Kidnapping In The Ransom Of Red Chief

Is kidnapping always seen in a negative way? When you think “kidnapping” your first thoughts are fear. But in The Ransom of Red Chief we see kidnapping in a different light. It is funny and not serious unlike Lindbergh baby kidnapping.
To begin, both versions of the kidnapping have different tones. In The Ransom of Red Chief by O. Henry a humorous tone is being used to express kidnapping. “I was only funning” is Henrys way of portraying the humor. This is funny because it is not the way most people talk, it is unusual, and so it is funny. Henry uses hyperboles throughout this story for example, “the town down there, as flat flannel cake.” The flatness of the town was overly exaggerated and helped bring humor to the tone. Another way a kidnapping