what is the language used in the summary in the o henry summary
Answers
''The Dream'' was O. Henry's final short story and was left incomplete when he died. This lesson summarizes and analyzes the story, including the notes on how it was supposed to end.
Why this Story Is Unique
The Dream was O. Henry's final story, and it was never completed. In fact, O. Henry stopped writing it in the middle of a sentence. Fortunately, O. Henry left behind an outline of how he intended the story to play out, so we are able to at least know the direction things were going when the story abruptly ends. This lesson will first look at the half of the story that O. Henry wrote, and then will describe what we know about what he had intended for the second half.
William Sydney Porter (aka O. Henry) in 1909
O. Henry
The Dream
Given the title of the story, it is no surprise that the first sentence reads, ''Murray dreamed a dream.'' We learn right away that the setting of the dream is a prison where the dreamer, Murray, is waiting for his execution, which is to take place at 8:00 that evening. When we meet Murray in the dream, he is playing with an ant; the ant crawls around on a piece of paper, and Murray blocks his way with an envelope.
The Other Men
In Murray's dream, there are seven other men awaiting their executions, and there had been three before who had already been executed. Of these three, we read that one had gone to his execution fighting like a madman, one had gone talking about heaven, and one had collapsed. Murray wonders how he will behave when his hour arrives.
Bonifacio
As Murray waits for the guards to come get him, a man in another cell, Bonifacio, makes conversation with him. Bonifacio is due to be executed the following week, and he reminds Murray that it is important to die like a man. He also reminds Murray that he (Bonifacio) had won their last game of checkers, and wonders whether they will play again in another life.
The Guards Arrive
As Murray and Bonifacio talk, the prisoners suddenly hear the door at the end of the hall open. Two guards and a minister arrive at Murray's cell, preparing to lead him to the execution room. The minister, we learn, was a friend of Murray's from his youth and had managed to replace the chaplain so that Murray would have a familiar face with him at the end.
Limbo Lane
Murray begins his walk down the prison corridor, known as Limbo Lane. At this stage, we read:
''There is also in the many Limbo Lanes an aristocracy of crime. The man who kills in the open, who beats his enemy or pursuer down, flushed by the primitive emotions and the ardor of combat, holds in contempt the human rat, the spider, and the snake.''