A Retrieved Reformation

In O. Henry's "A Retrieved Reformation," Jimmy Valentine transforms from a notorious safe-cracker into Ralph Spencer, a respectable businessman, driven by love for Annabel Adams. Both identities...

In O. Henry's "A Retrieved Reformation," Jimmy Valentine, a skilled safecracker, visits Elmore intending to continue his criminal activities. However, upon meeting Annabel Adams, he falls in love and...

In O. Henry's "A Retrieved Reformation," Ben Price is a strong, intelligent, and tenacious detective, serving as the antagonist to the reformed safecracker, Jimmy Valentine. Price tracks Valentine,...

The conversation between Jimmy Valentine and the warden reveals Jimmy's unrepentant nature and his lack of reform. Despite being in prison for safe-cracking, Jimmy denies his crimes, claiming...

Ben Price's relationship with Jimmy is one of respect and understanding. Despite being a detective, Price recognizes Jimmy's genuine reformation and decides to let him go out of compassion and...

Jimmy insists on carrying his own suitcase to prevent others from discovering its heavy contents, which are safecracking tools. This suitcase symbolizes his criminal past and becomes a burden as he...

In Elmore, Arkansas, Jimmy Valentine's life transforms from that of a career criminal to a respectable citizen. After falling in love with Annabel Adams, he decides to abandon his criminal past,...

Jimmy Valentine, a skilled safe-cracker, was arrested for his crimes but was released early due to political connections and good behavior. His early release allowed him to continue his criminal...

In "A Retrieved Reformation," Jimmy risks exposing his true identity as a former safecracker when he saves Agatha. By using his safecracking skills to rescue her, he jeopardizes his new life and...

After his prison release, Jimmy Valentine visits Mike Dolan to retrieve his burglar tools, which he had hidden in Mike's room. This visit indicates Jimmy's intention to resume his criminal activities...

"A Retrieved Reformation" follows Jimmy Valentine, a skilled safe-cracker who, upon release from prison, resumes his criminal activities. In the town of Elmore, he is smitten by Annabel Adams and...

In O. Henry's "A Retrieved Reformation," the warden advises Jimmy Valentine to "live straight" and stop cracking safes, but Jimmy initially dismisses this advice, planning to return to crime. Despite...

The dynamic between Jimmy Valentine and Ben Price in "A Retrieved Reformation" revolves around mutual respect and transformation. Jimmy, a reformed safe-cracker, gains Price's admiration for his...

Ben Price suspects Jimmy of bank robbery because he recognizes Jimmy's modus operandi from previous crimes. Price had arrested Jimmy before for a similar crime, known as the "Springfield job." When...

Jimmy Valentine changes his name to Mr. Ralph Spencer to start a new life as a legitimate businessman after becoming too well-known as a safecracker. Ben Price, a detective familiar with Jimmy's...

The main conflict in "A Retrieved Reformation" is Jimmy Valentine's struggle to give up his criminal past and live an honest life. The primary obstacle he faces is his past identity as a skilled...

Jimmy's letter to his old friend reveals his desire to abandon his criminal past. He no longer wants or needs his burglary tools and wishes to entrust them to someone reliable, ensuring they don't...

Jimmy Valentine acquires information about Annabel and the town by engaging in casual conversations with locals, leveraging his sociable and charming demeanor. He asks a young boy outside the bank...

Jimmy Valentine requests Annabel's rose as a sentimental keepsake, symbolizing his love and the reformation he experienced through that love. He believes his criminal past has been revealed after...

Significant quotes from "A Retrieved Reformation" include "There isn't a man nearer than Little Rock that can open it," highlighting Jimmy Valentine's exceptional safe-cracking skills, and "A rose of...

Jimmy Valentine calls the young woman "Polly Simpson" as a clever tactic to discreetly learn her true identity without arousing suspicion. As a newcomer in Elmore and aware that he's wanted by the...

The irony in "A Retrieved Reformation" lies in Jimmy Valentine's transformation from a criminal to an honest man. Despite his intention to leave his criminal past behind for a new life and love, he...

Evidence suggesting Jimmy Valentine returned to safecracking includes a series of bank robberies shortly after his release from prison, each executed with his unique skill and tools. Ben Price, the...

Jimmy was planning to go to a nearby town to buy new clothes for his upcoming wedding to Annabel Adams. However, he ends up using his safe-cracking skills to rescue a child trapped in a bank vault,...

