After Twenty Years Summary
O. Henry

After Twenty Years Overview

O. Henry's 1904 story "After 20 Years" features one of the author's signature twist endings of ironic moral comeuppance. Set entirely in one New York City neighborhood over a span of about 25 minutes, the story portrays two old friends on the night of their long-awaited reunion after two decades apart. In this character study of two moral foils, O. Henry explores themes of friendship and loyalty, the corrupting influence of materialism, and the myth of self-reinvention. A prototypical example of what would become known as a "New York Story," O. Henry uses "After 20 Years" to critique the immorality of the booming West and contrast that vast, lawless frontier with the humble civic values of the established East.