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Situational Irony In 'The Ransom Of Redchief'

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The situational irony in “The Ransom of Redchief”, by O. Henry, implies a humorous effect on the reader. One example in the story, is the boy enjoys being kidnapped, and ends up torturing Bill. Getting the boy to the cave at first was hard for the criminals, but once the boy got there, he started having fun. He loved camping out and pretending they were Indian chiefs. “‘Red Chief,’ says I to the kid, ‘would you like to go home?’ ‘Aw, what for?’ Says he, ‘I don’t have any fun at home. I hate to go to school. I like to camp out. You won’t take me back home again, snake eye, will you?’”(41). The kid also loved to make Bill miserable. He hops on his back like Bill is a horse, and jumps on him when he is sitting down. If the kid could stay at that cave with them for the rest of his life, he easily would. …show more content…

They originally agreed to post a ransom for $2000, but after being repeatedly harassed, Bill convinced his partner to bring it down to $1500. After the ransom was posted, they received a letter containing a counter offer. “I hereby make you a counter proposition, which I am inclined to believe you will accept. You bring Johnny home and pay me two hundred and fifty dollars in cash, and I agree to take him off your hands”(52). Clearly the boy is as wild and crazy at home as he is with the criminals. The men thought all the people from the town, and his family would be begging the criminals to bring him back, and would pay whatever they want for him. Bill on the other hand was the one who did the begging. He was tortured so much that he would pay to give the kid

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