After Twenty Years Critical Analysis short. The story takes place around 10 p.m.
hort. The story takes place around 10 p.m. along a dark, windy New
Summary:
After Twenty Years is a short story written by the author whose pen
name is O. Henry. In this particular short story, there are three
characters. The story begins with a policeman who is on his beat. He is
making his rounds, rattling door knobs to ensure everything is secure.
He goes towards a man that is standing in a dark doorway. Bob is
standing there and tells the officer that he had agreed to meet his friend
Jimmy Wells at this spot at 10 o'clock. He tells the story of how twenty
years ago, they parted as young men but agreed that twenty years later
they would meet at that particular spot again. They parted because of
different life and career paths. Jimmy considered New York City as the
place to live and Bob decided to travel out west to seek great wealth.
The officer leaves. Later, Bob is approached by another man who he
believes is Jimmy. He gives the man details about his successes out west.
They walk to find a place to eat, but after a light shine on the man's face,
Bob realizes it is another officer; the officer arrests Bob for crimes
committed in Chicago. The officer who arrests Bob gives him a note
from Jimmy. The note says that the two men did meet on time; Jimmy
recognized Bob as someone wanted by the authorities. The story has a
theme of conflict between one's friendship to another and one's moral
duty and duty to society. Jimmy was confronted with a dilemma and had
to make the choice to do his civic duty over loyalty to his friend; he had
to cause his friend to get arrested because his friend had broken the
law. In addition, Jimmy had to hire a cop to arrest Bob because he did
not have the heart to arrest Bob himself.
Critical Analysis: The short story “After Twenty Years” is one of over
113 short stories written by O. Henry, during a three-year period
between 1902 and 1905. The New York World, where he worked during
that period, only allowed him the space of one page for a story.
Therefore, this particular short story, like most of the others, is very
York City business avenue, mostly within the darkened doorway of a
closed hardware store. This particular location had been a restaurant
until five years ago. The weather worsens as the drama builds going
from “chilly gusts of wind with a taste of rain” to a “fine, cold drizzle
falling, and wind had risen from its uncertain puffs into a steady blow.”
The plot begins with a policeman “on the beat” who discovers a man
standing in the dark doorway. The man then proceeds to explain why
he is there. He and his best friend, Jimmy Wells had parted exactly
twenty years ago to make their fortunes and had promised to meet at
that spot “After Twenty Years”. He had gone west and gotten rich and
was sure his friend, Jimmy would meet him if at all possible. They talked
a while and the policeman carried on. The man from the west wonders
if his friend will show up tonight. The character described in most detail
is Bob who explains the lead-up to the rendezvous, his friend Jimmy,
and his success in Chicago. The plainclothesman had a minor role but
was faced with the major external conflict involving the actual arrest.
Initially, one might think the basic theme of this story is that of good
winning over evil. The surprise ending, a trademark of O. The gangster
seems to be too preoccupied to recognize his old friend. Silky Bob
seemed to need an abundance of light to ‘read the play’, while the
policeman only required a lighter. When the policeman asked “Going to
call time on him sharp”, he was really checking to see how long he had
to arrange for someone else to make the arrest.” The policeman,
although described in less detail, has more of a dilemma on his hands.
This was despite boasting that he had competed with some of the
“sharpest wits going to keep his pile.” The gangster even referred to
Jimmy as a “kind of a plodder” and that “A man gets in a groove (rut) in
New York. He must weigh his friendship against a moral obligation to
arrest Bob. The drama increases in anticipation of the rendezvous.
Repetitious use of the policeman “on his beat” and “trying doors as he
went” both before and after the meeting with Bob, leads the reader to
think the policeman is a regular fixture, just doing his job.
Themes: Crime Does Not Pay:
I believe it would be safe to say that the theme of O. Henry's story "After
Twenty Years" is an old one: Crime Does Not Pay.
O. Henry contrasts two different characters who have two different
philosophies and two different value systems.
Bob is greedy and materialistic. He wants to make a lot of money, buy a
lot of things, enjoy a life of luxury, and display his success conspicuously.
