The Ransom of Red Chief

By O

. Hen

ry

O. Henry (1862 - 1910)

William Sydney Porter was a prolific American short story writer who was born in Greensboro, North Carolina. When he was three, his mother died, and he was raised by his paternal grandmother and aunt. At the age of fifteen he left school. In 1897 he was convicted of stealing money. In prison he started to write short stories to earn money to support his daughter Margaret. In 1910, he changed his name to O. Henry.Many of O. Henry’s stories contain a surprise ending or an ironic twist. “The Gift of the Magi” is one of the most famous of his short stories with a twist.

LITERARY

INELEMENTS

RANSOMFORESHADOW

ING

PLOTSETTING

IRONY

POINT OF VIEW

Time and place a story occursFuture events suggested by the author before they occur

Sequence of events in a story

Something happening opposite of what is expected

Perspective of who is telling the story

THEME

Overall message of the story

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?

Vocabularyto know

philoprogenitiveness

terrorim

p

sche

me

ransom

captive

dast

ardl

yprominent

frau

dule

nt

capital

conc

lude

dbuggy

collaborated CowardlyA sly or secret plan of actionCausing fear or worryTroublesome childHaving been cheated or trickedLeadingSomething paid for the release of a captured personA small cart pulled by a horse

Prisoner

MoneyFondness for children

Work togetherTo reach a decision

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?

The Ransom of Red ChiefExtra Credit

Write a newspaper article describing the kidnapping and the return of Mr. Dorset’s son. Be sure to include the following information: who, what, where, when, and why. (20 pts)

Prepare and perform a mock trial of Johnny “Red Chief” from the defendants’ perspective of Old Hank and Snake-Eye, who are suing for assault and battery as well as extortion. (30 pts)

Draw and color a picture of Red Chief, Old Hank, or Snake-Eye. Consult the story again for descriptions. (15 pts)