Answer the following questions in a sentence or two each, based on

your understanding of the story.

a. Describe the appearance of the policeman on the beat.

The policeman moved up the street of his duty in a very impressive manner. He had alert eyes
and strong figure with a proud manner. It made him a fine picture of a guardian of peace. He also
kept spinning his stick while doing his duty.

b. What did he keep doing while on his rounds?

He kept spinning his stick with many intricate and artful movements while doing his duty.

c. Why were the streets devoid of people?

The time was 10 o’ clock at night, There was chilly gusts of wind and it was likely to rain. So
the streets were devoid of people.

d. What story did the man standing near the hardware store tell the passing
cop?

The man standing near the hardware store told about the peculiar appointment with his friend
that had made twenty years back in that venue his passing cop.

e. What used to be there in the place of that shop twenty years ago?

Big Joe’ Brady’s restaurant was there in the place of that hardware shop twenty years ago.

f. Describe the man awaiting the arrival of his friend.

The man had a pale, square-jawed face with keen eyes. There was a little white scar near his
right eyebrow.

g. Why did the friends part ways?

The friends parted ways to seek their fortune.

h. When and how did Bob realise that the tall man was not his friend?

When Bob and his friend Jimmy Wells came near a drug store and they came into this glare to
gaze upon the other’s face. He identified that the tall man was not his friend by the appearance of
his nose.
i. Who was the tall man?

The tall man was another cop sent by his friend Patrolman Jimmy Wells.

j. What did he give Bob?

He gave Bob a note from Patrolman Wells.

Additional Questions

k. Describe the scene in the beginning of the story.

A policeman can be seen on duty in an area. He is on foot patrol. It is 10 p.m. The cold wind is
blowing. The area seems deserted.
l. Was the place a business center only?
Yes, the place was a business center. The author has mentioned a cigar store and an all-night
lunch counter.
m. What kind of characters does the story "After Twenty Years" have?
There are three characters in the story "After Twenty Years".
· One is Bob who is a true and sincere friend. He want to fulfill his promise at any cost.
· His friend Jimmy is dutiful and honest person. He gives preference to duty over friendship.
· The third character who comes to arrest Bob is also a police officer.

n. What is the most significant happening in the story to be

analyzed?
The most significant happening in the story is when Jimmy Wells sends a police officer in plain
clothes to arrest Bob.
o. What is the climax of the story “After Twenty Years”?
Bob identifies that the man he is talking to is not his friend. Actually, the man is a police officer
in plain clothes. He gives Bob a letter from Jimmy. Bob learns from the letter that the police
officer whom he met earlier was Jimmy, his old friend.
p. How would you describe Jimmy and Bob's personalities in the story?
Jimmy and Bob are close friends. Jimmy is an honest police officer. When he comes to know
that his friend is a criminal, he does not have the courage to arrest him himself. He sends another
policeman to arrest Bob. For him duty is more important than friendship. As far as Bob is
concerned, he is a true friend. He want to fulfill his promise at any cost.
q. The ending of "After Twenty Years" fill the reader with poignancy, (Strong
effect of feeling -sad) making the story effective. Discuss?
The reader expects that Bob and Jimmy Wells, the two close friends, would meet each other after
long separation. They would share their experiences of the past twenty years. But instead, the
ending of the story fills the reader with poignancy when one of the friends is arrested by police.
In spite of the tragic end, the author makes the story very effective. Bob is not arrested by Jimmy
Wells directly. Jimmy sends another police officer to arrest Bob.
r. How does the writer prepare for the end of the story?
The writer prepares for the end of the story contrary to the expectations of the readers. The story
begins very interestingly. Two close friends Bob and Jimmy meet each other after twenty years.
Bob does not recognize Jimmy in the police uniform. After Jimmy's departure, another police
officer in plain clothes comes whom Bob considers to be his Jimmy. The police officer arrests
Bob because he is wanted in Chicago.

2. State whether the following statements are true or false

a. The cop suddenly slowed his walk, when he heard the barking of
dogs. False

b. The friends grew up together in the city of New York. True

c. Both Jimmy and Bob were of the same age. False

d. The friends parted one night after watching a movie together. False

e. The friends could not keep in touch because they lost each other’s phone
numbers. False

f. Bob wanted to stay for half an hour more than the appointed time. True

g. Jimmy grew a little taller after he was twenty. True

h. Bob realised that the tall man was not Jimmy Wells from the shape of his
nose. True

Answer the following questions in three or four sentences each.

a. What did Bob share with the cop about their friendship?

Bob shared with the policeman his strange appointment made twenty years ago. He also shared
the details of their childhood days and how they were raised in New York.

b. What are the strengths and weaknesses of Jimmy Wells from Bob’s point
of view?

Strengths: Jimmy Wells is very shrewd. He has sharp memory. He can recognize his friend
as soon as he sees his face in the cigar light. He is duty bound.
Weakness: He is very cordial and soft natured person. Though his friend is a criminal wanted
in Chicago, he could not arrest him. Hence he sent another cop to do the duty.

c. Was Bob hopeful of his friend’s arrival? How do you know?

Yes, Bob was hopeful of his friend’s arrival. The lines “I’ll give him half an hour at least. If
Jimmy is alive on earth he’ll be here by that time” reveal his hopefulness of his friend’s arrival.

d. How did the cop come to understand that Bob had been successful in the
West?

