A Midsummer Knight's Dream Flashcards
by O. Henry — tap or click to flip
Flashcard Review
Flashcards: A Midsummer Knight's Dream
What is the main character doing at the start of the story?
He is standing at Thirty-fourth Street in the brutal summer heat, waiting for a downtown car to take him to his office.
What does the fat man suggest the main character should do?
He suggests the man come with him for two weeks of trout fishing in the Beaverkill, mentioning that Harding landed a three-pound brown trout.
What happens when Gaines falls asleep at his desk?
He dreams of a summer long ago at a mountain hotel where he courted Mary Sewell, competing with the wealthy Compton for her affections.
What event takes place in the dream sequence at the mountain hotel?
A mock tournament where men ride farm horses through the woods catching curtain rings on lances, with the winner crowning a queen.
How does Gaines win the tournament and what does he do afterward?
Gaines catches the most rings and earns the right to crown the queen. When Mary climbs Chimney Rock, he races Compton up the bluff and reaches her first to place the wreath of roses on her head.
What does the letter from Mary reveal at the end of the story?
It reveals that the unnamed businessman IS Gaines, Mary is his wife of fifteen years, and he has been sacrificing his own comfort to keep his family in the mountains for the children's health.
What is the last thing Gaines does and says in the story?
He stops at a cafe for a glass of beer under an electric fan and wonders what kind of fly old Harding used for trout fishing, revealing he still longs for the countryside.
How is the main character (Gaines) described in the present-day scenes?
He is about forty years old, gray-haired, pink-faced, keen, nervous, plainly dressed, and has a harassed look around the eyes.
Who is Compton, and what advantage does he have?
Compton is a rival suitor for Mary Sewell at the mountain hotel. He is a millionaire's son who can afford to stay at the resort indefinitely.
Who is Mary Sewell, and how is she regarded at the hotel?
She is the most beautiful young woman at the mountain hotel, described as "the moon among the stars." Every young man there wants to marry her.
What role does Adkins play in the story?
Adkins is Gaines's office clerk who brings him letters and interrupts his daydream, providing the transition that connects the dream to reality.
How does the letter reveal Mary's feelings about her husband?
Mary writes with deep gratitude and love, calling him the "best man that ever" lived and saying he has always been her true knight for the past fifteen years.
What kind of sacrifice does Gaines make, and why?
He sacrifices his own vacation and comfort in sweltering New York so his wife and children can stay in the mountains where Rita's cough is healing and Johnny is thriving.
How does the story explore the gap between appearance and reality?
Gaines loudly proclaims New York is the best summer resort, but his dream, his muttering about trout, and Mary's letter all reveal he secretly longs for the countryside he pretends to disdain.
What does the story suggest about how love changes over time?
It shows that youthful romantic love matures into quiet, selfless devotion. The dashing knight who climbed Chimney Rock is now a tired office worker making the same kind of sacrifice without fanfare.
How does the story connect chivalry to everyday life?
The mock tournament is a playful imitation of knightly valor, but Gaines's real act of chivalry is his daily endurance in the city so his family can be healthy and happy.
How does O. Henry use dramatic irony in this story?
The reader takes the man's boasts about New York at face value until Mary's letter reveals he is lying to cover his sacrifice. On rereading, every protest becomes poignant rather than foolish.
What is the function of the asterisks (* * * * * * *) in the story?
They mark transitions between reality and dream. The first set moves from Gaines's office into his daydream of the past; the second jolts the reader back when Adkins wakes him.
How does the title function as a literary device?
It is a pun on Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream, replacing "Night" with "Knight" to link the dream sequence with the chivalric tournament and Gaines's role as Mary's true knight.
How does O. Henry use the unreliable narrator technique?
The narrator presents the dream as if it is a separate story with new characters. Only the letter at the end reveals that the man at the desk and the young suitor Gaines are the same person.
What does "bombazine" refer to in the phrase "nervous old black bombazine ladies"?
Bombazine is a twilled fabric, often black, traditionally worn in mourning. It describes elderly women dressed in heavy, old-fashioned clothing.
What does "ascetic viands" mean in the context of the man ordering cold beef and beer?
It means plain, austere food. The humor is that the man pretends to eat simply because of the heat, but he ordered the same modest meals all winter.
What are "naiads" and "sprites" in the scene describing the tournament?
Naiads are water nymphs and sprites are playful fairy creatures from mythology. O. Henry uses them to cast the mountain scene in an enchanted, dreamlike atmosphere.
Who says "You are a gallant knight" and what is the significance?
Mary says it to Gaines after he climbs Chimney Rock to crown her. It foreshadows the title's meaning and echoes in her letter fifteen years later when she says he has "always been" her true knight.
What does Gaines mutter after his friend mentions a three-pound trout?
He mutters "Three pounds! And Harding isn't a liar. I believe, if I could--but it's impossible--they've got to have another month." This reveals his inner conflict between his own desires and his family's needs.
What line from Mary's letter most clearly connects past and present?
"I stood last evening on Chimney Rock in exactly the same spot where I was when you put the wreath of roses on my head." This links the dream memory directly to the present, confirming the two storylines are one.