according to his wife, he confesses that he is happy to have company. This is showing a slight glimpse into what happens later in the story after he warms himself up to Robert. “They talked of things that happened to them...
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...“Don’t judge a book by its cover”; this is a simple saying that a lot of people learn early on in life. “Cathedral” is a story where the narrator, let’s call him ‘Bub’, learns this firsthand. The story of “Cathedral” takes place at Bub’s house; where his wife has invited a long time friend over; who is a blind man. Through the course of the story, we as the readers can find Bub being surprised and a little friendly towards Robert the blind man. Bub was unfamiliar and uncomfortable with blind people early in the story, stating that: “In the movies the blind moved slowly and never laughed. Sometimes they would be led by seeing-eye dogs. A blind man in my house was not something I looked forward to.”. This was displayed through his actions as well. Bub would stare at Robert at times and not know what to say. Robert surprised Bub on multiple occasions. Not thinking a blind person would have a full beard, wouldn’t wear sunglass, and smoke, yet Robert did. Breaking what he thought he knew about blind people from what he had seen and heard, although he still had what he assumed. He’d make small talk to show his wife and Robert he wanted to give to the conversation they mostly carried. Bub and Robert eventually sat on the sofa to watch(or rather listen in Robert’s case) to the weather report. Bub’s wife went upstairs to get changed, and Bub was feeling anxious: “I’d wish she’d come back downstairs. I didn’t want to be left alone with the blind man.”. It wasn’t until Bub offered to...
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