After Twenty Years Questions and Answers
After Twenty Years
What is the moral lesson of the story, "After Twenty Years"?
Another possible moral lesson intended by O. Henry in "After Twenty Years" is that once a man becomes an habitual criminal he can never trust anybody, not even his own best friend. This is the...
After Twenty Years
Why did the two friends part in "After Twenty Years"? What did they promise each other twenty years ago?
Bob and Jimmy both grew up in New York City, but when Bob was eighteen and Jimmy was twenty, Bob decided to leave the city and head out West to try to get rich. Jimmy was dedicated to New York and...
After Twenty Years
How is O. Henry's "After Twenty Years" a tale of friendship and betrayal?
O. Henry's "After Twenty Years" may be interpreted as a tale of friendship since the two old friends both return to their favorite restaurant after twenty years as they have promised each other...
After Twenty Years
Why did Jimmy get Bob arrested in "After Twenty Years"?
Jimmy has to have his old friend arrested because it is Jimmy's sworn duty to enforce the law. It should be noted, however, that O. Henry deliberately softens Jimmy's betrayal by making Bob's...
After Twenty Years
What is the theme of "After Twenty Years" by O. Henry?
One of the principal themes in O. Henry's short story "After Twenty Years" is the way in which time changes people. Both Bob and Jimmy have long memories and have remained true to their word,...
After Twenty Years
In "After Twenty Years" by O. Henry, what is the surprise at the end of the story?
A serial criminal called "Silky Bob" has come to New York to meet up with his old friend Jimmy Wells. Twenty years earlier, the two men had agreed to meet outside a hardware store. Amazingly, Bob...
After Twenty Years
What is the main conflict in "After Twenty Years"?
The predominant conflict in "After Twenty Years" is an internal one that is not apparent to the reader until the surprise ending of the story. This internal conflict arises between friendship and...
After Twenty Years
Compare and contrast Bob and Jimmy's characters in "After Twenty Years."
It is clear that both Jimmy and Bob in “After Twenty Years” have long memories and a deep attachment to one another. They both recall and honor the pact they made twenty years earlier, and Bob, as...
After Twenty Years
Why couldn't Jimmy arrest Bob himself in "After Twenty Years"?
At the end of the story, Jimmy sends Silky Bob a note that says, Somehow I couldn't do it myself, so I went around and got a plain clothes man to do the job. We can surmise, from everything that...
After Twenty Years
What is the moral of the story After Twenty Years?
One valuable takeaway from O'Henry's "After Twenty Years" is that the past always catches up to you. Bob lives a life of crime, and he thinks all his "hustling around" will never catch up to him....
After Twenty Years
What are some examples of situational irony in "After Twenty Years?"
The main situational irony in "After Twenty Years" involves the fact that Bob is waiting for Jimmy and doesn't realize he is actually talking to him. Then when Jimmy leaves, Bob thinks Jimmy didn't...
After Twenty Years
Why is the ending of "After Twenty Years" tragic? How does the story take a turn and the happy ending of two...
The short story "After Twenty Years" by O. Henry does have a tragic ending as two close friends who have vowed to reunite after twenty years, find themselves too changed to remain friends. Both...
After Twenty Years
What is a character sketch of Jimmy Wells in the story "After Twenty Years" by O. Henry?
Jimmy had to make a difficult choice between two painful alternatives. On the one hand, he could have gone on his way and let Silky Bob escape from the law. In that case, Jimmy would have felt...
After Twenty Years
In "After Twenty Years," who is Jimmy Wells?
Jimmy Wells was once the best friend ("chum") of Bob, now a noted criminal. They grew up as if they were brothers, but went their separate ways twenty years before. Bob headed out west when he was...
After Twenty Years
What is a plot diagram for the short story "After Twenty Years"?
Here is a plot outline that you can alter to the diagram that you need: 1. Exposition - The beat policeman moves impressively and has a "watchful eye" as he moves up and down his street. He slows...
After Twenty Years
When does Bob realize that the man to whom he is talking is not Jimmy Wells, and how does he react in "After Twenty...
Bob realizes that the man with whom he talks is not Jimmy Wells after they walk under the brilliant electric lights of a drug store. He is startled that this man is a stranger, and he exclaims,...
After Twenty Years
What does the title "After Twenty Years" mean?
The significance of the title of O’Henry’s “After Twenty Years” is great. Taken literally, the title reflects that the action of the story takes place after twenty years of time have elapsed....