And he doesn't care how he gets the money as long as he gets it. Jimmy
is conventional and conservative. He wants a good steady job that is
socially useful. He wants a home and a family. Jimmy is probably a
staunch Irish-Catholic who takes his wife and children to church every
Sunday. The two men's different philosophies take them on different
paths until they finally meet again after twenty years. Jimmy has a good
steady job that is useful to society. He likes his work and he has security.
When he retires he will receive a pension for the rest of his life. Bob, on
the other hand, has made a lot of money through crooked means. But
he has no home, no family, and no security. The money hasn't really
done him much good. He has spent some of it on a scarf pin with a big
diamond and a pocket watch decorated with small diamonds. It is
important to him to have other people look at him, to admire and envy
him. But he is always on the run, and it is probably inevitable that he will
end up in prison sooner or later. In O. Henry's story Bob discovers that
he can't even trust the man he thought was his best friend. Bob has no
friends because he never stays in the same place long enough to acquire
friends, and also because he is not the kind of man that decent people
would want to have as a friend. His flashy lifestyle has made him
conspicuous, easy to identify wherever he goes. His career ends up with
his being led off to jail. If he has a whole string of crimes charged against
him in Chicago and elsewhere in the West, he could be spending a long
part of his life in state prisons. Crime really does not pay. The theme of
"Crime Does Not Pay" is also to be found in at least two of O. Henry's
other most popular stories. They are "A Retrieved Reformation" and
obviously "The Ransom of Red Chief." In "A Retrieved Reformation,"
Jimmy Valentine falls in love and plans to get married, but he realizes
that his whole shady past has come back to haunt him, regardless of
how much money he has stolen and how highly regarded he might be
in the underworld as a professional safe-cracker. In "The Ransom of Red
Chief," the two kidnappers are forced to pay to get rid of their victim. O.
Henry served time in prison for embezzlement, and he associated with
professional criminals after his release. He must have come to realize
that criminals are mostly losers sooner or later.
CHARACTER ANALYSIS
"Silky" Bob and Jimmy Wells
O. Henry's description of Bob's face by the light of his match has a
double purpose. First, it is necessary to enable Jimmy to recognize Bob
as the man who is wanted by the Chicago police. Second, it gives the
author an opportunity to tell the reader what Bob looks like. We must
remember that both these men have changed a lot over the past twenty
years. They are not a couple of kids talking to each other, but men who
are both approaching middle age and who have acquired great stores
of "street smarts" in their respective vocations. They are two mature
men standing in the same spot where they said goodbye as mere boys
twenty years before. The "white scar" near Bob's right eyebrow serves
a dual purpose as well. It helps Jimmy to identify him as the wanted
man, and it suggests that Bob is a tough customer who has been in fights
during his years in the West. O. Henry's description of Jimmy's manner
of patrolling his beat is largely intended to show that he has been a cop
for a long time. This fact has had an indelible effect on him. He has
become a cop through and through, a man who is dedicated to
upholding the law. The reader will not discover until the end of the story
that the policeman is in fact Jimmy Wells, but the reader will have
formed a strong impression of Jimmy by that time and will understand
why he found it impossible to let his old friend Bob escape from the long
arm of the law. We do not know exactly how long Jimmy has been a cop,
but it could have been almost twenty years. He was twenty years old
when he and Bob said goodbye in "Big Joe" Brady's restaurant. That
would be about the age when he would be thinking about finding good
steady employment. O. Henry's description of the policeman in the
opening paragraphs suggests a man who has had many years of police
work and is thoroughly set in his ways as well as content in his role and
duties as a uniformed cop.
Jimmy and Bob as "The Tortoise and the Hare"
Jimmy Wells and "Silky" Bob are so much like the tortoise and the hare
in Aesop's well-known fable that it almost seems as if O. Henry wanted
to write a modernized version of the story with human characters. In the
fable the two animals engage in a foot-race. The tortoise moves slowly,
of course, but advances steadily. The hare takes off with a burst of speed
and leaves his opponent far behind. But then the hare decides to take a
break, since the poor tortoise does not seem to have a chance of
winning. When the tortoise catches up with him, the hare speeds off
again and then takes another break. In the end the tortoise beats the
hare to the finish line because he passes him while he is sound asleep.
