A Retrieved Reformation

Created by Sarah Herrmann

A Retrieved Reformation

By O. Henry

Summary

Artwork

Point of View

A Retrieved Reformation, written by O. Henry, takes place in the Midwest around the early 1900's. It is about a man Jimmy Valentine who is a safe cracker and is just getting released from jail for robbing banks. As soon as he is let out of prison Jimmy goes right back to his old life style. Through out the story Detective Ben Price is constantly trying to catch Jimmy for his crimes. It's not until he moves to Elmore, Arkansas and meets Annabel Adams that he has a change of heart. Annabel is the daughter of a bank owner so to conceal Jimmy's identity he changes his name to Ralph D. Spencer. He and Annabel fall in love and get engaged to be married. At the end of the story Annabel's father is showing off his new safe when a child accidentally gets closed inside. From the outside of the bank Ben Price is watching the whole thing. To save the child Jimmy opens his suit case full of safe cracking equipment to free the kid. As Jimmy walks out to Ben after saving the child, Ben pretends to not know who he is and walks away ending the story.

Third Person Omniscient:

With this point of view the reader is able to hear all of the characters' thoughts, views, and opinions instead of just one characters thoughts.

Jimmy Valentine & Mike Dolan, his partner in crime, cracking a bank safe.

Strengths and Weaknesses

Money

By Pink Floyd

Strengths:

Plot chart

This story is a good example of irony. Also, it has a good story line and really shows the development and change in the character Jimmy Valentine. When he meets Annabel he never robs another bank again and is a changed man. It helps him work to better himself. Ex.- "Jimmy Valentine looked into her eyes, forgot what he was, and became another man."

Literary Terms

Midwest, early 1900's Jimmy Valentine had been arrested for safe cracking and robbing banks. He is finally released from prison and goes straight back to his old life style of safe cracking.

Exposition:

Motifs:

Weaknesses:

1.) Nostros- Jimmy is just returning to his home after being in prison for a long time.

Ex- "...unlocking the door of a room at the

rear. Everything was just as he had left it."

This story doesn't use a lot of imagery or description. It never describes what anyone looks like or what the setting is really like. It only tells you where the story is located, Elmore, AR., with no description of what it is like.

Jimmy moves to Elmore, AR. He meets the love of his life Annabel Adams & stops safe cracking. He makes a new life for himself by opening his own store. He gets engaged to Annabel.

Rising Action:

Conflicts

Temptation- Jimmy struggles to do the right thing and stop safe cracking after he is released from jail. Ex- "...Jimmy slid back a panel in

the wall and dragged out a dust-covered suit-case. He opened this and

gazed fondly at the finest set of burglar's tools in the East."

Climax:

At his fiance's family bank a child gets locked in the new safe. People start to panic. Jimmy has to decide whether to risk his identity and break into the safe or leave the child trapped.

External: Man Vs. Man-

Lit Terms:

Simile- "Jimmy, looking like an athletic young senior just home from college..."

Jimmy decides that saving the child is more important than his identity and he cracks open the safe in front of his soon-to-be family.

Falling Action:

Ben Price is always trying to catch Jimmy Valentine for robbing banks.

Irony- 1.) Jimmy is a well known bank robber that falls in love with a bank owners daughter.

2.) Safecracking, the thing that got Jimmy arrested the first time, saved him from getting arrested in the end.

Resolution:

Internal: Man Vs. Self-

Detective Ben Price sees this all happen and when Jimmy leaves the bank instead of arresting him he acts like he doesn't know who he is. Ben realized the Jimmy is a good person at heart.

Vernacular- "'Naw,' said the boy. 'She's Annabel Adams.'"

Jimmy has to become a better person and stop safe cracking. He struggles to stop his old lifestyle after prison until he meets his future wife, Annabel Adams.