Mammon

and the
Archer
by
O . Henry
O . Henry

is a pseudonym, the real name is William
Sydney Porter. He has become a symbol to
represent a recognizable species of short
story writing. He wrote nearly three
hundred stories. Most of O. Henry` s were
translated into foreign languages. His
stories are very American in language.O.
Henry intentionally avoids sharp social
problems. In his stories we find inhabitants
of big cities and ranches, highway outlaws
as well as self-made business tycoons come
into wealth and power through freak of
chance. And one of the most popular and
famous story is Mammon and the Archer
The plot develops surround people` s feelings.

The antagonist of this story is old Anthony, because he think that money
rule the world and the opposite character (protagonist) is Richard, because
he think that only love can save the world. Old Anthony is a wealth tycoon
of Rockwell` s Eureka Soap. He is very fond and proud of his son Richard.
Old Anthony is absolutely sure that money is omnipotent and he tries to
convince his son that money can do everything. Richard fall in love with
young lady, but he couldn` t say that he really loved her. He had only one
chance to do it. Aunt Ann gave him a golden ring. They drove by car in the
theatre, but the entire traffic of Manhattan seemed to have jammed itself
around them. There were a lot of different cars. They were there so long
that Richard proposed to Miss Lantry and she agreed. Next morning Aunt
Ann came to Old Anthony and told him everything. She was very surprised.
Aunt Ann thought that it was freak of chance. She went away. Than Kelly
came to old Anthony. He said him everything. Kelly went to receive his pay
for his work. He said that he overpaid and he wanted to return his money
back. Old Anthony was very happy that everything was ok. He was glad
that his son was happy. With great pleasure he gave that man his money.


The title of
this story is
metaphorical.
Mammon is the
God of riches
and the symbol
of wealth;
The Archer is a
symbol of love.
The theme
of this story
is an
eternal
opposition
between
money and
love!!!
The main
idea of this
story
the problem
of wealth
(money) and
feelings
(love).
The message of the story is
Money never can buy love and
happiness.
Plot Structure:
Setting:
The action takes place in America, the 1st part of 20s
century. We can find some facts of it in the text: We
drive down Broadway He saw a congested flood of
wagons, trucks, cabs, vans and street cars
The main characters of this story are Old Anthony and
his son Richard, the minor characters of this story are
Aunt Ann, Miss Lantry and Kelly. The antagonist of this
story is old Anthony, because he think that money rule
the world and the opposite character (protagonist) is
Richard, because he think that only love can save the
world. Old Anthony is a wealth tycoon of Rockwell` s
Eureka Soap. He is very fond and proud of his son
Richard.
The Conflict:
External conflict is a conflict between
father and son. Old Anthony thinks that
money can do everything, but his son has
opposite opinion
Internal conflict is a conflict of feelings
and emotions of both heroes. In reality
old Anthony love his son very much,
that`s why he tries to help him, he can
buy everything for the happiness of his
son. Richard can`t understand his father,
but he loves him too.

The climax of this story we can
find in the end, when we see
dnouement of this story. In
reality everybody from us
thought that story ended when
Aunt Ann came to Old Anthony
and told him everything, but it
wasn` t so.
At first, we are led to believe, like Ellen, that it
was the ring that led to the successful
engagement. "A little emblem of true lovea
little ring that symbolized unending and
unmercenary affectionwas the cause of our
Richard finding his happiness." However, at the
very end of the story, O. Henry turns the tables
on his readers. The day after the traffic jam, Kelly
shows up to receive payment for something and
tells Anthony that he will need to be paid more: "I
had to go a little above the estimate. I got the
express wagons and cabs mostly for $5, but the
trucks and two-horse teams mostly raised me to
$10." As Kelly goes into greater detail about what
he is being paid for, the reader realizes that
Anthony paid Kelly to create the traffic jam. Says
Kelly, "It was two hours before a snake could get
below Greeley's statue." With this surprise
ending, O. Henry's readers have the sudden
realization that Anthony did have a part to play in
the success of Richard's engagement.

Anthony Rockwall
is a wealthy, retired soap
manufacturer, who believes
that money can buy
everything;
Anthony is a wealth tycoon of
Rockwell` s Eureka Soap. He is
very fond and proud of his son
Richard. Old Anthony is
absolutely sure that money is
omnipotent and he tries to
convince his son that money
can do everything.
Richard Rockwall is Anthony
Rockwall's son, who has just returned
from college; Richard is desperately in
love with Miss Lantry.Even though
Richard has as much money as the
aristocratic young men, he does not
spend as much as they on clothes and
soap. This humbleness and economy
make his father happy.
Miss Lantry is the young woman who
is the object of Richard Rockwall's
affections; she comes from an
aristocratic family.

Aunt Ellen is Anthony Rockwall's sister and Richard
Rockwall's aunt. Whereas Anthony believes that
money can buy everything, Aunt Ellen does not
believe it can buy love. Because of this, she gives
Richard a special ringwhich Richard's mother had
entrusted to herto help him to be lucky in love..

Kelly is a man whom Anthony Rockwall hires
to create an elaborate traffic jam so that
Richard will get the time he needs to propose
to Miss Lantry. Like Anthony, Kelly believes in
the power of money, which he uses to pay for
the traffic jam.

Stylistic
Devices:
The title of this story is Metaphor. The author tries to
show us a difference between money and love.








a fat boy without any clothes on shooting arrows around with
a bow the author says it with a part of irony. Like a gray-
haired angel that had been left on the earth by mistake
simile + irony.
looking like a grey-haired angel- simile.
Epithets:
true affection,quaint ring,soft meadows,
true love, piratical adventures, Gold diggings
Hyperbole:
Love is all-powerful, thousands of
spectators



he will have his house painted red, white, and blue ;
He saw a congested flood of wagons, trucks, cabs, vans and
street cars;
That night came Aunt Ellen, gentle, sentimental, wrinkled,
sighing, oppressed by wealth;
-enumerations ;

Conclusion:

As for me I like
this story very
much, because
its end is
uncommon and
it`s a big plus.
I`d advise
everybody to
read this story!