After twenty Years

   O’ Henry

1- How does O’Henry describe a New York street at the beginning of his short story ‘AFTER TWENTY YEARS’?

O’Henry is a master story teller whose narrative technique of the common place and ordinary things in an extra-ordinary way has surprised and fascinated readers and critics. In the short story ‘after twenty years’, we can feel a touch of his mastery in story telling from the very beginning when he describes a New York street at night with great aptness to prepare his readers for the action to come. The time was barely 10 o’ clock at night. The chilly gusts of wind with a taste of rain had depeopled the street. In the vicinity one could see the lights of a cigar store or of an all night lunch counter. The majority of the doors of business places, shops etc had been closed long ago. The policeman with his watchful eyes and twirling club was on his beat duty. In his swaggering movement, he made a perfect picture of a guardian of peace. 

2- Describe the duty bound picture of the ‘guardian of peace’ as presented by O’Henry in ‘after twenty years’?

O’Henry describes the duty bound picture of the guardian of peace in his usual and unparallel manner. The police man who was known as ‘Patrolman wells’ was on his beat duty. His impressive movement down the avenue was not for show but was habitual. Twirling his club with many intricate and artful movements, the policeman was keeping his vigilant eyes on every door. His stalwart form and swaggering movement made him, what O’Henry calls a ‘fine picture of a guardian of peace’.

3- Give a pen picture of the character of Jimmy Wells as you find him in O’ Henry’s after twenty years?

It is said that O’Henry lifted his plots from wherever and from whomever he could. His characters also evolved from anywhere and everywhere to suit his plots. In his 300 odd short stories, O’Henry presents many diverse types of characters. In the story ‘AFTER TWENTY YEARS’, Jimmy wells is one such remarkable character. He is portrayed by O’Henry as a dedicated and time bound policeman, a fine picture of a guardian of peace. He is the finest chap in the world and the best chum, a truest and stanchest old chap who is as firm as a rock in keeping words given to a friend. But the bond of friendship could not deter him from doing the duty assigned to him i.e. bringing his old friend wanted in Chicago within the reach of lane. The embarrassment of arresting his old, close friend prevented him to do it himself but his resolve to arrest silky Bob by overcoming all emotional weaknesses shows his integrity, resoluteness and determination to remain in the right and legal path and hear the call of his conscience.

4- Describe bob (or silky bob) as he has been picturised by O’Henry in AFTER TWENTRY YEARS’?

It is said that O’Henry lifted his plots from wherever and from whomever he could. His characters also evolved from anywhere and everywhere to suit his plots. In his 300 odd short stories, O’Henry presents many diverse types of characters. Bob or silky Bob as described by O’Henry in ‘AFTER TWENTRY YEARS’ is the pivotal characters and has negative traits which are just opposite of Jimmy Wells, his close pat. It is theist contrasting traits in Bob’s character that turns him who was other wise a good and simple fellow twenty years ago into a hated and wanted criminal. The conflict between good and evil is presented through Jimmy and Bob in this story. But in spite of the negative traits and darker shades in his attempt to make his character and personality, Bob is not an inborn criminal. It is in his attempt to make his destiny work out for him and his fortunes made that he changes from a good man into a bad one. A simple man in New York is turned into a hardcore and wanted criminal in the rough and tough competition of west. This pale faced square jawed man with keen and a little scar near his right eye brow has a great taste for diamonds and cigars. It is his love for his close friend and for the sake of commitment he and made twenty years ago that he travels a thousands miles and after a rude, final shock becomes the victim of circumstance and his own action.       

5- How does an O’Henry story end? Or

Surprise ending is one of the most distinctive features in O’Henry stories- discuss with reference to AFTER TWENTRY YEARS’.

