who has planted this seed of misunderstanding in the girls mind? why and how (merchant of Venice)
Answers
Explanation:
Hearts and Hands’ is a short story written by William Sydney Porter under the pen name O. Henry. It is a witty, humorous story with a surprise ending. William Sydney Porter changed his name to O. Henry to shield his true identity and continue writing. A twist of plot, which turns on a strange circumstance leading to a surprise ending, is a typical characteristic in his stories.
O. Henry’s story ‘Hearts and Hands’ describes a surprise encounter between two acquaintances on a train. Mr Easton is not on a normal journey but is going to be imprisoned. The marshal who is taking him along shows an act of kindness to save Mr Easton from embarrassment. Spontaneously, both Easton and the marshal pull off a lie to save face in front of Miss Fairchild, who ends up being impressed with Mr Easton. The truth is unveiled by the conversation of the two neighbouring passengers.
This story is set on a train to Denver. An elegantly dressed lady named Miss Fairchild is seated in the train. The train is crowded, so two men who arrive take the seat in front of Miss Fairchild. Miss Fairchild happened to notice the two men unintentionally and realised that she is acquainted with one of them. Her expressions changed, and with a bright smile, she initiated the conversation. The man she knew was Mr Easton. He was handcuffed to the other man beside him. Therefore, Miss Fairchild felt embarrassed and uncomfortable talking to him. Mr Easton, on the other hand, referred to the handcuffs and asked Miss Fairchild to excuse him for his other hand being engaged. The glow faded from Miss Fairchild’s cheeks. It was an awkward situation for both of them. The glum-faced man who was handcuffed with Easton broke the awkwardness and said that he is sentenced to seven years of imprisonment in Leavenworth for counterfeiting. He did not say it directly but requested Miss Fairchild to say a word to Easton since they are friends so that it gets easier for him. This made it clear to Miss Fairchild that Easton had become a police officer. She breathed a sigh of relief, and the glow on her face returned. However, this was not the truth. Easton was the one who was sentenced to prison for counterfeiting. The glum-faced man was the marshal. He lied to save Easton from the embarrassment from Miss Fairchild. Miss Fairchild also failed to notice that Easton shook his left hand with her and his right hand was handcuffed just like any other criminal. Easton carried on with the lie and continued the conversation with Miss Fairchild.
Miss Fairchild was fascinated by the fact that Easton had become a marshal. Easton also did not leave any chance to impress Miss Fairchild. He justified that he had to do something to earn his livelihood. He had to survive in the West, and so he took up this job. Easton also tried to grab more information regarding Miss Fairchild’s personal life by passing a remark saying, “Marshalship isn’t quite as high a position as that of ambassador”. Miss Fairchild reacted immediately that she did not like the ambassador and is no longer in touch with him. This was her way of saying that the ambassador stood no chance in front of Easton. She was more interested in his life. She asked him if he missed the East or if he was too happy being a dashing hero in the West. She observed the handcuffs again. The glum-faced man was vigilant about it and understood her thoughts. He reassured her that Mr Easton knew his duty really well as a marshal. She asked Easton if he would be visiting Washington anytime soon. They exchanged their views about the West and kept the conversation going. They seemed to like the little talk they were having. It also specified their concern for each other as friends. The glum-faced man interrupted their conversation again. He requested Easton to take him to the smoker. He hadn’t had a smoke in the entire day and was craving for one. Mr Easton flaunted about being a marshal in front of Miss Fairchild by saying that he cannot deny duty calls. They bid her farewell and leave. Miss Fairchild felt sad about Easton’s departure.
The two passengers sitting nearby had listened to the entire conversation and one of them remarks that Mr Easton seemed too young to be a marshal. The other passenger concluded that Mr Easton was the counterfeiter. He asked if ever there was an officer handcuffing his right hand with a prisoner. The situation is not at all expected by the readers and deepens the mystery. It also conveys that it was a minor observation missed by Miss Fairchild that made her believe that Mr Easton was the marshal, when rather he was the one to be taken to prison.
This story depicts a casual, unassuming atmosphere. The end of the story is its best part because it reveals the truth. It makes the entire plot very amusing and light. It also concludes a moral that looks are deceptive.