Analysis Of The Ransom Of Red Chief

Everyone is aware that kidnapping is a huge issue in our society today. However, in O. Henry’s short story “The Ransom of Red Chief”, kidnapping is more like a carefree outdoor adventure. This high level comedy skillfully applies irony and hyperboles to emphasize the idea that sometimes things might not turn out the way you imagined. It is obvious to see that the irony allows the reader to clearly perceive the message of the story. The fact that “the fun of camping out in a cave had made him forget that he was a captive himself.” (Henry, pg 2) is indeed very ironic. Even though it makes sense that a captive should not be treated well, that is clearly not what happened- “the boy seemed to be having the time of his life”. (Henry, pg 2) Not