The moral of the fable, which is spelled out at the end in some editions
of Aesop's Fables, is "Slow and steady wins the race." Bob has been like
the hare for the past twenty years. He tells the policeman, whom he
doesn't recognize in the dark as Jimmy: "You see, the West is a pretty big
proposition, and I kept hustling around over it pretty lively." Bob is
obviously some kind of a crook, probably a confidence trickster. He has
to keep "hustling over it pretty lively" for at least two reasons. One is
that he cannot stay in any place where he has made enemies by
victimizing the local inhabitants. The other reason is that he is in chronic
danger of being arrested, either for a local crime or for one he
committed elsewhere at an earlier date. These two truths about the life
of crime have been dramatized in at least three excellent movies: Bonnie
and Clyde, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, and Paper Moon. Bob
describes Jimmy in the following terms: "He was a kind of plodder,
though, good fellow as he was.... A man gets in a groove in New York." In
the end it is Jimmy, the plodder, the tortoise, who wins the race. He has
a good steady job. He is probably married and has a home and a family.
Bob has a diamond scarf pin and a diamond-studded watch, but he is
being hauled off to prison, where he might have to serve multiple
sentences for multiple crimes. Whatever money he has managed to
accumulate, if any, will probably go to pay a lawyer. Bob has nobody to
care about him, which is why he has travelled a thousand miles to see
his old friend Jimmy.
What was Bob's criticism of Jimmy in "After Twenty Years"? Bob’s
criticism of Jimmy is that he was not very ambitious or smart. This story
describes how two men agree to meet each other twenty years after
their last meeting as childhood friends. A lot can happen in twenty
years. In fact, the two men have gone down very different paths. Bob
and Jimmy were good friends, but they have become very different
people. Bob meets a policeman man walking along, who comments that
he has done well. In return, Bob makes a comment about Jimmy where
he explains why he doesn’t think his friend will have amounted to much.
I hope Jimmy has done half as well. He was a kind of plodder, though,
good fellow as he was. I've had to compete with some of the sharpest
wits going to get my pile. The policeman makes an arrangement with
another policeman to impersonate Bob and deliver a note. He was Bob
the whole time. He just couldn’t bring himself to say it once he realized
that his good friend Jimmy was a wanted criminal.
When you struck the match to light your cigar, I saw it was the face of the
man wanted in Chicago. Somehow, I couldn't do it myself … Jimmy is a
plodder, but he is also a good person. He did not arrest Bob himself.
His friendship with Bob means that much to him. His job as a policeman
means more. That is why he had another policeman impersonate him.
By the time Jimmy got wise and realized he was talking to an
impersonator, and the first man he was talking to was actually Bob, it
was too late. This story demonstrates the irony of growing up. We
sometimes find ourselves staying true to who our friends once were,
and who we once were, rather than who they are now. Bob criticizes
Jimmy for having no ambition, but it is Bob’s ambition that got him into
trouble in the first place, and landed him in jail.
Story Pyramid:
Exposition: The main characters in this story are Jimmy (the police
officer) and Bob (the wanted man).
The setting is a street in New York, New York at around 10 o'clock.
Conflict: The conflict in this story is that Bob is waiting for Jimmy to show
up at their agreed meeting place.
Rising action in this story has many parts.
 First, Bob sees a police officer walking up the street in his direction.
 Second, Bob tells the police officer about his plan with Jimmy to
meet twenty years later.
 Third, the policeman starts to walk down the road away from Bob.
Fourth, a tall man walks up to Bob, and he thinks that it's Jimmy.
Fifth, the tall man and Bob walk down the road and start talking.
 Lastly, they stop in front of a drug store with bright lights.
Climax: The climax of the story is when Bob looks closely at the tall
man and realizes that it is not Jimmy.
Falling action is small compared to the rising action; there are only
two parts.
 First, the tall man tells Bob that he has been under arrest for ten
minutes.
 Last, the tall man hands Bob a note and tells him it is from Jimmy.
Resolution: Bob reads the note from Jimmy and realizes that the
policeman that he talked to was Jimmy.
Moral Lesson: You should always do the right thing even if it is
hard.
Characters: The protagonist is Bob because he is the main
character in this story. The antagonist is Jimmy (society) because he
represents the force opposing Bob. An example of a round
character is Bob because there is so much description about him in
the story. An example of a flat character is the tall man because
there is very little detail about him in the story.
