Historical Fiction ‘‘Tears of Autumn’’ was published in 1987 but the story takes place more than a half a century earlier. When the story was published as the opening chapter of Uchida’s novel Picture Bride , Uchida inserted the dates 1917–1918 to identify the story’s exact historical setting. Because the story dramatizes the experiences that…
Tears of Autumn by Yoshiko Uchida – Themes
Coming of Age Hana’s decision to leave her family behind illustrates her desire to act and be treated as an adult. She takes responsibility for the consequences of her decision to leave Japan and marry Taro. Though her and Taro’s families played a role in arranging the marriage, Hana recognizes that it was her idea…
Tears of Autumn by Yoshiko Uchida – Characters
Hana Omiya Hana Omiya, the protagonist of the story, is a twenty-year-old woman who is leaving Japan for the United States in the early twentieth century. Just prior to her departure, she lives in Oka Village with her mother, older sister, and brother-inlaw. Life in Oka has seemed oppressive for her ever since she graduated…
Tears of Autumn by Yoshiko Uchida – Summary
‘‘Tears of Autumn’’ begins with young Hana Omiya standing on the deck of a steamship making its way from Japan to the United States through a ‘‘turbulent November sea.’’ Rather than being excited about the arrival in America, Hana wishes she were not going. She is seasick and nervous, and her thoughts lead her back…
A Retrieved Reformation – Essay
In this paper, I shall attempt to illustrate situational dramaturgy at work in an early twentieth-century play, Armstrong’s Alias Jimmy Valentine (premi `ered at the Studebaker Theater, Chicago, 25 December 1909), and the film adaptation of it directed by Maurice Tourneur for World Film in 1915. Armstrong’s play derives from a short story by O….
A Retrieved Reformation – Analysis
As a short story writer, O. Henry is credited with creating new archetypical fiction characters, employing surprise endings and plot twists, and using language creatively, especially puns. Many of his short stories, including ‘‘A Retrieved Reformation,’’ also demonstrate the author’s prowess with symbolism. Though his stories are often brief, the symbolism he utilizes make them…
A Retrieved Reformation – Setting
Criminals as Celebrities In the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, certain criminals became celebrities in American culture primarily through news accounts of their escapades but also through such media as dime store novels, stage plays, and even early films. Such criminals and their violent acts became part of the American mythology and helped define…
A Retrieved Reformation – Literary Devices
Protagonist and Antihero In ‘‘A Retrieved Reformation,’’ Jimmy Valentine is both the protagonist of the short story and an antihero. The protagonist is the central character of the story and also serves as a focus for its themes and incidents. An antihero is a central character in a fictional work who does not possess traditional…
A Retrieved Reformation – Themes
Power of Love One of the primary themes in ‘‘A Retrieved Reformation’’ is the power of love. Jimmy is quite content to make his living robbing banks until he sees young Annabel Adams. As O. Henry writes, ‘‘Valentine looked into her eyes, forgot what he was, and became another man.’’ Jimmy’s feelings for Annabel inspire…
A Retrieved Reformation – Characters
Agatha Adams Agatha is the five-year-old niece of Annabel Adams. Agatha is accidentally locked inside the new safe and vault while playing with her sister May at their grandfather’s bank. Jimmy uses his safecracking skills to save her life. Annabel Adams Annabel Adams is the daughter of Mr. Adams, the owner of the bank in…