After Twenty Years
What is the symbol in the story "After 20 Years" by O. Henry?
One symbol in the story is the restaurant, Big Joe Brady's Restaurant, where the old friends in the story are supposed to reunite after twenty years. Before Bob left for the west twenty years...
After Twenty Years
What is the appointment between the two friends about in "After Twenty Years" by O. Henry?
The appointment between Bob and Jimmy to meet again in twenty years was just for the sake of reunion. It was similar to the thousands of class reunions, family reunions, and all the other reunions...
After Twenty Years
Why do you think Jimmy sent the note to Bob in "After Twenty Years"?
Although Jimmy is a cop and Bob is a thief, when all is said and done they're still old friends. Jimmy has done his professional duty as a police officer, but he can't bring himself to confront his...
After Twenty Years
Silky Bob was a criminal wanted in Chicago; yet he came to the appointed place to meet his friend after twenty...
The fact that "Silky" Bob traveled a thousand miles to meet his old friend Jimmy Wells suggests many things about him. For one thing, it suggests that he doesn't have many friends, if any. Bob has...
After Twenty Years
In "After Twenty Years," what should you do if you were Jimmy?
It seems to me that by using the word "should" in your question you are asking, not what would you do, but what should you do if you were in Jimmy's position. It seems to me that, as much as I feel...
After Twenty Years
"After Twenty Years" is about an appointment between two friends. What is special about their appointment?
The appointment in O. Henry's "After Twenty Years" is a prearranged meeting between two friends who parted one night and agreed to meet again two decades later at 'Big Joe' Brady's restaurant. One...
After Twenty Years
Examine how O. Henry builds suspense and provides a twist in the story "After Twenty Years."
O. Henry builds the suspense in this story by introducing the two characters, and then not letting you know who is who right away. They are two old friends who are meeting after twenty years, and...
After Twenty Years
What is the atmosphere in "After Twenty Years?"
In the short story "After Twenty Years," the author O. Henry creates an atmosphere of mystery and uncertainty to set up the surprise ending. He does this by describing the weather, the time, and...
After Twenty Years
What is the conclusion of "After Twenty Years"?
The two men, Silky Bob and Jimmy Wells, grew up together and were very close. When they each decided to go different ways, Bob to find his fortune in the West and Jimmy to settle in New York, they...
After Twenty Years
What is the tone and mood of "After Twenty Years" by O. Henry?
The overall tone and feeling of O. Henry’s “After Twenty Years” is somewhat somber and reminiscent. It follows the two men, Jim and Bob, whose lives have vastly diverged over time, and it...
After Twenty Years
"The man from the West, his egotism enlarged by success, was beginning to outline the history of his career." What...
The quote you mentioned—especially the words "his egotism enlarged by success"—tells us much about Bob's personality and character. Those words highlight Bob's materialistic predilections....
After Twenty Years
What does guardian of the peace mean in "After Twenty Years" by O. Henry? How did the officer suit the role of...
I understood the term "guardian of the peace" to be synonymous with the term "police officer." "Guardian of the peace" or "guardians of the peace" may have been used frequently in newspapers and...
After Twenty Years
What is the resolution in "After Twenty Years"?
In O. Henry's short story "After Twenty Years," the resolution of the problem or conflict is that Silky Bob is arrested and taken to jail, and Jimmy is disconsolate over losing his old friend to...
After Twenty Years
Wha type of irony is found in the story "After Twenty Years"?
Both verbal irony and situational irony are identifiable in O. Henry's short story "After Twenty Years." The situational irony is clear, as the twist at the end of the story reveals an unexpected...
After Twenty Years
What is the setting at the beginning of "After Twenty Years?" Why didn't Officer Wells arrest Bob?
The setting of "After Twenty Years" is a relatively quiet street in New York at around 10 at night. There is a wind and the threat of rain, so most of the people have hurried indoors, and the...
After Twenty Years
What does Bob say about his life in the West compared to Jimmy's in New York in O. Henry's "After Twenty Years"?
The two friends, Jimmy Wells and Bob, have disparate lifestyles, reflecting their contrasting values. These contrasting values are represented by their chosen locales. Jimmy chose to stay in New...
After Twenty Years
How did the policeman see the stranger’s face in “After Twenty Years”?
The policeman sees the face of the "stranger" while he is walking his regular beat and meets him in the middle of the block, in "the doorway of a darkened hardware store." The man explains why he...
