Page 169 - DENG202_ELECTIVE_ENGLISH_III

Elective English—III

Notes “One day Irving Carter, painter. millionaire, traveller, poet, automobiles happened to enter the
Biggest Store.”
“Filial duty took him by the collar and dragged him inside, while his mother philandered
among the bronze and terra-cotta statuetts”.
Using antonomasia and epithets O Henry tries to depict Carter’s feelings end state of mind when
he suddenly notices Masie at the counter. It is clearly that he falls in love with her:
“As he neared the vicinity of his fate be hesitated, suddenly conscious of this unknown phrase of
Cupid’s less worthy profession.”

“And then Irving Carter, painter, millionaire, etc., felt a warm flush rise to his aristocratically
pale face. But not from difference. The blush was intellectual in origin.”
Within the setting of the events in the story Carter changes completely from a self-assured
wealthy man to a shy half-hearted fellow. This is how O Henry portray him with the help of
antithesis and metonymy:

“Carter had never before encountered a situation of which he had not been perfect master. But
now he stood far more awkward than Bill or Jack or Mickey.”
“His mind struggled to recall the nature and habits of shopgirls as he had read or heard of
them.”
His manner of behaving and intensions to be acquainted with Masie the author underlines using
aposiopesis and anaphora:
“If you would allow me to call at your home, I - ... “
“He didn’t know the shopgirl. He didn’t know that her home is often either scarcely habitable
tiny room or a domicile filled to overflowing with kith and kin.”
Further development of the events shows that Carter desperately believes in his and Masie’s
future. The man asks her to marry him and in order to express his feelings O Henry uses
repetition and polysyndeton:
“I can furnish you all the proofs you want”, said Curter, gently. “And I want you, Masie. I loved
you the first day I saw you.”
“After the European cities we will visit India and the ancient cities there, and ride on elephants,
and see the wonderful temples of the Hindus, and Brahmins, and the Japanese gardens...”

At the end of the story its getting clear that Carter is a man who is in love but at the same time
who has no chance to be with the subject of his passion. As for Masie, she helps to understand
how petty-minded and double-faced women can be. Firstly, her feelings towards Irving seem to
be mutual, but when it turns out that he is “a cheap guy”, all the feelings have gone.
Drawing a conclusion I would like to mansion that I’m greatly impressed by the story
“A Lickpenny Lover”. The speech of the author, profound American short-story writer O Henry
is really bright and fertile. Using of various emphatic constructions, complex sentence structures
and numerous stylistic devices makes the tone of this piece of literature humorous, ironical,
passionate and intriguing.

Self Assessment

Fill in the blanks:

1. The real name of O Henry was …………………….
2. He was born on September 11, 1862, in …………………….

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