23 pages • 46 minutes read
After Twenty Years
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Literary Devices
Situational Irony
Situational irony is when something happens that is the direct opposite of what is expected to happen, a common literary device often employed by O. Henry to play with shifting perceptions around expectations and reality. It is expected that Jimmy will show up on time, because Bob describes Jimmy as being the truest man ever. It is satisfying that Jimmy does, indeed, show up, and enjoys a happy reunion with his friend. However, the man Bob had a happy interaction with is not Jimmy but is in fact the very entity that he has spent the better part of 20 years running from: the law. And yet the irony still doesn’t end there, as it turns out Jimmy did indeed show up for the reunion, he just didn’t reveal himself until the very end as the police officer who had been speaking with Bob for most of the story.
Foreshadowing
Foreshadowing is when writers prepare that narrative for something that will happen later. The intention is that the reader will pick up on the foreshadowing in some way (be it emotional, factual, etc.) and it will affect their experience with the story. For example, the short story begins with a description of the weather being dark, cold, and wet, foreshadowing the dark mystery to be told later and that everyone may not be as they seem until they are brought to the light. Additionally, as the excitement builds and it’s unclear whether Jimmy will show up or not, the weather adds to the suspense and adds a touch of unexpected danger as it intensifies into a “fine, cold drizzle falling” with winds that “had risen from its uncertain puffs into a steady blow” (Paragraph 18).
Imagery
O. Henry uses physical and sensory descriptions to create a sense of atmosphere in the story and to include memorable details. The deserted street reflects Bob being deserted by a man putting the law above personal loyalty, and as he waits alone, to be arrested, the street gets even more deserted. The cigar, the jewelry, and the watch represent Bob’s egotism, which is only “enlarged by success” when he thinks he has found Jimmy (Paragraph 27). The plain clothes officer’s nose which, according to Bob, is like that of “a pug,” is how Bob is able to understand that deception has occurred, even though it is too late.
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By O. Henry