Point of View: The point of view in this story is third person
limited because the narrator only knows what the characters say in
the story.
Mood: The mood of this story is casual in the beginning because
Bob is just waiting for Jimmy to show up. Then it is happy when Bob
thinks that he has found Jimmy. At the end of the story, the mood
is sad because Bob realizes that Jimmy actually showed up. The
reason the mood is sad is because Jimmy realized Bob was wanted
and turned him in. Irony: The irony in this story is that the police
officer, Jimmy, and the wanted man, Bob, used to be best friends.
When they met again Jimmy realized that Bob was wanted. He
knew he had to turn him in.
Overview: After Twenty Years by O’ Henry is a relatively simple short
story, telling a particular event that happens between two long lost
friends. Published in 1906 in a book titled The Four Million, this story is
one of many considered realism stories, written about ordinary people
in everyday circumstances. Due to the change in events, the story can
be seen to portray many different and changing themes, which
ultimately play an important role within the subtext. After Twenty Years
is told with only three characters set on a dark isolated street, yet it is
the strong characterization, narration, dialogue, themes and irony in the
surprising twist ending that make this story one of a kind.
Narration and Dialogue
The narration used throughout After Twenty Years is third person
objective narration, as the story is told from the perspective of what is
seen and done and not what the characters think and feel. This
narration is effective in telling this particular story, as it is important for
the surprise climax at the end of the story. If the story was told in first
person or even third person omniscient narration, readers would be
able to understand what characters think, ultimately exposing the true
identity of Jimmy immediately, affecting the twist ending of the story.
The dialogue within the text is particularly important to the story as it
allows the reader to see what is said as opposed to what is felt by the
characters. It plays an important part in building the characters,
outlining their relationships, and presenting their motives and
emotions, making clear the parts they are playing in the rising and falling
of the story’s action. The dialogue deployed between Bob and the
policeman all detail the significant facts of the story, giving information
about the past of the two best friends, the choices made, opinions,
certain stories about their agreement, as well as the ideologies and
needs of Bob. O’ Henry appears to have chosen the narration within
the text to effectively tell the story from a certain perspective and has
used the dialogue to outline particularly important information of the
story, ultimately contributing towards the twist climax at the end.
SUB Themes
After Twenty Years deals with themes relating to conflicting ideas and
opposing choices. Loyalty versus the law is one that is evident, as the
police officer, Jimmy Wells, had to choose between the loyalty of his
friend and the law in which he served. In this way, there shows the
theme of choices. One friend chose to follow a path of good by working
on the side of the law and the other chose to follow a path of bad by
living a life of crime, as well as the choices made for the criminal to meet
his good friend even though it jeopardized his freedom, and the choice
made by Jimmy when he arrested him. It can be seen from this outcome
that there is also a theme of doing the right thing even though it is hard,
as Jimmy tells his good friend Bob when he arrests him. “Bob: I was at
the appointed place on time. When you struck the match to light your
Cigar, I saw it was the face of the man wanted in Chicago. Somehow, I
couldn’t do it myself, so I went around and got a plain clothes man to do
the job. JIMMY.”
It can be seen once reading this note to Bob from Jimmy that the
themes are justified within the text. Throughout the story, these themes
are not evident, as they are only recognizable once the story has
reached its climax.
What is the symbol in the story "After 20 Years" by O. Henry?
One symbol in the story is the restaurant, Big Joe Brady's Restaurant,
where the old friends in the story are supposed to reunite after twenty
years. Before Bob left for the west twenty years earlier, he and Jimmy
dined at the restaurant. While dining at the restaurant, they agreed to
meet up in twenty years to see what had become of each other. When
Bob returns to the location of the restaurant, he finds it is closed and
that it has been replaced by a shop. When the man who Bob thinks is
Jimmy arrives, the man says he wishes that they could again dine in
the restaurant, but it has been closed. He then arrests Bob, a wanted
man, and reveals that he is not in fact Jimmy but a cop that Jimmy—
who is also a cop—had sent to arrest Bob.
