From Each According to His Ability Flashcards
by O. Henry — tap or click to flip
Flashcard Review
Flashcards: From Each According to His Ability
Why does Vuyning leave his club at the beginning of the story?
He is immeasurably bored by the repetitive conversations of fellow members -- Kirk's fish story, Brooks's cigars, Morrison's anecdote, and Hepburn's billiards luck.
How many times has Miss Allison rejected Vuyning's marriage proposals before the story begins?
She has refused him five times, and he plans to ask her again the following Wednesday.
Where do Vuyning and Emerson go for their first private conversation?
They go to a nearby cafe run by Schrumm, who seats them under a growing palm with two seidls of beer.
What does Vuyning offer to do for Emerson after critiquing his wardrobe?
He offers to take Emerson to his personal tailor to eliminate the signs of poor dressing from his appearance.
How does Emerson prove his pickpocketing skills to Vuyning?
He produces Vuyning's pocketbook and the Vuyning family's 100-year-old watch on the table, items he had stolen without Vuyning noticing.
What does Vuyning tell his club members about Emerson before the dinner?
He truthfully tells them Emerson is a burglar and safe-blower, but they assume he is joking and dismiss it as his usual humor.
What happens between Vuyning and Miss Allison at the end of the story?
After excitedly talking about ranches and the West, Vuyning says he is leaving for Colorado. Miss Allison finally accepts him, saying she will go too.
What is Vuyning's nickname at his club, and what does it suggest about him?
"Left-at-the-Post," suggesting he is an idle man who never accomplished anything, living entirely on inherited wealth.
What is Emerson's criminal alias, and what crimes does he list in his self-introduction?
He goes by "Rowdy the Dude" and lists pickpocket, supper man, second-story man, yeggman, boxman, burglar, cardsharp, and con man.
What specific wardrobe mistakes does Vuyning identify in Emerson's outfit?
The suit is six months out of date, one inch too long, with too much lapel; the hat is a year old; the collar is wrong; the cuff-buttons are too flashy; the shoes and socks are too showy; and the tie is tied too precisely.
How does Emerson's transformation manifest at the club dinner?
He appears calm, smooth, brilliant, and affable, wearing a dark cheviot suit that looks like it was draped by an ancient Grecian tailor, and he captivates the members with vivid Western stories.
How does Miss Allison react to Vuyning's sudden enthusiasm about the West?
She looks at him with wondering and half-terrified eyes, but when he says he is leaving for Colorado, she drops a tear on her salad and says she will go with him.
How does the story illustrate the idea of mutual exchange between social classes?
Vuyning teaches Emerson how to dress like a gentleman, while Emerson gives Vuyning exciting stories and a renewed sense of adventure that cures his boredom and transforms his life.
What does the story suggest about the difference between authentic style and purchased style?
Despite spending more money on his clothes, Emerson looks wrong because true elegance comes from natural, careless ease rather than expensive precision -- a quality Vuyning has by instinct.
How does the title connect to the Marxist slogan it references?
It ironically applies the socialist principle to an exchange between a wealthy idler and a criminal: each contributes his unique talent (fashion sense and storytelling) to their mutual benefit.
How does the story challenge conventional morality regarding class and criminality?
Vuyning, the respectable gentleman, openly befriends a confessed criminal and finds him more interesting and genuine than his own social peers at the club.
What is ironic about Vuyning telling his club the truth about Emerson?
The dramatic irony is that he tells them honestly that Emerson is a burglar and safe-blower, but his reputation as a joker means no one believes him.
What narrative technique does O. Henry use when he pauses to address the reader about describing Vuyning's clothing?
He breaks the fourth wall with a metafictional aside, acknowledging that describing haberdashery is tedious but assuring the reader it is essential to the plot.
How does O. Henry use the allusion to Homer during the dinner scene?
He compares Emerson's storytelling to Homer's epic singing, elevating a criminal's campfire tales to the level of classical literature and underscoring his natural gift.
What literary device does O. Henry employ in the final toast to "Rowdy the Dude"?
It is a form of dramatic irony and situational irony: Vuyning toasts the criminal who unknowingly made his engagement possible, while Miss Allison drinks to him without knowing who he is.
What does "haberdashery" mean in the context of the story?
Men's clothing and accessories. The narrator uses the word self-consciously when describing Vuyning's outfit, noting that writing about a man's haberdashery is a dubious literary choice.
What is a "yeggman" and a "boxman" as Emerson uses the terms?
A yeggman is a burglar who specializes in safecracking (especially itinerant ones), and a boxman is a specialist in opening locked safes or strongboxes.
What does "ennui" mean, and how does it function in the story?
Ennui is a feeling of listless boredom from lack of excitement. It is the central condition afflicting Vuyning at the start, and meeting Emerson is the cure that gives his life new direction.
Who says "I'm just a kind of a loafer, I guess, living on my daddy's money" and what does it reveal?
Vuyning says this when introducing himself to Emerson. It reveals his self-aware honesty and his willingness to see himself and a criminal as equals in their respective idleness.
What does Emerson mean when he says Vuyning is "the goods, duty free, and half-way to the warehouse in a red wagon"?
Using underworld slang, he is calling Vuyning the genuine article -- completely authentic and valuable -- expressing deep admiration in the only language he knows.
What is the significance of Miss Allison's final line, "Not alone"?
It signals her acceptance of Vuyning's proposal after five rejections. His newfound vitality and passion for the West -- sparked by Emerson -- finally made him attractive to her.