Summary about The Ransom Of Red Chief
The Ransom of Red Chief
By O. Henry
Plot Summary
"The Ransom of Red Chief" is a short story written by American writer William Sydney Porter, better known as O. Henry. Like many of O. Henry's works, the story is notable for its plays on words, humor, and plot twist. Written around the turn of the 20th century, the story is a short rendition of what you might get if you crossed "Home Alone" with "O Brother Where Art Thou?" It makes for a diverting 5-10 minutes that will bring at least one smile to your face while reading and perhaps a couple chuckles.
The story takes place in rural Alabama. Two crooks, Bill Driscoll and Sam (we never learn his last name) have about $600 between the two of them and figure they need another $2000 to pull off a "fraudulent town-lot scheme." And by the way, you learn in the first paragraph of the story that these two fellows are the self-educated type who think that using big words makes them smart. They have it all figured out. Except for the fact that the words they use are wrong or made up, accounting for the humor of the undereducated ne'er-do-well who thinks he has a plan.
So Bill and Sam decide that in order to get their money, they'll kidnap a child from a prominent member of a small town and thus select little Johnny Dorset, a boy of nine and the only child of Ebenezer Dorset, a "mortgage fancier." The trouble starts from the get-go when they call out to Johnny to tempt him to the car. Johnny throws a piece of brick and hits Bill in the eye. The two get out of the car and grab Johnny, who puts up a struggle before they get him in the car and drive out to a cave in the hills. Sam goes to return the car, and when he returns he finds Johnny has become Red Chief - and Bill has bruises on his legs.
Life over the next day doesn't get any better for Bill as little Johnny, who hates school, doesn't like girls, and is generally a little terror, finds the idea of camping out to be great fun and indulges his
By O. Henry
Plot Summary
"The Ransom of Red Chief" is a short story written by American writer William Sydney Porter, better known as O. Henry. Like many of O. Henry's works, the story is notable for its plays on words, humor, and plot twist. Written around the turn of the 20th century, the story is a short rendition of what you might get if you crossed "Home Alone" with "O Brother Where Art Thou?" It makes for a diverting 5-10 minutes that will bring at least one smile to your face while reading and perhaps a couple chuckles.
The story takes place in rural Alabama. Two crooks, Bill Driscoll and Sam (we never learn his last name) have about $600 between the two of them and figure they need another $2000 to pull off a "fraudulent town-lot scheme." And by the way, you learn in the first paragraph of the story that these two fellows are the self-educated type who think that using big words makes them smart. They have it all figured out. Except for the fact that the words they use are wrong or made up, accounting for the humor of the undereducated ne'er-do-well who thinks he has a plan.
So Bill and Sam decide that in order to get their money, they'll kidnap a child from a prominent member of a small town and thus select little Johnny Dorset, a boy of nine and the only child of Ebenezer Dorset, a "mortgage fancier." The trouble starts from the get-go when they call out to Johnny to tempt him to the car. Johnny throws a piece of brick and hits Bill in the eye. The two get out of the car and grab Johnny, who puts up a struggle before they get him in the car and drive out to a cave in the hills. Sam goes to return the car, and when he returns he finds Johnny has become Red Chief - and Bill has bruises on his legs.
Life over the next day doesn't get any better for Bill as little Johnny, who hates school, doesn't like girls, and is generally a little terror, finds the idea of camping out to be great fun and indulges his