The restaurant stands for the now-terminated friendship of Jimmy and
Bob. It was once a place where they shared meals and dreams, but
now it has closed, just as their friendship is no longer possible.
WRITING STYLE
Beginning and Ending
The beginning and middle of the story are written using specific
techniques to ensure the reader will continue reading. Although the
story starts out quite simple, and continues with very little conflict and
arising action, there are immediate questions being asked about who
the policeman is and how he is going to be a part of the story. Certain
information is withheld what Bob’s occupation is that has made him a
lot of money in the west. Curiosity is aroused when Bob is introduced,
and readers begin to wonder if his old friend Jimmy will show up to meet
his loyal friend. The ending or climax of a story is what is considered the
most important piece, and without it, there would ultimately be no
closure or meaning from the text. In After Twenty Years, the ending is
particularly important, as it has a surprise twist and unifies the plot to
an absolution. The ending is something that isn’t entirely predictable,
which gives a dramatic ending to the story and gives closure to the
reader. This can be seen when Jimmy identifies himself as the
policeman, not the tall man readers were originally led to believe. “We
cannot of course be denied an end: it is one of the great charms of books
that they have to end. But unless we are extremely naïve….we do not ask
that they progress towards that end precisely as we have been given to
believe.” –Frank Kermode, The Sense of an Ending
There is evidence of irony used within the story as well, as the actions
made by Jimmy for a good moral reason led to undesirable outcomes
for his friend Bob. It is assumed that Bob was a good person based from
his loyalty to his friend, as he was waiting after twenty years having
travelled miles to see him. Ironically, his friend is there yet places him
under arrest because he is actually a criminal on the run from the law.
This irony adds to the twist in the story, and helps with the surprise, as
readers are led to believe Bob isn’t what he turns out to be. The
characters are integral to the ending of the story, outlining why such
strong characterization is used within After Twenty Years. The twist in
particular, which is usually difficult to execute, is represented when the
policeman falsely portrays certain traits and aims to divert attention
from his real identity of Jimmy or Bob’s best friend, as well as his
purpose to arrest Bob at the end of the story. This outlines that the
characters were specific to the dramatic ending and their identities
were purposely executed by the writer O’ Henry.
To conclude… After Twenty Years demonstrates key aspects of short
story writing including narration, themes, dialogue and ending. The
short story uses a clear narrative sequence whereby there is evidence
of an exposition, complication, crisis, falling action, and resolution. The
characterization is strong, as although there are only two protagonists
and one flat antagonist, these characters are vital to the resolution of
the story and the overall themes portrayed. The story is developed
through the use of dialogue, but the themes shown are only evident
upon the ending of the story. This ending is expressed as a twist after
the climax, and gives an ironic resolution to the story. The ending is
constructed specifically to the plot, and although it is surprisingly
unpredictable, it is one that is still satisfying and interesting to the
readers. After Twenty Years by O’ Henry is a short story published in the
book The Four Million, which features all stories about ordinary people
in everyday circumstances. After Twenty Years fits in to this description,
as the story expresses a realistic situation between Bob and Jimmy.
Although it is very simple with little descriptive detail, the story explores
themes consistent with loyalty verses law, choices as well as doing the
right thing even though it is hard. These themes are relatable to readers,
giving perspective to a story based around conflicting ideas of friendship
and right and wrong. It is with the use of these themes that the story is
able to come to a complete closure, allowing readers to truly
understand the twist ending and irony that is evident within the text.
Concept of friendship by O’ henry in After Twenty Years
Point of view 1: People often say friendship lasts forever although it isn't
true according to what O’ Henry states in his short story, After Twenty
Years. The friendship between Bob and Jimmy Wells is no
longer in existence when one night, they meet in a town on a dark and
gloomy night. This short story clearly points out that friendships can
change over time. In the beginning of After Twenty Years a policeman
continued wandering down the city patrolling any trouble that goes on.
One night, he slowed his walk on a certain random street and gazed at
a man. He quickly walked over to the man and started to become
curious and talked to him. The man said quickly, “It’s all right officer. I’m
just waiting for a friend. It’s an appointment made twenty years ago.”