After his release from prison, Jimmy Valentine continues committing burglaries without any apparent guilt, viewing safe-breaking as a legitimate livelihood. He resumes his criminal activities with a...

In "A Retrieved Reformation," Jimmy Valentine, now Ralph D. Spencer, plans to visit Little Rock to meet an old acquaintance at Sullivan's place to give him his safe-breaking tools. This act...

Jimmy's character change is suggested by several key details. His transformation begins upon meeting Annabel Adams, which inspires him to abandon his criminal life. He decides to dispose of his...

Before meeting Annabel, Jimmy perceives himself as a successful and stylish individual, admired for his looks and criminal prowess. He is confident, well-connected, and meticulous about his...

When Jimmy claims to have never cracked a safe in his life, it is an example of a blatant lie. It is also an example of a type of foreshadowing, because it gives us a glimpse into his future life as...

The narrative perspective in "A Retrieved Reformation" by O. Henry is third-person omniscient. This allows the narrator to provide insights into the thoughts and feelings of various characters,...

Jimmy accumulates approximately $7,300 from his robberies. This total includes $800 from a safe burglary in Richmond, Indiana, $1,500 from a burglary in Logansport, and $5,000 from a burglary in...

In "A Retrieved Reformation," O. Henry uses foreshadowing and irony to craft a tale of redemption. Foreshadowing hints at Jimmy Valentine's potential reformation and eventual confrontation with...

Ben Price's words to Jimmy at the end of "A Retrieved Reformation" signify his recognition of Jimmy's genuine reformation. By choosing not to arrest Jimmy, Price acknowledges that he is no longer the...

By opening the vault, Valentine risked exposing his true identity as a former criminal, jeopardizing his new life as Ralph Spencer. This act of self-sacrifice endangered his freedom, social...

"A Retrieved Reformation" by O. Henry showcases the author's signature surprise ending, irony, sentimentality, and gentle humor. The plot revolves around Jimmy Valentine, a reformed bank robber, who...

Jimmy Valentine was sent to prison for a safe-cracking job in Springfield, Illinois. Despite his reputation as a skilled safe cracker, he maintains his innocence. The story suggests that his...

Jimmy Valentine wanted to give away his safecracking tools because he intended to abandon his criminal past and marry Annabel Adams. However, he retained them to save a trapped girl in a bank vault,...

Ben starts searching for Jimmy in "A Retrieved Reformation" because Jimmy resumed his career as a master safe-cracker after being released from prison, committing three bank robberies in quick...

Verbal irony in "A Retrieved Reformation" enhances the story by highlighting the contrast between appearances and reality. The warden's sarcastic remarks to Jimmy about his innocence and criminal...

The name that Jimmy Valentine artfully takes to gather information about Miss Annabel Adams from the young boy is not revealed until after their conversation. O. Henry does not make clear whether or...

To plan a new ending where Ben Price arrests Jimmy Valentine, consider having Ben doubt Jimmy's reformation, believing he will inevitably return to crime. Despite Jimmy's heroic act of saving a...

Mike Dolan's question implies Jimmy has another safecracking job lined up, showcasing their familiarity and Jimmy's distrust. Jimmy deflects by claiming to represent a fictional cracker company. This...

Valentine hid his burglar's tools in prison because he planned to use them again. Despite the warden's hopes for his reform, Valentine intended to resume his life of crime immediately after release....

Jimmy faces a moral conflict when he hears Agatha scream from inside the bank vault. He must choose between letting her suffocate or using his skills as a former thief to free her, which would reveal...

Jimmy Valentine is pardoned due to his influential friends and connections outside prison. His likable personality, intelligence, and generosity in sharing his wealth, likely with politicians, help...

Details suggesting Valentine may be cracking safes include his affection for his safe-cracking tools upon release and a spate of expert safe-burglaries shortly after. Detective Ben Price suspects...

The average person connects with "A Retrieved Reformation" through its themes of redemption and change. O. Henry's stories, often sentimental and romantic, resonate with readers facing similar...

Foreshadowing in "A Retrieved Reformation" is evident when Jimmy first meets Annabel, signaling his eventual transformation. Initially, the warden's advice to Jimmy to abandon his criminal ways hints...

Jimmy Valentine uses a unique set of tools designed specifically for safe-breaking in "A Retrieved Reformation." These tools, which he keeps in a dust-covered bag, are described as the finest...

"A Retrieved Reformation" does not contain direct characterization. Instead, it uses indirect characterization to reveal the personalities of Jimmy Valentine and Ben Price. Jimmy's cleverness and...