THE IRONY OF FATE

When I read the story for my final project for the first time I found a lot of quite difficult vocabulary. I have got the general idea of the story and came across several vivid stylistic devices that evoked my interest in the analysis. After precise work with dictionaries and attempts to reach the abyss of stylistics I am going to present you my own vision of this marvelous work of O. Henry.

Do you believe in fate? Most people do. They consider all their problems and achievements to be an outcome of the actions of this tricky phenomenon and believe that their life is just the point of being in the proper place at the proper time. But in most cases everything we have is the result of our own attitude to the surrounding world and people. 

         The Cactus is a story about irony of fate and indifference to the details. It is a good example of how unexpected things can be when we do not pay attention to them. The message O. Henry tries to convey is that every small detail can change everything, that there is nothing insignificant in this world. It is always important to decipher the deeper meaning of everyday things and not to ignore the symbolic massages that surround us.

        

The author also raises the problem of vanity and conceit. These negative features make a person blind and ruin the relations and contacts with others and furthermore cause inner conflicts in the views of the person. Exactly such conflict is the main problem the character of the story faces.