O. Henry's "A Retrieved Reformation"

A Retrieved Reformation

By: O. Henry

Setting and perspective

The story takes place in Elmore, Arkansas and is written in 3rd person limited perspective

Perspective

Setting

The story was written throughout in third person limited perspective and is in past tense. It is 3rd person limited because the narrator never actually uses the terms "I" or "you" but follows one character (Jimmy Valentine) and you are able to see how he is feeling and what he's thinking throughout the story. He is able to describe Jimmy's personality and thoughts through the story very well which gives you a good look into who Jimmy is as a character. I believe he chose this perspective because you are able to develop your own viewpoint while still following one, main character.

There is no given time period for the story but the location is Elmore, Arkansas. More specifically, a prison and then in a bank later in the story. The author chose this setting because it would make sense to put a man who was just released from prison and wants to continue his crime in a small town where he could go on with his plans. Of course the prison was where he was in the beginning of the story and he was in the bank when Agatha (Annabel's niece) was locked inside the vault.

Exposition

The story starts with a brief overview of Jimmy's past going to when Jimmy was released from prison, in which he was put in for robbing banks and cracking vaults. This sets the suspenseful tone of the story and foreshadows his use of his talent later in the story when he needs to save his fiancee's niece from the vault in the story.

How has the character changed?

O.Henry's early years

Example of Pathos

Characters

Throughout the story you are able to see a complete transformation of Jimmy Valentine from a once law breaker to a husband who cares for his wife and new family so much to where he has to go against his new morals to save his wife's niece. He has really changed throughout the story and that is very well shown through the narrator's POV and his ability to tell the story.

The Retrieved Reformation has many memorable characters such as the protagonist Jimmy Valentine, a former burglar who gets released from prison and tries to rob banks in Elmore, Arkansas, but instead starts a new life in Elmore as a shoe salesman when he meets his soon to be wife Annabel who is the daughter of the local bank owner in Elmore. Also introduced is the antagonist, detective Ben Price who comes to Elmore because he hears of a string of burglaries in the town and comes because he immediately believes it is Valentine behind them.

Pathos is shown when Jimmy believes that he is going to prison even after living about a year with a family and no crimes. He is torn because he had promised to never crack a safe ever again but Agatha being locked in the vault is when he needed to more than ever. The reader feels sympathy for Jimmy as he decides to go back on his promise and save the girl. This impacts the story because it shows a real character arch with Jimmy because now he sees that his skills that he once used for illegal actions could be used for good and the better of other people.

O. Henry was born September 11th, 1862 in Greensboro, North Carolina. He was first given the name William Sydney Porter. His father was a physician named Algeron Sidney Porter and his mother was named Mary Jane Virginia Swaim. He had two brothers named Shirley Worth, and David Weir. His mother died when she was 30 of tuberculosis. The most influential person in the first 20 years of William's life was his aunt who became a teacher, mentor, and parent to him. At 15, he began working as a clerk in his uncle's store, At 18, he moved to Texas, where he would meet Athol Estes Roach, whom he would marry in 1887. In 1894, he launched a magazine known as the Rolling Stone which featured political and satirical cartoons in which he himself made and published.

Protagonist's conflict

Elements of Suspense

Jimmy's external conflict is Ben Price comes to Elmore to find him and bring him back to prison. This relates to the story because this makes him hesitant to break into the vault to save Agatha. His internal conflict is the constant feeling that his past mistakes would come back and ruin his present and future with his fiancee.

Suspense is created when you are waiting to see what Jimmy will do to save Agatha from the vault. This creates tension because you do not know what Jimmy will do, you are given no clue as to what will happen next in the story.

As an Adult and beyond

Falling Action and Resolution

Rising Action

When Jimmy is finished, he simply goes to walk out the bank, despondent to Annabel's calls. He simply walks past Ben Price and tells Price to just take him away. Oddly though, Ben Price acts as if he has never seen Valentine before. Ben Price lets Jimmy go because he believes that Jimmy is good at heart and sees that Jimmy really will be no harm to any banks anymore.

After he spends some time in Honduras, he returns to Texas to face charges of embezzlement. At the same time of this, William's wife was suffering from tuberculosis. She would eventually die in July of 1897. He began a 5-year sentence in Columbus, Ohio Federal Prison on charges of embezzlement. In 1899, while in prison, he began his writing career by writing "Whistling Dick's Christmas Stocking" for McClure's Magazine. Soon after, his career took off as many of the stories he wrote behind bars started to pop up in magazine's everywhere. After being released after just 3 years, Porter moved to New York to start a new life. It was here that he used his past experiences to inspire his writings. Even though many critics disapproved of him, he was quickly becoming one of the most popular writers in America. He was so popular that several of his collections were published including Cabbages and Kings (1904) and The Four Million (1909). He became happier when he married his childhood sweetheart, Sara Lindsie Coleman in 1907. The stress plus added financial problems caused Sara to leave William in 1909. He would eventually die of cirrhosis on June 5th, 1910. A funeral was held in New York City and currently is buried at the Riverside Cemetery in Asheville, North Caroline.

Climax

In the rising action, Jimmy continues his burglaries in the town of Elmore. On the way to a bank in which he mean't to try and burgle he sees a girl by the name of Annabel and soon finds out that her father owns the bank. Instead of robbing the bank, he continues on the a hotel and enters as Ralph D. Spencer. He then becomes a prosperous shoe store owner, becomes popular among the public, and catches the attention of Annabel and soon proposes. But when Ben Price hears of the string of crimes in Elmore he goes to the town to put Jimmy back in prison. To cut ties with his past he writes a letter to a friend in Little Rock and says that he'd like to give him his toolbox. The day before Jimmy goes to Little Rock, Ben Price arrives and spots Valentine. All of this foreshadows what is too come when Agatha gets locked in the vault and Jimmy confronts Ben Price.

When Jimmy is on his way to his train, he stops with Annabel and her family to see her father's new safe.Ben Price is also in the bank, watching an unknowing Jimmy Valentine. When Agatha is playing with her friend, May, she accidentally gets locked in the vault by May. When Annabel turns to Jimmy he steps in and frees Agatha from the vault.