Give the character sketch of Soapy in about hundred to 120 words
Answers
SOAPY
The protagonist of “The Cop and the Anthem,” Soapy is a homeless, street-smart man who is trying to escape the harsh New York City winter by getting arrested and taken to Blackwell’s Island, where he will be given a warm bed. His efforts to do so, however—by scamming a restaurant, insulting a police officer, harassing a window-shopper, and stealing an umbrella—all prove futile. O. Henry’s languages suggests that Soapy is an intelligent man of refined tastes. He is further defined by his savvy and confidence when it comes to navigating crime and homelessness in New York City, but these same traits ultimately fail him in his effort to get arrested. These failures, in turn, reveal Soapy’s vulnerability, which is also what makes him an earnest, sympathetic character by the end of “The Cop and the Anthem.” When he hears a church organ playing an uplifting anthem, Soapy is moved to change his life and re-enter society as the man he once was. This ability to change, and his failure to achieve this change on his own terms, make Soapy both a comic and a tragic figure within the story. O. Henry uses Soapy’s story to highlight discrepancies in the American Dream and critique rigid class prejudice.