Reading Notes: Confession (O Henry's Short Stories)

American countryside

Genre novel

By O. Henry

abstract

Shortly after Jimmy Valentine got out of prison early, he continued to do several cases of breaking into safes and stealing. According to the similarities and differences of several cases, Ben Price, a policeman, quickly judged that Jimmy had committed the case, so he tried his best to find out Jimmy's whereabouts and prepared to arrest Jimmy again and send him to prison.

At this time, Jimmy came to a small town and met the banker's daughter Annabel Adams. It was love at first sight. He settled down in a small town, ended his career of stealing safes, opened a shoe store and became a serious businessman. After a year's hard work, Jimmy has gained a firm foothold in the town, the shoe store business is booming, and at the same time, he has won Annabel's love. They are ready to get married. Jimmy wrote a letter to a friend far away, ready to give his lock opener to his friend. At this time, the police also found out the whereabouts of Jimmy, and followed him, ready to arrest Jimmy.

On this day, Jimmy and Annabel, Annabel's father, sister and two daughters, and the whole family are going to town to order wedding dresses. Before leaving, they went to Annabel's father's bank, and his father proudly displayed the newly built vault, especially the vault door with password lock. When no one was looking, Annabel's nine-year-old daughter put her five-year-old sister in the vault for fun, and imitated her grandfather's appearance and twisted the password lock at will. After the family found out, no one could open the vault door normally, and the air in the vault was scarce, so it was definitely too late to find someone to unlock it in the city.

As everyone was in a hurry and couldn't open the lock, Annabel turned her eyes to Jimmy. Of course, she doesn't know Jimmy's real identity. She just believes that her future husband will find a way. Jimmy knows that once he opens the vault door, his identity may be exposed and Annabel's love may be lost. But saving lives is important, and he can't care so much. He asked Annabel for roses inserted in him and put them in his coat pocket. Then he told everyone to stand back, opened their suitcases, took out the lock-unlocking tools, drilled a hole in the vault door in two minutes, opened the vault door in less than eight minutes, and rescued his sister who was exhausted from crying.

While everyone was busy comforting his little sister, Jimmy walked out of the bank gate and met the tall policeman Ben head on. Jimmy said to Ben, "I finally found it." You can take me away. I don't care anyway. " The policeman said, "Sir, you have mistaken me for someone else. I don't know you. Aren't you getting married? Your carriage is waiting for you! " Say that finish, the police walked away.

My perception

1, theme: Praise "The prodigal son never changes his money". After seeing Annabel, Jimmy finally turned over a new leaf for love, bid farewell to theft completely, and decided to give away the tools for committing crimes. At the critical moment, he used his unlocking skills to save people. Ben, the policeman who was going to arrest Jimmy, finally saw that Jimmy really regretted being a man, so he let him go, which helped Jimmy turn over a new leaf and turn over a new leaf.

2. Story analysis:

Main character: Jimmy Valentine.

Goal: Jimmy turned a new page for love.

Conflict: Police Ben Price wants to arrest Jimmy; There was an accident in the bank vault and Jimmy was in a dilemma. If you don't unlock the lock, your lover Annabel's little niece will die; If you unlock the lock, his true identity will be exposed and he may lose his lover.

Impact ending: Jimmy finally opens the lock and rescues the little girl; The police didn't arrest him. Such an ending caters to the psychological needs of readers and conveys to readers that "the prodigal son will never change his money", and good people should have positive energy for good results.

highlight

1, Jimmy was not interested in enjoying the beautiful scenery of birds and flowers outside, but plunged into a restaurant. He ate a roast chicken, drank a bottle of white wine, and then asked for a cigar slightly higher than that handed him by the warden, thus initially tasting the joy of freedom.

There is also a button on the collar of Ben Price's shirt on the floor, which was torn off by the famous detective when he brought someone to arrest him.

He opened the box and looked at the best crime tools in the East with ecstasy. It is a complete set of tools, made of special steel, including all kinds of latest drills, hole drills, hand drills, screwdrivers, steel crowbars, pliers and two or three new tools designed by Jimmy himself. He is proud of it.

4. Look at the combination knob. It's as easy as pulling radish on a rainy day. Only he has pliers. Look how neatly those bolts are drilled! Jimmy always needs to drill a hole.

5. Ben Price knows Jimmy's habits. When he was dealing with the Springfield case, he was familiar with these things: he ran far, escaped quickly, committed crimes alone, and liked to associate with the upper class. These methods made Valentine always escape punishment successfully, and he became famous for it.

6. A sudden love fire burned Jimmy Valentine to ashes and brought him back to life. Mr Ralph de Spencer of golden phoenix was born from the ashes. Spencer settled down in Elmore and opened a shoe store. Business is booming and it soon becomes rich.

7. Agatha's mother is banging on the library door crazily at this moment. Someone casually suggested blasting the door with explosives. Annabel turned and looked at Jimmy. Her big eyes are full of anxiety, but not despair. For a woman, the man she worships seems omnipotent.

In less than a minute, Jimmy's precious drill bit has successfully drilled into the steel door. 10 minutes later, he pulled open the steel bolt and opened the door-breaking his own theft record in time. (20220630)