man looking around a room followed by a ghostly woman

The Furnished Room

by O. Henry

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The Furnished Room

In "The Furnished Room," the young man is repulsed by the appearance of the housekeeper. He describes her as "fat" and "legless," while stating that she has no color and looks like something that has...

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The Furnished Room

The inspiration for O. Henry's "The Furnished Room" likely stems from his observations of transient life in New York City. The main themes of the story include the fleeting nature of human...

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The Furnished Room

The conclusion of "The Furnished Room" emphasizes the themes of obsession and the harsh realities of show business. It shows that both the young man and Eloise, driven by their obsessions, die in the...

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The Furnished Room

The major conflict in "The Furnished Room" is both external and internal. Externally, the young man searches for his lost love, Eloise Vashner, clashing with the landlady, Mrs. Purdy, who hides the...

2 educator answers

The Furnished Room

In "The Furnished Room," examples of irony include situational irony, where the protagonist unknowingly searches for his lost love in the very room where she died. Dramatic irony is also present, as...

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The Furnished Room

In “The Furnished Room,” the conversation between Mrs. Purdy and Mrs. McCool at the end of the story reveals that the girl who rented the room had committed suicide and that she was the missing...

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The Furnished Room

The setting of "The Furnished Room" is a dilapidated area of New York City's lower West Side at the turn of the 19th century, characterized by its impersonal and harsh environment. The story unfolds...

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The Furnished Room

O. Henry uses suspense in "The Furnished Room" by gradually revealing the room's significance and the protagonist's desperate search for his beloved. The mysterious scent of mignonette and the...

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The Furnished Room

In "The Furnished Room," O. Henry creates sympathy for the young man by providing descriptions and vivid details and, ultimately, through dramatic irony. The young man is weary and tired, having been...

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The Furnished Room

The antagonist in "The Furnished Room" can be seen as Mrs. Purdy, the housekeeper who withholds critical information from the young man searching for his love, Eloise Vashner. She conceals the fact...

1 educator answer

The Furnished Room

"The Furnished Room" features transient characters, primarily from the theatrical profession, who frequently move between temporary lodgings. Their backgrounds are inferred from room descriptions,...

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The Furnished Room

The young man believes Eloise is in New York because he knows her well and understands her aspirations of becoming an actress. His search focuses on areas near theaters, indicating he thinks she...

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The Furnished Room

In "The Furnished Room," coincidence seemingly causes the narrator to rent the same room as his lost sweetheart a week after she commits suicide there. Not knowing she has done so, the narrator also...

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The Furnished Room

The mole on Miss Eloise Vashner's eyebrow is a crucial detail in "The Furnished Room," serving as her unique identifier. It distinguishes her from other women and allows the protagonist to confirm...

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The Furnished Room

O. Henry employs the stream-of-consciousness technique in "The Furnished Room" to provide vivid, flowing descriptions of the environment, mirroring the main character's perspective as he explores the...

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The Furnished Room

The man is prowling through the "crumbling red mansions" in search of his love. He has been looking for her for quite a long time with no luck.

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The Furnished Room

According to the housekeeper, many people in the furnished room are connected with the theater, particularly vaudeville performers. These individuals often rent rooms temporarily as they travel from...

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The Furnished Room

"The Furnished Room" does not explicitly portray love as demonic or destructive with death as its companion. Instead, O. Henry presents the big city as the antagonist, with its false glamour and...

1 educator answer