Student Essay on O. Henry

O. Henry

Summary:   William Sydney Porter, who wrote under the pseudonym O. Henry, published nearly 200 short stories that drew the attention of the American public. A writer of unique skill and atypical mindset, O. Henry left a significant impact on American literature; especially through the new dimensions he added to the short story genre, the timeless popularity of his works, and his inspiring rise to fame.

William Sydney Porter has been recognized among the greatest American authors due to his remarkable life story and outstanding literary reputation. His life and experiences contributed immensely to his eventual career as an author, and the stories he wrote. Porter, who wrote under the pseudonym O. Henry, published nearly 200 short stories that drew the attention of the American public. A writer of unique skill and atypical mindset, O. Henry left a significant impact on American literature; especially through the new dimensions he added to the short story genre, the timeless popularity of his works, and his inspiring rise to fame.

Before the phenomena of O. Henry had dawned onto the literary world, William Sydney Porter led a frenzied life. It is these unforgettable experiences, which made his work so unique and bewildering (Current-Garcia 12). William's mother died when he was still young, and his father developed a serious problem with alcoholism. After a brief schooling, completed at the age of 15, he left his North Carolina home for success in the Midwest (Seeyle 462). Current-Garcia states that O. Henry never forgot his "southern ties," and his southern upbringing was imprinted in his later writings (12). "If the Old South furnished the seedbed of O. Henry's art, the Southwest furnished the nutrient that stimulated it's growth and embellished its forms" (Current-Garcia 21). Here, Porter developed the dream of writing, and began experimenting with his talents. Porter's life changed forever, when he was accused of embezzlement and he hastily fled to Central America. Only to return and face trial four months later, where he was found guilty and sentenced to five years in prison (Perkins 428). During his incarceration, Porter underwent remarkable changes.

Porter had entered prison an "experimental and amateurish" writer, and through a rigorous process of self-discipline, he emerged a "skilled professional" (Current-Garcia 52). His exemplary behavior ultimately resulted in his release after three years, and it is this behavior, which most justifies his eventual recognition as a great writer. An inexorable determination coupled with humility gave rise to O. Henry. After his release Porter would move to New York and feel "public fame and private misery" for the rest of his days (Current-Garcia 56).

Porter's works, appearing in several magazines and newspapers nationwide even before his release from prison, would quickly gain him fame and recognition. His emergence surprised many, including F. L. Pattee, who said, "In this unschooled druggist, this cowboy and Main Street clerk, this Texas funny man, one would hardly expect to find verbal precision and [a] wide range of vocabulary" (Cerrito 37). O. Henry's stories had many recognizable elements, some of which became distinctly his own. Some of these were "poor, working-class characters, a humorous tone, realistic detail, and a surprise ending" (Milne 68). He was so adept and skilled in utilizing the unexpected ending, it became know as the O. Henry twist. This became the signature ending to his short stories, compiled with repeating themes and structures. Many of his stories were exceedingly allegoric, expressing themes of love, compassion, and poverty. O. Henry's taste for ordinary characters and everyday plots appealed to the masses. According to Harold Bloom, people "find themselves in his stories, not more truly and more strange, but rather as they were and are" (Seeyle 467). This sentimental idealism explains his continuous popularity, even through "the subsequent decline of his reputation among literary critics" (Seeyle 467). Many critics still view O. Henry in positive light, highlighting the trademarks, which became synonymous with his name.

O. Henry may have always enjoyed a devoted fan base, but his relations with critics were far more tumultuous. Once renown for being "the most widely read author in America," Porter still struggled to gain instant or lasting recognition from some critics (Golden n. pag.; Current-Garcia 147). After his death in 1910, criticism arose over his idealistic, almost superficial, storylines. This new view of his stories could easily be attributed to the pessimistic outlook that took hold in and after the Great War. The O. Henry Festival in 1985 can exemplify his everlasting popular appeal (Current-Garcia 150). This was a celebration of his accomplishments at his birthplace in North Carolina, which drew formidable crowds. Current-Garcia suggests that "the steady accumulation of biographical and critical studies" has allowed the public to see the author and his work in view of the dreadful circumstances surrounding his life (149). Another attribute to his lasting popularity, was that Porter wrote about normal people, "speaking in a voice that could be understood by the multitudes," according to Karen Charmaine Blansfield, author of Cheap Rooms and Restless Hearts: A Study of Formula in the Urban Tales of William Sydney Porter (Milne 77). Whether critics regarded his work with scorn or adornment, all agreed to "the very brilliance of his technical skill" (Current-Garcia 147). O. Henry's popularity ensured that his literary stature was secure, and remained so as again demonstrated by the award that bears his name (Seeyle 467). Created in 1918, this award recognizes great achievements of American short story writers. This is an annual reminder to his critics and fans alike, of his enduring legacy to American literature.

William Sydney Porter is a dynamic author and individual who established himself among significant American authors by emerging from a troubled past, creating a vast unique collection of short stories, and through the lasting popularity that he earned. Most of his 200 short stories followed a "pattern of character, plot, structure, and setting," often culminating with an O. Henry twist (Milne 72). This continuity allowed him to garner considerable fame, added to by the persistent use of idealistic and romanticized themes. William Saroyan stated, "The people of America love O. Henry...He was a nobody, but he was a nobody who was also a somebody, everybody's somebody" (Milne 77). Underestimating the importance of Porter's background would be doing injustice to his work and the true nature of the author. Current-Garcia supports this view in saying, "The landscapes of his stories were vastly enriched by his unique life experiences, both as a convicted criminal who learned to write short stories while in jail and, later, as a literary celebrity in New York City" (n. pag.). William Sydney Porter has deservingly merited his stature among the greatest American authors. Stephen Leacock epitomizes this point in saying that "the whole English-speaking world will recognize in O. Henry one of the greatest masters of modern literature" (qtd. in Current-Garcia 148).

Works Cited

Current-Garcia, Eugene. O. Henry. New York, NY: Twayne Publishers, 1993.

Seeyle, John. "William Sydney Porter." The Columbia Companion to the Twentieth-

Century American Short Story. Ed. Blache H. Gelfaut. New York, NY. Columbia University Press: 2000. 462-468.

"Henry, O." Reader's Encyclopedia of American Literature. Ed. George Perkins. New

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"O. Henry." Modern American Literature. 5th ed. Vol. 2. Ed. Joann Cerrito. Farmington

Hills, MI: St. James Press, 2000. 36-38.

"The Gift of the Magi." Short Stories for Students. Ed. Ira Mark Milne. Vol. 2. Detroit,

MI: Gale, 1997. 67-82.

Golden, Harry. Afterword. O. Henry Stories. By O. Henry. New York, NY: Platt & Munk, 1962.

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