So the policeman and the man had a conversation and the policeman
had informed the man that the restaurant he had been searching for
had been knocked down. The man lit his cigar with a big flame showing
his “pale, square-jawed face with keen eyes, and a little white scar near
his right eyebrow. His scarf pin was a large diamond, oddly set.” After a
nice chat, the policeman let the man go and he was off to his errand.
The man eventually ends his search of his friend and finds him. He had
found his long lost friend Jimmy Wells. They shake hands and catch up
on what has been happening to them over the past twenty years. Jimmy
had apparently become taller. Although, when the streetlight shone
upon them, Bob had realized that not only his height was different, his
face was unique than before too. “You’re not Jimmy Wells,” he snapped.
“Twenty years is a long time, but not long enough to change a man’s nose
from a Roman to a pug.” It had been revealed that the man was not
Jimmy Wells. It was a complete stranger. At the end, Jimmy had gone
under arrest due to the crimes he had done in Chicago. Jimmy had not
wanted to arrest him himself so he convinced another man to do the
job. It appears that people and friendship can change dramatically
overtime. Bob had changed from a good man into a criminal over time.
Additionally, the friendship of Jimmy Wells and Bob had ended and no
longer existed.
Point of view 2: In After Twenty Years, by O. Henry or William Sydney
Porter, the story talks about two friends, Bob and Jimmy, who part ways
and plan to meet again twenty years later. Jimmy remained in New York
while Bob ventured to the West to seek his fortune. Both men arrived
at the scheduled location at exactly 10:00 P.M. Bob didn’t recognize
Jimmy but, unfortunately for Bob, Jimmy recognized him as a wanted
criminal from Chicago. Jimmy, now a police officer, couldn't arrest his
old friend, so he got a plainclothes policeman to do the job for him. In
After Twenty Years, Bob learns that friendship does not always survive
the test of time. Jimmy’s actions demonstrate that he was now more
loyal to his job than to his old friend. He had a responsibility as a police
officer to arrest criminals. Because he didn’t have the heart to arrest his
long-time friend himself, Jimmy told another police officer who wasn’t
in uniform to arrest Bob for him. Jimmy wrote a note for Bob that the
other police officer gave to him. Bob: I was at the appointed place on
time. When you struck the match to light your cigar, I saw it was the
face of the man wanted in Chicago. Somehow, I couldn’t do it myself, so
I got a plainclothes man to do the job. Jimmy. Jimmy didn’t let his past
interfere with his future. Although Jimmy allowed his new life to control
his feelings for his old friend, Bob remained loyal to his history with
Jimmy. Bob’s feelings for Jimmy did not change over time. At the
appointed place, Bob told the police officer, Jimmy, “I dined at Big Joe‟
Brady’s with Jimmy Wells, my best chum and the finest chap in the
world.” Upon reading the note that Jimmy wrote, Bob started to shake.
“His hand was steady when he began to read, but it trembled a little by
the time he had finished.” Bob was bewildered when he realized that
his long-time friend had betrayed him. Bob was still true to his past
while Jimmy had moved on to bigger and better ideals. Jimmy’s actions
demonstrate loyalty and responsibility more to his job rather than to his
friend. The theme of the story is that friendships might not always
survive the test of time. Bob and Jimmy were great pals but, over the
next twenty years, they grew apart. Not only did they live on opposite
sides of the nation, but they were on opposite sides of the law. Jimmy
defended the law while Bob made his living by breaking it. Since Jimmy
was the only one who knew Bob’s whereabouts, he could have easily let
Bob leave the area and ignore Bob’s status as a criminal. Jimmy chose
not to do this because he had grown up and was loyal to his profession,
the law. Friendships can definitely change over time. In After Twenty
Years, Bob and Jimmy’s relationship was no exception.
Symbol
• Watch Diamond encrusted lid : represent dishonest
wealth
• Police club : symbolizes responsibility and duty
Literary Devices
• Metaphor(pg 430): “…the west is a pretty big
proposition….”
• Hyperbole(pg 430): “You couldn’t have dragged Jimmy out
of New York; he thought it was the only place on Earth.”
• Alliteration(pg 429): “…..stalwart form and slight
swagger…”
• Onomatopoeia(pg 431): “…. the wind had risen from its
uncertain puffs into a steady blow.”
• Personification(pg 431): “How has the West treated ya, old
man?”