"After Twenty Years" is a short story by O. Henry, first published in 1906. The story is set in New York City and tells the tale of two old friends, Jimmy and Bob, who made a pact to meet at a specific location after twenty years. The story begins with a police officer, Patrolman Wells, who sees a ...................................
After Twenty Years - New Broadway - Class 8 - English
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HOTS - After Twenty Years | New Broadway | Literature | English | Class 8
How much has Jimmy changed over the years, and what does this story suggest about the way the passage of time affects people?
Jimmy has changed significantly over the twenty years since Bob last saw him. While he used to be a young man unsure of his future, he has matured into a responsible figure of authority over time, becoming a policeman.
The story suggests that the passage of time affects people differently, depending on their life choices and experiences. While Bob became wealthier and more self-assured, he also turned to a life of crime. On the other hand, Jimmy may not have amassed wealth, but he developed the traits of resilience, moral rectitude, and loyalty.
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Can Jimmy and Bob be compared to ‘the hare and the tortoise’? How?
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Sign up nowBack Questions - After Twenty Years | New Broadway | Literature | English | Class 8
The story is about an appointment between two friends. What is special about this appointment?
The appointment between the two friends was set twenty years ago at Big Joe Brady's Restaurant in New York. The man waiting for his friend had travelled a thousand miles to meet his childhood companion.
They had agreed to meet up at the same location without any correspondence in between, as a way to see how far they had come and what destiny had done for them. The main condition for this appointment was that each of them ought to have their "fortunes made" and "destiny worked out", regardless of their current conditions or the distance they might have to cover to fulfil the appointment.
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At one point the narrator calls this appointment an ‘uncertain appointment’. Do you agree with him? Why?
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Sign up nowBob calls his friend Jimmy Wells ‘the finest chap in the world’ and ‘the truest and staunchest man in the world.’ Does Jimmy Wells justify this description? Pick sentences from the story to support your opinion.
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Sign up nowWhy do you think the Chicago police had been looking for Bob, whom they had nicknamed ‘Silky’ Bob? Pick sentences from the story that show the kind of life Bob had led in the West.
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Sign up nowO. Henry’s stories are known for their surprise endings. What is the surprise at the end of this story?
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Sign up nowDo you think Jimmy Wells’ colleague played his role well? Using words and phrases from the story, explain how he managed to fool Bob.
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Sign up now‘You bet! I hope Jimmy had done half as well. He was a kind of a plodder though, good fellow as he was.’ Bob means that his friend Jimmy Wells worked slowly and steadily but without imagination. Twenty years later Jimmy proved Bob’s assessment about him to be
i. completely incorrect since he became a smart criminal.
ii. absolutely correct as he failed to make an impression as a policeman.
iii. quite incorrect because he caught ‘Silky’ Bob unawares and got him arrested.
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Sign up now‘….You’ve changed a lot, Jimmy. I always thought you were two or three inches shorter.’
These words of Bob indicate that
i. he had an inkling that something was wrong but could not put his finger on it.
ii. he did not have a good opinion of Jimmy.
iii. He was certain that the man was not Jimmy but someone pretending to be him.
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Sign up nowHere are some statements about the story you have just read. Tick the ones that you feel are correct. Correct the incorrect ones.
a. Jimmy Wells was the policeman on the beat the night Bob had to meet his friend.
b. Jimmy was smart, alert and active while on duty.
c. According to Bob, Jimmy was an imaginative and adventurous young man.
d. Bob felt that life in the West threw you into a routine that made you dull.
e. Jimmy realized that Bob was not aware of his being tracked. So he could take the risk of not
arresting him immediately.
f. In the end, Jimmy was outwitted by Bob.
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Sign up nowThere is an air of mystery about the events of the night. Do you think the weather too plays a part in heightening the mystery?
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Sign up nowSometimes we have to make difficult choices in life. If you had been in Jimmy Wells’ place, how would you have dealt with your feelings about your old friend on the one hand, and your sense of duty and responsibility as a law-abiding citizen on the other? Would you have taken the same decision that Policeman Wells took?
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Sign up nowBack Exercises - After Twenty Years | New Broadway | Literature | English | Class 8
Write the conversation you have with your colleague. Remember, you will need to discuss the following to help him impersonate you effectively:
- Some vital information about yourself (so that he may not make a mistake during the conversation)
- Some method of camouflage so that your colleague’s face is not clearly visible to Bob
- Ways in which you hold yourself, walk, talk, and a few of your mannerisms so that Bob is fooled.
- engaging Bob is conversation so that he reveals crucial information about his life of crime.
Work in groups of three. Enact the scene in your class.
Planning the Impersonation
Characters:
You (Y)
Colleague (C)
[Setting: Office break room, where you and your colleague are discussing the plan.]
Y: Alright, let's go over the plan one more time. It's crucial that you get this right.
C: Don't worry, I've got it all down. First off, let's start with some vital information about you.
