The Ransom of Red Chief
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The document provides a brief summary and analysis of O. Henry's story "The Ransom of Red Chief," focusing on the unexpected reversal of roles between kidnappers Sam and Bill and their intended victim Johnny, who takes control of the situation. It also touches upon O. Henry's writing style, character roles, and a desire to enact one of the characters, along with details from O. Henry's life that influenced his writing. Additionally, new vocabulary from the story is presented with definitions and example sentences.
The Ransom of Red Chief
- 2. Brief Summary “The Ransom of the Red Chief” The “good thing” that Sam and Bill have planned is a kidnapping. Early in the story, they select a quiet, sleepy town, a wealthy man with an only son, and a cave where they can keep their victim. They rent a buggy and approach the small boy with the promise of candy and a buggy ride. At this point, the first reversal occurs. Instead of sweetly climbing into the buggy, Johnny Dorset hits Bill Driscoll with a brick and fights violently when the two men drag him into the buggy. The Ransom of Red Chief" is an example of the type of story O. Henry, whose real name was William Sydney Porter. He specialized in humorous stories with surprise endings. In fact, so many of his stories had twist endings that they became associated with his name.
- 3. Brief Summary When Sam returns to the cave, he finds Bill, badly battered, playing the captured trapper to Johnny’s heroic Indian, who calls himself “Red Chief.” Appropriating Sam for his game, Johnny announces that Bill is to be scalped and Sam burned at the stake. Although Sam and Bill get the boy to their cave hideout, another reversal occurs while Sam is returning the buggy and walking back. During Sam’s absence, the captor and the captive change roles, seemingly only in play but actually in real control of the situation.
- 4. Significance of the Title, Language Used and Style of Writing O. Henry gives us a sympathetic narrator like Sam, someone who talks to us like an old friend and seems to have a tone of casual ease with us. The crime is so matter of fact, and the telling of it is familiar and strangely comforting. This comes about both from the writing style itself, such as using the phrase "Bill and me" instead of the more grammatically correct "Bill and I." The Ransom of Red Chief" is a straightforward title for a straightforward narrative. Red Chief is the name of Johnny's first alter-ego, and indicative of the mess that Sam and Bill are about to get themselves mixed up in. The language used is very funny.
- 5. Character I would like to Enact Name of Characters in the Story; Kidnaper - Bill And Sam Kidnapped boy- Johny AKA Red chief Boys father-Ebanzer donset. Character To Be Enacted I want to enact the character of the Boy Johny Dorset.
- 6. Character I would like to Enact Reason why I would like to enact this character : Leading role Intelligent Courageous Naughty
- 7. The Part I would like to Change The part that I would like to change would be the part where the Red Chief is happily accepted by his father with the money.
- 8. What I Would like to change it in to. When the narrator is paying Ebenezer, the Red chief snatches all the money and runs away into the night. Then, the kidnappers live in constant fear that he will meet him anywhere they go and the neighborhood gets rid of the troublesome child and The Red Chief can live the life he always dreams of.
- 9. An Interesting Detail About O’ Henry Porter and his family moved to Houston in 1895, where he started to work as a bank teller and bookkeeper at the First National Bank of Austin. When the books of accounts were audited, the federal auditors found several discrepancies. Porter was subsequently arrested on charges of embezzlement, charges which he denied, in connection with his employment at the bank. Porter's father-in-law posted bail to keep Porter out of jail, but the day before Porter was due to stand trial on July 7, 1896, he fled, first to New Orleans and later to Honduras. They managed to get a federal indictment against Porter.
- 10. During his 3-yrs of imprisonment, he wrote adventure stories set in Texas and Central America that quickly became popular and were collected in Cabbages and Kings in 1904. His wife was too sick to join him and six months later, he got word that his wife was dying, so he returned to the United States to be with her and face trial. Porter, having little to say in his own defense, was found guilty of embezzlement in February 1898, and was sentenced to five years jail, at the Ohio Penitentiary in Columbus, Ohio. An Interesting Detail About O’ Henry Athol Estes Porter died on July 25, 1897 from tuberculosis (then known as consumption).
- 11. New Words learnt in the Story 1.Flannel-cake: Meaning: A flat cake of thin batter fried on both sides on the griddle Sentence: There was a Town, as flat as a flannel cake , called Summit. 2.Cauterize: Meaning: Burn, sear, or freeze using a hot iron or electric current. Sentence: On the way he kicks my hand black and blue from knees down;and i’ve got to have two or three bites on my thumb and my hand cauterized. 3. Ransom: Meaning: The act of freeing captivity or punishment. Sentence: Bill and me figured that ebenezer would melt down for a ransome of two thousand dollars to a cent.
- 12. New Words learnt in the Story 4. Pesky: Meaning: Causing irritation or annoyance. Sentence: Every few minutes he would remember his pesky red skin. 5.Speckled: Meaning: A small contrasting part of something. Sentence: Rats ate up sixteen of the hen’s eggs from the farm. 6. Yodel: Meaning: A songlike cry in which the voice fluctuates rapidly. Sentence: I explored the vincinity of the cave, and risked a yodel or two but there was no response. 7.Freckle: Meaning: A small brownish spot on the skin Sentence: When i was a girl of six freckles used to appear on me whenever i was exposed to the sun.
- 13. Thank you