The Ransom of Red Chief

By O

. Hen

ry

His real name is William Sydney Porter.He was a clerk in a drug store, a ranch

hand, and a bank teller before he became an author.

He actually began writing in prison; while he was a bank teller, he was convicted of embezzlement, or stealing money from the bank.

He changed his name when he was released from prison and continued writing to help support his daughter.

O. Henry

• Fiction writer• Wrote weekly stories for the newspaper• Stories usually have surprise endings• Modern stories written with this kind of twist are

said to be written in “O. Henry Style”• Preferred writing the following types of stories:– Adventure stories– Humorous stories– Slice-of-life tales of ordinary people

O. Henry’s Style

BEFOREREADING

Read the title of the story. Based on the title and the author’s biography, make a about what the plot is going to be about.

prediction

When you hear about kidnappings, what are some of the most common things you associate with it?

The setting of The Ransom of Red Chief was written in 1910 and set in a small town called Summit in the deep south of Alabama.

The story of The Ransom of Red Chief has become a familiar cultural theme. The most notable is the “Home Alone” and “Dennis the Menace” movies.

STORYBACKGROUND

Read The Ransom of Red Chief to:

Find out how point of view influences the credibility, or reliability, of the narrator’s story.

Find out how O. Henry uses foreshadowing to help readers predict the ironic plot twist at the end of the story.

ReadingAfter

In the story, O. Henry creates an example of irony when two kidnappers end up being held hostage by their supposed victim. How would you have reacted to Red Chief if you were in their situation? What did you find unusual about the boy’s attitude regarding captivity? What does this say about the boy?