- O’Henry wrote short stories of immense appeal, full of the humor of words and the funnier jocks that life plays, on those who strive, contrive or love. In spite of his seemingly endless ingenuinity and inventiveness, porter weaved his story like to fit into one of his characteristically sudden and surprise endings. ‘AFTER TWENTRY YEARS’’ is similarly constructed and ends in a stunt which means a sudden turn of events or a sudden revelation. Something which is kept in suspense and the story resolved at the end. Neither the characters nor the readers could guess what shocking revelation is waiting for them at the end. In ‘AFTER TWENTY YEARS’ Bob is the agent through whom O’Henry satisfies his shacking revelation technique. The surprise revelation at the end through Jimmy not only astonishes Bob greatly but also makes him tremble. The unfolding of the big secret that ‘Petrolman wells’ and Jimmy are one comes as a rude shock to Bob and a pleasant surprise for the readers. But this revelation at the end does not come all on a sudden or abruptly rather O’Henry carefully and step by step prepares his characters as well as the readers for accepting such a surprising outcome. Hence his surprise endings never appear as out of context intrusion into the story line rather they seem to be an integral part of it.    

6- Do you think the plot of the story ‘AFTER TWENTY YEARS’ revolves round the theme of friendship and duty?

- The story line of ‘AFTER TWENTY YEARS’ and its action remain concentrated on two long time friends Jimmy and Bob. They are just like two brothers as Bob himself has said. But a decision taken twenty years ago after the dinner at ‘Big Joe’ Brady’s restaurant upturned everything. The two long time devoted friends become the dwellers of two complete different worlds. In a span of twenty years destiny plays a harsh joke with these two friends. West turns good Bob into silky Bob, a most wanted criminal where as Jimmy Wells becomes ‘patrolman wells’, a dedicated and duty bound guardian of peace. From this point duty assumes a dominant role and casts its shadow on the friendship and as the story progresses the shadow of duty grows larger and larger ultimately making the friendship to take the backseat behind it. But at the end, O’Henry with a masterstroke helps friendship to acquire some of its lost position and regain its glory when patrolman wells did not himself turn upto arrest his long time friend. It is the victory of friendship finally but not denying or shirking ones duty and responsibility. 

7. Describe in your own words the transition of Bob into ‘Silky Bob’.

- The transition of a man from good and virtuous to evil end corrupted and thereby inviting his misfortune and doom is the common and recurrent theme of so many great literary works.  ‘AFTER TWENTY YEARS’ by O’Henry is a story of friendship, duty and at the same time of tragic reversal of fortune, corruption and doom of a young man called Bob, who twenty years ago parted with his best and closest friend to make his destiny worked out for him. The richly dressed man with diamonds on his scarf pin and watch and a cigar in his mouth after twenty  years in new Bob, the man from the West, his egotism enlarged by success. West has given him everything he asked  for but has transformed him into Silky Bob of course Bob was able to make his destiny worked  out for him  in the west but only discover later on that his success and fortune have also paved the path for his tragic fall and doom.  His competition in the west with some of the sharpest wits to get his pile was not an honest and simple man’s effort to earn his bread and butter. But it transformed Bob as ‘Silky Bob’, a wanted criminal in Chicago and getting arrested in New York afterwards. The wheel of fortune completes its full turn and we are amazed to see the transition of a good soul into a condemned one at the end of the story.       

8. Why did the letter from patrolman Wells awe - struck Bob and made his hand tremble?

Or

Importance of the letter from patrolman Wells at the end.

Ans: - The letter from patrolman wells to Bob at the end of the story acts as medium of exposition. A secret that is carefully being kept hidden for so long is finally revealed to Bob. Bob realizes that patrolman wells and his long time friend Jimmy is one and the same person.  This revelation of identity comes as a shock to Bob and makes him perplexed. Again Jimmy’s further assertion to hand him over in the hands of law makes him trembled. Bob cannot believe that his long time friend has kept aside for him such a rude surprise and harsh truth at the end. He is too startled to decide whether his friend’s act is an act of betrayal of friendship or an act of dedicated duty bound law keeper. The letter from wells also has the surprise elements or the fact of revealation in it which is O’ Henry’s characteristic and favorite technique to strike his readers. The sudden reversal of situation and shocking revealation through the letter stuns the readers and makes Bob ‘trembled’ but ultimately there is a consolation left for the readers and makes Bob as well that Jimmy after all could not do it himself for the sake of love for his old friend.