William Sydney PorterWilliam Sydney Porter(1862-1910)(1862-1910)

O Henry

Facts on William Sydney PorterFacts on William Sydney Porter He was born September 11, 1862 in North

Carolina, where he spent his childhood.

Best noted for his short stories with surprise endings, O. Henry was the pen name of William Sydney Porter, who was regarded as one of the most popular American writers.

O. Henry was an American writer in the

late 19th century. His real name was

William Sidney Porter and O. Henry

was his pen name. He wrote many

short stories, which were set in New

York.

The plots of his stories are clever and

interesting, and the end is always

surprising. Most of the characters in his

stories are ordinary people in cities. His

works include The Four Million, The Gift of

the Magi, The Furnished Room and so on.

Facts on William Sydney PorterFacts on William Sydney Porter As a young man, he once worked as a bank

teller, a newspaper columnist and so on. In 1898, he was accused of having taken money from the bank where he had worked, and later was put in prison for five years. While in prison, he began writing short stories and it is there that he took the pen-name O Henry for his writings.

“A sacrifice for love ” is part of the story The Gift of the Magi which took O. Henry only three hours but is popular for a whole century or more. O. Henry’s stories are known for his descriptions of poor working characters, a humorous and ironic tone, realistic detail and a surprise

ending.

What main elements there should be in a story / narrative ?

Characters Time Place Event Ending

Facts on William Sydney PorterFacts on William Sydney Porter An acclaimed master of short stories and

tales. Starting in 1895 he wrote a column for the

Houston Daily Post. In early 1898 Porter was found guilty of

embezzlement charges and sentenced to five years in an Ohio prison.

Three years and about a dozen short stories later, he emerged from prison as "O. Henry" to help shield his true identity.

Facts on William Sydney PorterFacts on William Sydney Porter O. Henry wrote with realistic detail based on

his first-hand experiences both in Texas and in New York City.

In 1907, he published many of his Texas stories in The Heart of the West.

He moved to New York City, where over the next ten years before his death in 1910, he published over 300 stories and gained worldwide acclaim as America's favorite short story writer.

Porter died on June 5, 1910 in New York City at the age of forty seven. An alcoholic, he died virtually penniless.

Published Books by O. HenryPublished Books by O. Henry After Twenty Years

& Other Stories. Edited by Masat C. Nakauchi. Tokyo: Kenkyusha, 1957.

The Best of O. Henry. Philadelphia: Running Press, 1978.

Cabbages and Kings. New York: McClure, Phillips & Co., 1904.

The Four Million. New York: McClure, Phillips & Co., 1906.

The Gift of the Magi. Garden City, N.Y.: Doubleday, Page & Co., 1922.

Published Books by O. HenryPublished Books by O. Henry Let Me Feel Your

Pulse. New York: Doubleday, Page & Co., 1910.

Options. New York: Harper & Brothers, 1909.

Postscripts. New York: Harper & Brothers, 1923.

Tales of O. Henry. Garden City, N.Y.: International Collectors Library, 1969.

The Trimmed Lamp, and Other Stories. New York: McClure, Phillips & Co., 1907.

The Voice of the City. New York: McClure, 1908.

O. HenryO. HenryBesides descriptions what techniques does a

good writer usually use in a narrative?

Literature way of writing

Exaggeration Humor Irony…

Can you find out some of the techniques O. Henry use?

Facts on William Sydney Porter He was born September 11, 1862 in North

Carolina, where he spent his childhood. An acclaimed master of short stories and

tales. Starting in 1895 he wrote a column for the

Houston Daily Post. In early 1898 Porter was found guilty of

embezzlement charges and sentenced to five years in an Ohio prison.

Three years and about a dozen short stories later, he emerged from prison as "O. Henry" to help shield his true identity.

Facts on William Sydney Porter O. Henry wrote with realistic detail based on his

first-hand experiences both in Texas and in New York City.

In 1907, he published many of his Texas stories in The Heart of the West.

He moved to New York City, where over the next ten years before his death in 1910, he published over 300 stories and gained worldwide acclaim as America's favorite short story writer.

Porter died on June 5, 1910 in New York City at the age of forty seven. An alcoholic, he died virtually penniless.

Published Books by O. Henry After Twenty Years &

Other Stories. Edited by Masat C. Nakauchi. Tokyo: Kenkyusha, 1957.

The Best of O. Henry. Philadelphia: Running Press, 1978.

Cabbages and Kings. New York: McClure, Phillips & Co., 1904.

The Four Million. New York: McClure, Phillips & Co., 1906.

The Gift of the Magi. Garden City, N.Y.: Doubleday, Page & Co., 1922.

Published Books by O. Henry Let Me Feel Your

Pulse. New York: Doubleday, Page & Co., 1910.

Options. New York: Harper & Brothers, 1909.

Postscripts. New York: Harper & Brothers, 1923.

Tales of O. Henry. Garden City, N.Y.: International Collectors Library, 1969.

The Trimmed Lamp, and Other Stories. New York: McClure, Phillips & Co., 1907.

The Voice of the City. New York: McClure, 1908.

Museum Hours12:00 noon - 5:00 p.m. Wednesday - SundayClosed Monday and Tuesday409 East Fifth StreetAustin, Texas 78701(512)472-1903

Critic says: Prolific American short-story writer, a master

of surprise endings, who wrote about the life of ordinary people in New York City. Typical for O. Henry's stories is a twist of plot which turns on an ironic or coincidental circumstance. Although some critics were not so enthusiastic about his work, the public loved it.

"He wrote love stories, a thing I have always kept free from, holding the belief that the well-known and popular sentiment is not properly matter for publication, but something to be privately handled by the alienist and the florist."

(from 'The Plutonian Fire')

Literary Terms for focus:

Short StoryStyle

What is a Short Story? The short story is a form of short fictional

narrative prose. Short stories tend to be more concise and to the point than longer works of fiction, such as novels. Because of their short length, successful short stories also rely even more than longer fictional forms on such literary devices as character, plot, theme, language, and insight.

http://thefreedictionary.com

STYLE style 1. The way in which something is said, done, expressed, or

performed: a style of speech and writing. 2. The combination of distinctive features of literary or artistic

expression, execution, or performance characterizing a particular person, group, school, or era.

3. Sort; type: a style of furniture. 4. A quality of imagination and individuality expressed in

one's actions and tastes: does things with style.

Discussion: Describe if you were surprised by the ending

of the story. Do you agree with the critics?

http://www.ci.austin.tx.us/parks/ohenry.htm

O”HENRY MUSEUM