What is the story A Retrieved Reformation about?

What is the story A Retrieved Reformation about?

Lesson Summary In O. Henry’s ‘A Retrieved Reformation’, Jimmy Valentine proves that even a cold-hearted criminal can change, but in the end, one’s past always catches up with them. Jimmy is released from prison after being caught robbing banks and starts robbing again within the first week.

What is the main moral of Retrieved Reformation?

The moral of “A Retrieved Reformation” is fairly simple. It can be stated as “Crime does not pay” or as “Honesty is the best policy.” When Jimmy falls in love with Annabelle Adams and decides to go straight, his life improves almost miraculously. … Henry’s moral in the letter he sends to his old pal.

What is the main conflict in A Retrieved Reformation?

It is Jimmy/Ralph vs. Jimmy/Ralph. He is torn between opening the safe and not opening the safe. If he didn’t open the safe then the girl might die and he could live happily ever after with Annabelle.

Why do you think O Henry’s story is called A Retrieved Reformation?

Jimmy Valentine, the hero of the story, is a professional safecracker. Once he gets out of prison he goes right back to his old ways. But then he meets and falls in love with Annabel Adams and decides to go straight. This is his “reformation.”

Who narrate the story A Retrieved Reformation?

↑ Although the story is not included in the film, a short uncredited clip based on “A Retrieved Reformation” is included in its prologue, accompanied by a narration by John Steinbeck; “Remember O. Henry’s safecracker Jimmy Valentine?” The five segments in O.

What is the climax of Retrieved Reformation?

Climax: Annabel’s niece, Agatha, gets locked into the new safe at the bank. his true identity while Annabel’s family and Ben Price all watch.

What are some themes for A Retrieved Reformation?

A Retrieved Reformation Themes

  • Love and Redemption. Despite being released from prison at the start of “A Retrieved Reformation,” burglar Jimmy Valentine clearly hasn’t learned his lesson.
  • Work, Ethics, and Morality.
  • Change and Identity.
  • Justice and the Law.

What is the climax of the story Jimmy Valentine?

Climax. The story reaches its climax when Jimmy risks revealing his identity as a safecracker so that he can free Agatha from the bank vault.

What point of view is A Retrieved Reformation written in?

Narrator and Point of View The story is written in a third-person omniscient voice; the point of view shifts between Jimmy Valentine and Ben Price.

Who pardoned Jimmy Valentine?

Answer: It seems most likely that the “Springfield job” was committed in Springfield, Illinois, which is the state capitol., and that Jimmy received a pardon from the governor of Illinois after serving ten months. When the warden sends for him to hand him his pardon, the warden also refers to the “Springfield job.”

Where does A Retrieved Reformation take place?

Elmore, Arkansas
Written in 1903, A Retrieved Reformation takes place in a time before cars, when people traveled by train and by ”livery buggy. ” Though we begin the story in prison with Jimmy, we quickly move into the outside world. Apart from a quick pit stop to his old apartment, most of the action happens in Elmore, Arkansas.

What happens to Jimmy Valentine in Elmore?

What happens to Jimmy Valentine in Elmore? He decides to con a pretty girl into marrying him because her father owns the bank and changes his name. He falls in love with a girl but her father does not trust Jimmy, knowing him for a thief.

What is the irony of A Retrieved Reformation?

Another example of irony in “A Retrieved Reformation” is found in the scene in which Jimmy Valentine sacrifices his fiancee, his successful new business, and his reputation to save a little girl who has become accidentally trapped inside a bank vault.

What is the moral lesson of Retrieved Reformation?

The moral of ” A Retrieved Reformation ” is fairly simple. It can be stated as “Crime does not pay” or as “Honesty is the best policy.” When Jimmy falls in love with Annabelle Adams and decides to go straight, his life improves almost miraculously. He becomes a respectable and prosperous businessman, and a pillar of the community.

What is the main conflict of A Retrieved Reformation?

Also to know, what is the conflict of a Retrieved Reformation? The external conflict in “A Retrieved Reformation” is between Ben Price and Jimmy Valentine. One might say that this conflict had been ongoing before the story even started. Ben Price had arrested Jimmy and had him sent to prison for a bank job in Springfield.

Who is the protagonist in a Retrieved Reformation?

A Retrieved Reformation is a short story by O. Henry—a short story containing big emotions. The story begins with the protagonist Jimmy Valentine’s release from prison. Though he was initially sentenced to four years, he only served ten months thanks to his connections to other criminals in high places.