Page 155 - DENG202_ELECTIVE_ENGLISH_III

Elective English—III Jayatee Bhattacharya, Lovely Professional University

Notes Unit 12: A Lickpenny Lover by O Henry

CONTENTS
Objectives
Introduction

12.1 About the Author
12.1.1 Early Life
12.1.2 Move to Texas

12.1.3 Flight and Return
12.1.4 Later Life
12.2 Analysis of O Henry’s Writing Style
12.3 O Henry and the American Spirit
12.4 Publishing History

12.5 A Lickpenny Lover: Story
12.6 Complete Stylistic Analysis of ‘A Lickpenny Lover’
12.7 Summary

12.8 Keywords
12.9 Review Questions
12.10 Further Readings

Objectives

After studying this unit, you will be able to:

Describe the life and times of O Henry
Explain Henry’s writing style
Understand the themes and nature of Henry’s works
Analyse the works of the author O Henry

Introduction

William Sydney Porter (September 11, 1862 – June 5, 1910), known by his pen name O Henry,
was an American writer. O Henry’s short stories are known for their wit, wordplay, warm
characterisation and clever twist endings. He was a prolific American short-story writer,
a master of surprise endings, who wrote about the life of ordinary people in New York City.
A twist of plot, which turns on an ironic or coincidental circumstance, is typical of O Henry’s
stories.
He wrote various stories, out of which A Lickpenny Lover is explained in this unit. You will read
about the author, his writing style, themes and plots of his stories and will be able to understand
his works.

150 LOVELY PROFESSIONAL UNIVERSITY