After Twenty Years Flashcards
by O. Henry — tap or click to flip
Flashcard Review
Flashcards: After Twenty Years
Where does the story take place and at what time?
On a dark, rainy New York City street at nearly 10 o'clock at night, in the doorway of a darkened hardware store that used to be Big Joe Brady's restaurant.
What appointment has Bob come to keep?
Bob has traveled a thousand miles to meet his best friend Jimmy Wells at the exact spot where they dined together twenty years ago, fulfilling a promise they made to reunite.
What happens when Bob strikes a match to light his cigar?
The match illuminates his face, revealing a pale, square-jawed face with keen eyes, a white scar near his right eyebrow, and a large diamond scarfpin. This is the moment the policeman recognizes him as a wanted man.
Who is the tall man in the long overcoat who arrives after twenty minutes?
He is a plainclothes detective sent by Jimmy Wells to arrest Bob. He pretends to be Jimmy until they reach the light of a drug store, where Bob realizes it is not his friend.
How does Bob realize the tall man is not Jimmy Wells?
When they pass under the electric lights of a drug store, Bob sees that the man's nose has changed from a Roman shape to a pug, which is impossible even after twenty years.
What does Jimmy's note to Bob reveal?
The note reveals that Jimmy was the policeman Bob spoke with at the beginning. Jimmy recognized Bob as the wanted man from Chicago but could not bring himself to arrest his old friend, so he sent a plainclothes officer instead.
What happened to Big Joe Brady's restaurant?
It was torn down five years before the events of the story and replaced by a hardware store.
What is Bob's nickname and why is he wanted by the police?
Bob is known as "Silky" Bob. Chicago police want him for unspecified crimes, suggesting he made his fortune through illegal means out West.
How does Bob describe Jimmy Wells when talking to the policeman?
Bob calls Jimmy "the truest, stanchest old chap in the world" and "the finest chap in the world," expressing complete faith that Jimmy would keep their appointment if still alive.
What is Jimmy Wells's occupation twenty years later?
Jimmy is a patrolman (beat cop) in the New York City police department, walking his regular beat on the night of the reunion.
How does Bob view his own success compared to Jimmy's?
Bob boasts about doing well out West and calls Jimmy "a kind of plodder," saying New York puts a man in a groove while the West puts a "razor-edge" on him. His egotism blinds him to his own criminality.
What physical details reveal Bob's material wealth?
Bob wears a large, oddly set diamond scarfpin and carries a handsome watch with diamond-set lids, signaling his financial success in the West.
What central moral conflict does Jimmy Wells face in the story?
Jimmy must choose between loyalty to his oldest friend and his duty as a police officer. He resolves this by honoring both: he keeps the appointment but sends another officer to make the arrest.
How does the story explore the theme of identity and change over time?
Twenty years have transformed both men in unexpected ways. Bob became a criminal, Jimmy became a cop, and neither is the person the other expected. The story suggests time can change people so fundamentally they become strangers.
What does the story suggest about different paths to success?
Bob pursued ambition and risk in the West, gaining material wealth through crime. Jimmy stayed in New York as a steady, honest policeman. The story contrasts flashy, ill-gotten success with quiet, honorable integrity.
How does the story portray the tension between past and present relationships?
Bob clings to an idealized memory of their friendship, but twenty years of divergent choices have made them adversaries. The story shows that shared history cannot always overcome the people we become.
What is the primary example of dramatic irony in the story?
The reader gradually realizes the policeman IS Jimmy Wells while Bob remains oblivious, confiding in the very friend he is waiting for and even praising Jimmy's loyalty to the man who will have him arrested.
How does O. Henry use the setting to foreshadow the story's dark outcome?
The dark, cold, drizzly street with shuttered businesses and few pedestrians creates a mood of isolation and concealment, foreshadowing the deception and betrayal that unfold.
What is the "O. Henry twist" or surprise ending in this story?
The story has a double twist: first, the tall man is revealed as an impostor, not Jimmy. Then Jimmy's note reveals an even bigger surprise -- the original policeman was Jimmy all along, and he chose duty over friendship.
How does O. Henry use the match-lighting moment as a pivotal device?
The brief flare of the match serves as the turning point. It is the moment of recognition where Jimmy sees Bob's face and identifies him as the wanted criminal, setting the rest of the plot in motion.
What does "depeopled" mean in the context of the story's opening?
It means emptied of people. O. Henry uses it to describe how the chilly, rainy gusts of wind have driven almost everyone off the streets.
What does "stalwart" mean as used to describe the policeman?
It means strong, sturdy, and dependable. The word describes the policeman's physical build and also subtly hints at his moral steadfastness.
What does "egotism enlarged by success" mean in describing Bob?
It means Bob's self-importance and vanity have grown because of his financial success. His boastfulness reveals how his character has been shaped -- and corrupted -- by his Western adventures.
Who says "It takes the West to put a razor-edge on him" and what does it reveal?
Bob says this, comparing himself favorably to Jimmy. It reveals Bob's arrogance and condescension toward his old friend, while ironically the "razor-edge" he gained is a criminal one.
What is the significance of Bob saying "Twenty years is a long time, but not long enough to change a man's nose from a Roman to a pug"?
This is the moment Bob realizes he is with an impostor, not Jimmy Wells. It shows Bob's sharp observational skills and triggers the story's first twist, leading to his arrest.
What does Jimmy's note mean when he writes "Somehow I couldn't do it myself"?
Jimmy is admitting that despite his duty as a police officer, his twenty-year friendship with Bob made it emotionally impossible to personally arrest him. It captures the story's central conflict between loyalty and duty.