Bob pulled out a handsome watch having the lid set with small diamonds. Then the patrolman
came to know that Bob had been doing well.

e. Bob’s life in the West was not a bed of roses. Give reasons.

Bob had to compete with some of the intelligent people going to get his pile. He has to manage
with the police for the crimes he had committed. He lived with stress and fear that he might be
arrested at anytime by the police of West.
f. Why didn’t Jimmy Wells, being a cop himself, arrest Bob?
Jimmy Wells is very cordial with everyone, especially with Bob. He has no willingness and guts
to arrest his most intimate friend. Hence he could not arrest Bob.

g. Who do you think has been more successful between the two? Give
reasons.

I think Patrolman Wells has been successful between the two. He has done his duty. He knows
his responsibilities. Being a sincere friend he is not able to arrest his most intimate friend. He
sent another cop in plain clothes to do the work.

5. Answer the following questions in a paragraph of about 150 words

each.

a. Compare and contrast the character of Jimmy Wells and Bob with
suitable references from the story to support your view.

Topic: After Twenty Years

Author: O. Henry
Genre: Short Story
Theme: Duty Vs Friendship
“After Twenty years” by O. Henry is an interesting story with a twist at the end. A 38-year old
Bob is waiting at the door of a hardware store in New York to meet his friend Jimmy wells. A
policeman is on patrol duty. He asks Bob why he is standing there. Bob tells the cop that he
(Bob) is waiting to meet his friend Jimmy Wells. He says that they make a promise to meet at the
same place at the same time on the same date after twenty years, before parting. Bob tells the
policeman that he (Bob) has kept his promise. Bob is sure that Jimmy Wells will surely come
and meet him. After listening to the story, the cop walks away. Twenty minutes later, a tall man
in plain clothes comes to meet Bob. Bob thinks him Jimmy Wells. Later Bob identifies that the
man he is talking to is not his friend. Actually, the man is a police officer in plain clothes. He
gives Bob a letter from Jimmy. Bob learns from the letter that the police officer whom he met
earlier was Jimmy, his old friend. Since Bob is a criminal wanted by the Police, Jimmy Wells
does not want to arrest his intimate friend. So he has sent another police officer to do the work.
Here Bob is a criminal. But he is a true friend. He wants to fulfill his promise at any cost. On the
other hand, his friend Jimmy Wells is an honest police officer. When he comes to know that his
friend is a criminal, he does not want to arrest him himself. He has sent another policeman to
arrest Bob. For him duty is more important than friendship.

b. ‘Means should justify the end.’ Explain this adage with reference to O.
Henry’s story.

“Means should justify the end” is a well-known proverb. means = method, end=aim. Your
aim should be noble, and at the same time the method should also be honest. The aim of a short
story is to give aesthetic pleasure to the readers. There should be just two or three characters and
the narrative should be brief. Now in the short story “After Twenty years” O. Henry employs
only three characters. Two friends agree to meet after 20 years. When they meet one of them is a
criminal and the other is a police officer. The police officer is duty-conscious and sends another
police officer to arrest his friend. Thus the story has a surprise ending; it gives pleasure to the
reader. So the shore story justifies the statement.

“Means should justify the end”

c. ‘Tell me who your friends are and I shall tell you who you are’. How will
you explain this statement in the light of Jimmy’s and Bob’s friendship?

“Tell me who your friends are, and I shall you who you are”---is common statement. If
somebody has bad friends then he (she) is a bad person. If somebody has good friends, he is a
good person. But this statement and may twisted. sometimes
A non-vegetarian and a vegetarian may be good friends!!
The short story “After Twenty Years” disproves the proverbial statement of the friends, one is a
criminal and the other is a police officer. But the title is meaningful ----“After Twenty Years”
They were good friends twenty years ago. But time has changed their characters.
d. To your shock, you find out that your close friend is indulging in some
wrong activity. Will you avoid him/her or try to correct him/her? Give
reasons for your answer.

If I find my close friend indulges in some wrong activity, I shall definitely correct him. It is my
moral duty. I am bound to do. If any harm is done we should not ignore it. When my close friend
does any wrong activity I can’t bear it. For instance let us take my friend smokes and consumes
liquor. First of all I don’t advise him. For advise is a hatred form to any one, I shall give him live
examples from the people who are affected worst. I should make him understand that other
people are also affected by his act. It is my duty. Thus I will try to wear him of the bad habit.

e. What would you do in this situation, if you were Jimmy Wells?

Substantiate your reason.

If I were Jimmy Wells I would not send plain clothes cop to arrest Bob. Instead I would arrest
him on the spot as soon as I knew that he was the criminal wanted in Chicago. My policy is duty
first and friendship next. I stick to my principle even if I face any hurdles. I shall try to be sincere
till the dooms day. For, while I go away and try to find another police officer, Bob may become
tired of waiting and he may go away. Therefore as soon as Bob lights up his cigar and I identify
him as a notorious criminal in New York. I would arrest him before he could have any chance of
escaping.

ADDITIONAL PARAGRAPHS:
f. What is the moral of the story?
The short story “After Twenty years” portrays two different characters. Bob is a criminal; he has
earned a lot of money. But he has no home, no peace of mind. He is always by the fear that he
may be arrested by the police any time. On the other hand, his friend Jimmy Wells is a police
officer. He is honest, simple and duty-conscious. Though the two men were friends in their
boyhood, now Jimmy Wells sends another police officer and gets Bob arrested.
The moral of the story: Duty is more important than friendship.