Hello! At
last I have chosen a story for my final project. At first my attention was caught
by the short story “To build a fire” by Jack London. I am fond of his
descriptions of nature and wild life. I have a complete collection of his works
in my small home library.
I have read most of his remarkable novels and short
stories. He is one of my favourite writers. But then I saw the penname O. Henry
I could not resist the temptation to start reading his short story.
William
Sydney Porter is the real name of O. Henry. He is an American short-story
writer who vividly depicts the life of different social classes. His style is
dry and humorous spiced with strange coincidences and irony. He is considered to
be the master of surprised endings.
The life of
O. Henry was not easy. He was a man who faced the difference between the
successful life of a bank teller engaged in freelance writing and a prisoner.
It is interesting that he started his literary career being in prison.
Difficult life conditions made him reconsider his priorities. He wrote a vast
amount of great short stories for newspapers and magazines and they continued
to be collected even after his death.
The object
of my investigation is his short story entitled “Cactus”. It is dedicated to
the problem of misunderstanding and lost opportunities.
Here you can listen to the recording of the story and get the general notion of it.
