Introduction
“The Ransom of the Red Chief” by O. Henry is a humorous tale centered around two kidnappers seeking to obtain a ransom by kidnapping a rich man’s son. In an interesting twist, the author shows how the expectations of Bill and Sam were overturned as the boy and his father portrayed contradictory behavior. In advancing the tale of violence and crime, the themes of irony, unmet expectations, and mischief in children are addressed.
Irony
Irony plays a crucial role in literature as authors use it to introduce humor and cause readers to identify with the stories. In this tale, Henry extensively uses situational, dramatic, and verbal irony to demonstrate how people may turn out to be the opposite of expectations. The situational irony, which depicts an unpredicted behavior irony, is demonstrated by the conduct reversal between Ebenezer and the kidnappers.
One would anticipate Ebenezer to rush to pay the ransom as soon as Bill and Sam kidnap the boy to get his son back. The father, in contrast, makes a counterproposition to the abductors and says calmly that they should pay him to “take the boy from your hands” (Henry 24). As a parent, demanding payment to have his child is ironic since it is his responsibility to care for and protect his son. In addition, the compliance by Sam and Bill as they pay ransom to return the boy is ironic.
Dramatic irony is represented by having some characters unaware of aspects known to the readers. In this story, the author applies this theme largely in the interactions between the kidnappers and the Red Chief. As Sam and Bill encounter the boy and lead trick him into the cave, the audience knows that they intend to kidnap him as opposed to spending time playing with him. However, the boy is unaware of the scheme as he wishes to stay away from home, adding, “I like this fine. I never camped out before” (Henry 13). In the second instance of dramatic irony, Sam comes back from delivering the ransom note and talks about how he cannot stand the boy anymore (Henry 23). He is unaware that the Red Chief is behind him, and Bill has to ask him to turn around before he can continue with the narration to avoid exposing the details of their mission.
Ironic wordplay is applied from the beginning to the end of the tale, giving it a smooth flow and humorous tone. First, the title of the story presents an example of ironic wordplay since a ransom is expected to be paid rather than received by the victim, as is the case in this story. Second, the name Ebenezer is ironic as applied to the boy’s father, who is described as being “respectable and tight” (Henry 12). Ebenezer’s reaction to the ransom note depicts his disregard for the welfare of his child, implying that he is not as tight as previously presented by the narrator. Third, Sam describes Johnny as a “little he ewe lamb,” contradicting the fact that he was annoyed by the boy’s stubbornness (Henry 25). In essence, the characters’ words at various instances demonstrate sarcasm and unexpected outcomes, adding humor to the story.
Unmet Expectations
The story reveals how a twist in situations led to several unmet expectations for all the characters. First, Bill and Sam expected Johnny to be afraid, calm, and weak as they lured him to the cave. However, the boy turned out to be strong as he wrestled with Bill, attempting to take off his scalp (Henry 15). Second, the kidnappers thought they would get Ebenezer worried about his child and receive “fifteen hundred dollars in large bills for his return” (Henry 19). In contrast, they end up paying the money to get rid of Johnny. Third, Ebenezer expected his child to be happy when returning home. However, the boy had no desire to be home as he held Bill’s leg, desiring to return to the cave (Henry 25). Although the extent of their disappointment varied, all the characters were faced with unmet expectations.
Mischief in Children
This theme is illustrated through the behavior of the Red Chief. The narrator says that at the time of the encounter, “The kid was in the street, throwing rocks at a kitten on the opposite fence” (Henry 12). In addition, Johnny demonstrated mischievous behavior when he fought with Bill and put a red-hot potato on his back (Henry 17). The fact that he wanted to be away from home further shows that he was mischievous.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the author interweaves the themes of irony, unmet expectations, and mischief in children to advance his story. Situational, dramatic, and verbal irony in the interactions between the kidnappers, Ebenezer and Johnny, add a humorous tone to the narration. All the characters encountered unmet expectations derived from the twist of events. The Red Chief is portrayed as a mischievous character who desired to be away from home and whose conduct was largely undesired. These three themes give the story a smooth flow, enabling the reader to follow through with the events and identify with the characters.
Work Cited
Henry, O. The Ransom of Red Chief. The Library of America, 2011.