Ransom of Red Chief

1
"Ransom of Red Chief"
Written by O. Henry
2
Before Being a Writer

• decided to quit school at age 15
• drugstore clerk
• ranch hand
• bank clerk
• newspaper man

3
Heading Off to Jail

• Yes! This is true!
• Embezzled money from the bank where he held a job
• Served for three years
• Was he guilty?

4
First Stories

• Written while in jail

5
Who REALLY Wrote this Story??

• Born in 1862 in Greensboro, North Carolina..
• as William Sidney Porter

6
Where is his name from?

• Served as a prison drug clerk
• Qualified for the job since he presumably had
  experience in his uncles pharmacy
• Saw famous pharmacist in U.S. Dispensatory
• Thought that he derived pen name from
  Etienne-Ossian Henry

7
What is he known for?

• Surprise Endings
• Ironic Twists
• Observations of Everyday Life
• Ordinary People
• 250 Stories

8
Appreciating his Work

• Passed away in 1910
• O. Henry Memorial Award-Best Short Story
  published in American Magazine