After Twenty Years
In the story, "After Twenty Years," are there hints to indicate Bob was no longer a respectable man? If so, what are...
There are a number of slight hints that Bob is a disreputable character. For instance, there is his appearance. The man in the doorway struck a match and lit his cigar. The light showed a pale,...
After Twenty Years
Can you consider the title of the story "After Twenty Years" by O. Henry an irony?
The title of “After Twenty Years” is ironic because two old friends are reuniting after a long time, but they are now on opposite sides of the law. When Bob sees Jimmy, he does not recognize him....
After Twenty Years
Identify the climax in "After Twenty Years" by O Henry.
The climax in a story is the peak of emotional intensity. In "After Twenty Years" this peak is reached when Bob and the arresting officver arrive at the corner drug store which is brilliantly...
After Twenty Years
How would describe Jimmy and Bob's personalities in "After Twenty Years?"
Jimmy Wells (Patrolman Wells) is a loyal and trustworthy friend. He was at "the appointed place," but couldn't bring himself to arrest his friend. "Silky" Bob, might be considered a loyal friend...
After Twenty Years
How did Jimmy and Bob first get to know each other in "After Twenty Years" by O. Henri?
Jimmy and Bob have known each other all their lives. They grew up in the same neighborhood in Manhattan. That means they probably played together in the streets like all the other kids. They went...
After Twenty Years
What's a simile from the story "After Twenty Years"?
The only obvious simile in the story occurs when Bob is telling the policeman, whom he doesn't recognize as his old friend Jimmy Wells, about the strong friendship that had existed between the two...
After Twenty Years
Where is the story set? What is the atmosphere, or feeling, of the story? How do the setting and the time of day...
"After Twenty Years" is set in New York City in the early part of the twentieth century. It is a neighborhood of shops and offices. It is dark and the streets are nearly deserted. The area has the...
After Twenty Years
What's the point of view in "After Twenty Years" by O. Henry?
The story is told by an anonymous narrator and features two points of view, those of Jimmy and Bob. Although Jimmy is not identified, the fact that it is this cop's point of view is shown from the...
After Twenty Years
In "After Twenty Years," what does this passage mean? "It takes the West to put a razor edge on him"
O. Henry's ironic story of the twenty year reunion of two old friends, one of whom went West to make his fortune, depicts Bob's having come a thousand miles to meet Jimmy Wells back in New York. As...
After Twenty Years
How does the author use dialogue and the events of the plot to reveal characterization and theme in "After Twenty...
Dialogue and the sequence of events in "After Twenty Years" work to reveal the characters of Jimmy and Bob along with the story's theme through the information they provide. Dialogue to reveal...
After Twenty Years
In "After Twenty Years," what does the fact that both men showed up say about their friendship? How hard do you think...
The fact that both men showed up for their promised rendezvous after twenty years shows that they were once very close friends. However, it does not prove that they are still close friends. They...
After Twenty Years
When does Jimmy recognize his friend Bob in "After Twenty Years"?
Jimmy recognizes his old friend Bob while he talks to him in the doorway of what once was Brady's restaurant. As Bob lights his cigar, Jimmy recognizes the "pale, square-jawed face with keen eyes...
After Twenty Years
How does Bob describe his friend Jimmy?
In “After Twenty Years,” by O. Henry, Bob is waiting for Jimmy to arrive at the reunion spot they agreed upon twenty years prior. As he waits on a cold, deserted, New York City street outside where...
After Twenty Years
1. Who has been more successful Bob or Jimmy? 2. How does Bob describe Jimmy--strengths and weakness? 3. Based...
Bob has only been superficially more successful than Jimmy. Bob has some flashy clothes and accessories, but he has no home, no family, no friends (except Jimmy), no roots, and he is continually on...
After Twenty Years
In the story "After Twenty Years," what does the police officer do after saying good night to the man in the doorway?
The policeman, whom we later learn is Jimmy Wells, asks Bob, the man in the doorway, a pointed question. “I'll be on my way. Hope your friend comes around all right. Going to call time on him...
After Twenty Years
How does Bob describe Jimmy in both his strengths and weaknesses in "After Twenty Years"?
Bob describes Jimmy to the policeman on the beat, telling him that Jimmy Wells is "the finest chap in the world." He adds that they were like brothers, and Jimmy was very loyal. However, he adds...
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