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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. What duty is the police officer performing in the opening of the story?

2. What reason does the waiting man give the police officer for his presence?

3. The police officer's is described as "stalwart" (619). What kind of man does this mean he is?

4. What distinguishing feature does Bob have on his face?

5. At the end of the story, what motive for his deception does Jimmy reveal?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why does Jimmy, in his role as the police officer, ask Bob if he is going to keep waiting for his friend to show up?

2. How is Bob characterized by the accessories that he carries?

3. What does the note from Jimmy explain to Bob?

4. Why does Bob guess that Jimmy might not be as much of a success as Bob himself has become?

5. How does the introduction of Bob's character contrast with the introduction of Jimmy's character?

6. What is the significance of the similarities and differences in the ways that Bob's and the plainclothes officer's faces are revealed?

7. What surprises Bob about the appearance of the man that he thinks is his old friend, and how does the man explain away Bob's doubts?

8. How did Bob and Jimmy know one another, 20 years ago?

9. What is ironic about the way that Bob describes his old friend to the "policeman" he encounters?

10. What is amusing about the plainclothes officer's answer to Bob's question about whether he is doing well in New York?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

O. Henry clearly admired New York City police officers. His stories hold them up as examples of humble servants of the public good. Research "Tammany Hall" and then write an essay comparing O. Henry's police officers with the historical reality. Cite all sources in MLA format.

Essay Topic 2

Write an essay in which you analyze the strategy of including the plainclothes officer in the story "After Twenty Years." How does this character introduce misdirection into the story and why is this necessary? How does this character increase or decrease the moral authority of Jimmy's choices? Use textual evidence to support your claims.

Essay Topic 3

Write an essay that makes and defends a claim about the use of physical objects to convey character in "After Twenty Years." Support your claims with evidence from the text.

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