Skip to main content

From what point of view is "A Retrieved Reformation" by O. Henry written?

The point of view of the story is third-person omniscient. 


Point of view is the perspective a story is told from, or which character is telling the story. The third-person omniscient point of view is a perspective that distances itself from a specific character, instead telling us about multiple characters. No one character tells the story, even though the story focuses on Jimmy Valentine. A third-person narrator knows what other characters, such as Ben...

The point of view of the story is third-person omniscient. 


Point of view is the perspective a story is told from, or which character is telling the story. The third-person omniscient point of view is a perspective that distances itself from a specific character, instead telling us about multiple characters. No one character tells the story, even though the story focuses on Jimmy Valentine. A third-person narrator knows what other characters, such as Ben Price, are thinking. 


Third-person narration uses third-person pronouns and names to tell the characters’ stories. For example, in the beginning of the story we can tell what Jimmy is thinking.  Third person pronouns like “he” are used to tell his story. 



Jimmy took the paper without showing much pleasure or interest. He had been sent to prison to stay for four years. He had been there for ten months. But he had expected to stay only three months. Jimmy Valentine had many friends outside the prison. 



Most of the story follows Jimmy Valentine, the safe-cracker just released from prison. He is the one who is supposed to be getting a new life. We are not allowed inside Jimmy’s head the way we usually are if there is a first-person narrator. There are advantages to a third-person point of view, though. Since the story uses a third-person omniscient narrator, we know what more than one character is thinking. 



Ben Price knew how Jimmy worked. Jimmy would go from one city to another far away. He always worked alone. He always left quickly when he was finished. He enjoyed being with nice people. For all these reasons, it was not easy to catch Mr. Valentine. 



Ben Price finds out Jimmy Valentine cracked open another safe, but also that he did it to save a little girl. Since the story has a third-person narrator, we know Ben Price expected Jimmy to foul up. When Jimmy saves the child, Ben realizes Jimmy had reformed and decides to let him go.

Popular posts from this blog

In chapter one of The Great Gatsby, what advice does Nick's father give him? How does this make him a good person to tell this story?

Nick says that his father advised him that, before "criticizing anyone," he "remember that all the people in this world haven't had the same advantages" as Nick.  As a result, Nick claims that he is "inclined to reserve all judgments," presenting himself to the reader as a fair and dispassionate arbiter of character, and thus, a reliable narrator.   The problem is that Nick immediately reveals himself as anything but reliable, as he then launches... Nick says that his father advised him that, before "criticizing anyone," he "remember that all the people in this world haven't had the same advantages" as Nick.  As a result, Nick claims that he is "inclined to reserve all judgments," presenting himself to the reader as a fair and dispassionate arbiter of character, and thus, a reliable narrator.   The problem is that Nick immediately reveals himself as anything but reliable, as he then launches into a discussion of how pe...
Post a Comment
Read more

How and why does James Gatz become Jay Gatsby? Describe the young Gatsby/Gatz.

James Gatz, a poor Midwestern boy of probable Jewish lineage, becomes Jay Gatsby, a presumed WASP and wealthy socialite, when he moves to New York City and acquires his fortune. It is wealth that has allowed Gatz to transform himself into Gatsby. However, those who know his background (e.g., Daisy and Tom Buchanan) never allow him to forget that he is nouveau riche -- that is, an upstart who has just recently made his fortune,... James Gatz, a poor Midwestern boy of probable Jewish lineage, becomes Jay Gatsby, a presumed WASP and wealthy socialite, when he moves to New York City and acquires his fortune. It is wealth that has allowed Gatz to transform himself into Gatsby. However, those who know his background (e.g., Daisy and Tom Buchanan) never allow him to forget that he is nouveau riche -- that is, an upstart who has just recently made his fortune, whereas they arose from well-to-do families. Gatz became Gatsby through determination and discipline. At the end of the novel, the narr...
Post a Comment
Read more

Explain and discuss how the definitions of freedom change for the nation, for the freedmen and for southern whites after the Civil War.

After the Civil War, the definition of freedom changed in the nation, as slavery was ended with the 13th Amendment to the Constitution in 1865. The practice of slavery was disallowed, but definition of the freedom that would take its place was a subject of controversy, ongoing debate, and even violence in the decades to come.  For freedmen, freedom often meant reconciling with their families, who were broken up by slavery; choosing which church to... After the Civil War, the definition of freedom changed in the nation, as slavery was ended with the 13th Amendment to the Constitution in 1865. The practice of slavery was disallowed, but definition of the freedom that would take its place was a subject of controversy, ongoing debate, and even violence in the decades to come.  For freedmen, freedom often meant reconciling with their families, who were broken up by slavery; choosing which church to belong to without being ordered to attend religious services (or not to attend) by their mast...
Post a Comment
Read more