"After Twenty Years" Themes
The main themes in “After Twenty Years” are friendship versus duty, how time changes people, and crime does not pay.
- Friendship versus duty: In having Bob arrested, Jimmy Wells chooses his public duty as a police officer over private loyalty to his old friend.
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How time changes people: Bob’s failure to recognize Jimmy raises the question of how much time has, or has not, changed the two men.
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Crime does not pay: While Bob has achieved greater success as a criminal than Jimmy has as a patrolman, his life of crime ultimately leads to his arrest.
Themes: All Themes
Themes: Friendship versus Duty
“After Twenty Years” was first published in 1906 and is set, like most of O. Henry’s stories, in the present or recent past. The action takes place, therefore, during Theodore Roosevelt’s presidency or earlier, at a time when the United States had a strong ethos of public duty, based on the values of the Roman Republic on which it was modeled. There is no sign of any struggle in Jimmy Wells’s mind between the claims of friendship and duty. If he...
(Read more)Themes: How Time Changes People
“After Twenty Years” concludes with three surprises in quick succession. First, Bob realizes that the man who claims to be Jimmy is not Jimmy. Second, it is revealed that Bob is a well-known criminal. Third, Jimmy confesses in his note that he was the police officer to whom Bob spoke at the beginning of the story. All these surprises show different aspects of the changes wrought by time.
Either Jimmy or Bob or both of them have changed so much...
(Read more)Themes: Crime Does Not Pay
At the beginning of the story, Bob is pleased with his success in life. Rather patronizingly, he hopes “Jimmy has done half as well” and thinks it unlikely that he has, since Jimmy was always a “plodder.” Bob contrasts his own ambition and sharp wits favorably with Jimmy’s slow but steady attitude to life. However, he entirely omits the moral dimension, making no distinction between making a fortune honestly and becoming rich through crime. At...
(Read more)Themes: Change
In "After Twenty Years," the theme of change is central to the narrative. The story explores how time alters people and circumstances, often leading to unexpected outcomes. Two friends, Bob and Jimmy, who were once inseparable, find themselves on divergent paths after two decades. Their reunion, set against the backdrop of a dark, lonely New York street, reveals the profound changes that have occurred in their lives and characters.
Bob and Jimmy...
(Read more)Expert Q&A
Analysis of the Theme, Tone, Mood, Genre, and Style in O. Henry's "After Twenty Years"
The theme of O. Henry's "After Twenty Years" revolves around friendship and the passage of time. The tone is both nostalgic and ironic, while the mood shifts from suspenseful to bittersweet. The genre is a short story, specifically focusing on realism and surprise endings. The style is characterized by concise, straightforward language with a twist ending typical of O. Henry's works.
Characterization, Point of View, and Theme in "After Twenty Years" by O. Henry
O. Henry's "After Twenty Years" explores themes of change over time, morality, and the impact of actions. The story contrasts two friends, Bob and Jimmy, whose divergent paths highlight how time can alter individuals' values and destinies. Bob becomes a criminal, while Jimmy remains a law-abiding police officer. The narrative, told from a third-person objective viewpoint, effectively surprises readers with its twist ending, emphasizing that true character and destiny often remain hidden until pivotal moments reveal them.
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