“O. Henry” is the pseudonym of the author William Sidney Porter. Porter was born in Greensboro,...
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Transcript of “O. Henry” is the pseudonym of the author William Sidney Porter. Porter was born in Greensboro,...
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www.greensboro-nc.gov/departments/Library/ohenry/
“O. Henry” is the pseudonym of the author William Sidney Porter.
Porter was born in Greensboro, NC in 1862.
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Porter grew up in Greensboro, NC, looked after by his grandmother and aunt.
He later moved to Houston, Texas, where he worked as a banker. He was jailed in 1898 for embezzlement (stealing money from a
company). While in prison, he wrote and sold short stories to make money to support his daughter, Margaret.
Calling himself “O. Henry,” Porter became a successful author, but died in 1910 of an illness caused by alcoholism. He was only 47 years old.
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O. Henry’s stories are famous for:• Plot “twists”
• Most of O. Henry’s stories have surprise, or “twist” endings. • These surprise endings are caused by irony in the story: one character often doesn’t know something that the other does know.
• Detailed descriptions & imagery• O. Henry’s stories usually have very clear and detailed descriptions of characters and settings.
• Ordinary people as characters• The characters in these stories often have common jobs (policemen, waitresses, etc) and face common problems (poverty, crime, etc).
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O. Henry monuments in
Greensboro
North Elm Street, downtown Greensboro
Photos: http://www.downtowngreensboro.org/citylight/go/public-art-o-henryhttp://www.greensboro-nc.gov/departments/Library/ohenry/
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“The magi … were wise men--wonderfully wise men--who brought gifts to the Babe in the manger. They invented the art of giving Christmas presents. Being wise, their gifts were no doubt wise ones … ”
But in a last word to the wise of these days let it be said that of all who give gifts these two were the wisest.
from the story by O. Henry
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MAIN CHARACTERS:
Della (Mrs. James Dillingham Young)
Jim (Mr. James Dillingham Young)
SETTING:
New York City, Christmas Eve
(the story was published in 1906)
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THEMES:
LoveGenerosity
Wealth & Poverty
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