O. Henry – Interesting Literature

A Summary and Analysis of O. Henry’s ‘Witches’ Loaves’

By Dr Oliver Tearle (Loughborough University)

‘Witches’ Loaves’ is a short story by the US short-story writer O. Henry, whose real name was William Sydney Porter (1862-1910). His stories are characterised by their irony and by their surprise twist endings. Both of these elements became something of a signature feature, and ‘Witches’ Loaves’ certainly carries a twist ending.

The story is about an unmarried woman running a bakery, who takes a shine to one of her regular customers, a man who she deduces is an artist.

A Summary and Analysis of O. Henry’s ‘Hearts and Hands’

By Dr Oliver Tearle (Loughborough University)

‘Hearts and Hands’ is a short story by the US short-story writer O. Henry, whose real name was William Sydney Porter (1862-1910). His stories are characterised by their irony and by their surprise twist endings. Both of these elements became something of a signature feature, and ‘Hearts and Hands’ exploits both within its very brief narrative, which focuses on a train journey in which a pretty young woman makes the acquaintance of a former suitor who is handcuffed to another man.

A Summary and Analysis of O. Henry’s ‘The Cop and the Anthem’

By Dr Oliver Tearle (Loughborough University)

‘The Cop and the Anthem’ is a short story by the US short-story writer O. Henry, whose real name was William Sydney Porter (1862-1910). His stories are characterised by their irony, their occasional sentimentality, and by their surprise twist endings. ‘The Cop and the Anthem’ contains all three of these key elements of an O. Henry story, which focuses on the adventures of a homeless New York man trying to get himself arrested so he can spend the winter in jail, so he can escape the cold of the streets.

A Summary and Analysis of O. Henry’s ‘Memoirs of a Yellow Dog’

By Dr Oliver Tearle (Loughborough University)

‘Memoirs of a Yellow Dog’ is a story by the US short-story writer O. Henry, whose real name was William Sydney Porter (1862-1910). In this 1903 story, the yellow dog of the story’s title recounts his life, his owners, and his love for his master (and his dislike for his master’s wife). Man and dog really do have a stronger bond in this story than man and wife, and ‘Memoirs of a Yellow Dog’ is a classic short story about our four-legged friends.

A Summary and Analysis of O. Henry’s ‘The Furnished Room’

By Dr Oliver Tearle (Loughborough University)

‘The Furnished Room’ is a short story by the US short-story writer O. Henry, whose real name was William Sydney Porter (1862-1910). His stories are characterised by their irony, their occasional sentimentality, and by their surprise twist endings. All of these things became something of a signature feature, and ‘The Furnished Room’, which is one of O. Henry’s more melodramatic tales, showcases them all to some extent.