After Twenty Years Literary Analysis

O.Henry’s writing style parallels his life in the senses of situational irony and moral characterization. O.Henry writes with situational irony which is also known as a plot twist or surprise ending. In the short story, After Twenty Years, by O.Henry, a character named Bob is reading a letter from his old friend Jimmy Wels, who did not show up, the letter reads, “I was at the appointed place on time”(228). This quote shows situational irony because the reader did not think that Jimmy was there on time, yet he was and this surprises the them.(CD) It also surprises the reader since they did not expect Jimmy to be the policeman who had talked to Bob. This is a classic connection to O.Henry’s life because he had been the person who was guilty

The novella, The Pearl, by John Steinbeck’s shows the author’s unique styles of symbolism and social inequalities in his work. An example of Steinbeck’s symbolism can be seen in the book, The Pearl ,in which the main character, Kino, found a huge pearl and thought,”It was the greatest pearl in the world...In the surface of the pearl he could see dreams form. He picked the pearl from the dying flesh and held it in his palm and turned it over and saw that the pearl was perfect.” (19). This passage shows how the pearl is allegorical to new beginnings. For example, the author mentions how Kino had picked the pearl from dying flesh. In other words, something extraordinary was about to come from the old. Steinbeck also describes how Kino could see dreams form. The dreams that were forming on the pearl symbolizes what greatness they would hopefully witness. This is important because it shows how the author uses symbolism to convey messages through the character’s thoughts which is an example of Steinbeck 's voice. Ultimately, the reader learns that the smallest of details can make a huge difference, and they change one’s life in an instant.(CD) Another example of Steinbeck’s unique style is his incorporation of social inequalities. This is shown when the characters, Kino and Juana, spotted a scorpion above their baby. The scorpion fell on the baby and stung him, so they rushed him to the doctor. When they had asked him for a cure,(CX) he had said,”’Have I nothing better to do than cure insect bites for little Indians? I am a doctor, not a veterinary”’(11). The text shows the racial issues from this story’s time period. For instance, the doctor had thought of Indians as animals. This helps people understand the cruelties of life and how some can be hurtful and biased. Shown in The Pearl, Steinbeck’s voice can be clearly seen because of how he conveys emotion in the reader.(PP) This is important because it lets the reader understand how fortunate they are to live in the