Y: Sure. Remember, my full name is John Matthews. I'm 32, married, and I have a daughter named Emily who's seven years old. I also have a Golden Retriever named Max.
C: Got it. John Matthews, 32, married, Emily, seven, and Max the Golden Retriever. Now, about the camouflage.
Y: Right. Wear a baseball cap and sunglasses to keep your face partially hidden. Don't forget to maintain a relaxed posture, and avoid making direct eye contact with Bob. That'll throw him off.
C: Baseball cap, sunglasses, relaxed posture, and no direct eye contact. Got it. Now, your mannerisms.
Y: I tend to gesture with my hands when I talk, especially when I'm explaining something. Also, I have a habit of tapping my fingers on the table. Keep that in mind.
C: Hand gestures and table tapping. Got it. What about the way you walk and talk?
Y: I have a slight limp in my left leg from an old injury. It's subtle, but it's there. And my voice tends to be calm and measured. Not too fast, not too slow.
C: A slight limp on the left leg, calm and measured voice. Got it. Now, engaging Bob in conversation.
Y: Bob's a bit of a history buff, especially World War II. Ask him about his favorite war documentaries or books. He loves to talk about them.
C: World War II documentaries and books. Got it. I'll steer the conversation in that direction.
Y: Excellent. And remember, we need to subtly probe for information about his life of crime. Keep it casual, like you're just interested in his hobbies.
C: Understood. I'll keep it low-key and see if he drops any hints. We'll play it cool.
Y: Perfect. This should work. Just be careful, and if things get too risky, don't push it. We can always regroup and come up with another plan.
C: Will do. Thanks for the briefing, John. I'll make sure to pull this off smoothly.
[They both exchange a final nod before heading out to meet Bob.]
Extra Questions - After Twenty Years | New Broadway | Literature | English | Class 8
What time of the night it was? Why were there such few people?
It was 10 o'clock at night in the story. There were such few people on the street because the chilly gusts of wind with a hint of rain in them had forced people to go indoors. The weather made it uncomfortable for people to be outside, so they hurried to their destinations or stayed inside.
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How did the man in the doorway try to reassure the policeman? What was he doing there?
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Sign up nowCompare and contrast the characters of Bob and Jimmy.
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Sign up nowAfter Twenty Years - Line by line explanation in Hindi | New Broadway | Class 8 Literature | English
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Vocabulary - Flashcards - After Twenty Years | New Broadway | Class 8 Literature | English
About the Author - After Twenty Years | New Broadway | Class 8 Literature | English
O. Henry was the pen name of William Sydney Porter, an American short story writer who lived from 1862 to 1910. He is best known for his clever and witty stories that often had surprise endings, which became known as "O. Henry endings."
"After Twenty Years" is one of O. Henry's most popular stories. It is a short story that tells the tale of two friends, Jimmy and Bob, who made a pact to meet at a specific location after twenty years. The story is full of irony and twists, as it turns out that one of the friends has become a police officer and the other is a criminal.
O. Henry's writing style is marked by his use of wordplay, irony, and clever plot twists. He was able to capture the essence of life in turn-of-the-century America, and his stories often dealt with issues such as social class, crime, and the human condition.
Despite a relatively short career, O. Henry's impact on American literature has been significant, and his stories continue to be read and enjoyed today. His legacy lives on through the O. Henry Award, which is given each year to recognize the best short stories published in the United States.
Summary - After Twenty Years | New Broadway | Class 8 Literature | English
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Themes - After Twenty Years | New Broadway | Class 8 Literature | English
Loyalty and Friendship
The story explores the theme of loyalty and friendship through the relationship between Bob and Jimmy. Despite their different paths in life, they have a strong bond forged through their shared experiences. Bob is loyal to Jimmy even though he has become a respectable businessman, and Jimmy is willing to risk everything to see his old friend again. The story shows the power of loyalty and how it can endure even after many years apart.
Regret and Redemption
The story highlights the theme of regret and redemption through the character of Bob. He feels guilty about leaving Jimmy behind when he decides...
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Unlock now 🔓Important Lines - After Twenty Years | New Broadway | Class 8 Literature | English
“It’s an appointment made twenty years ago. Sounds a little funny to you, doesn’t it? Well, I’ll explain if you’d like to make certain it’s all straight. About that long ago there used to be a restaurant where this store stands-Big Joe Brady’s Restaurant.”
These lines set the tone for the story and introduce the central theme of the meeting between two old friends who made an appointment twenty years earlier. The reader becomes curious about what the appointment was for and what will happen next.
“Twenty years ago tonight,’ said the man,............................
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Unlock now 🔓Plot - After Twenty Years | New Broadway | Class 8 Literature | English
I. Policeman on Patrol
The chapter begins with a diligent policeman navigating a quiet neighbourhood during the late evening hours. His eyes on a lonely street, he checks....
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Unlock now 🔓Vocabulary - After Twenty Years | New Broadway | Class 8 Literature | English
- Impressive: making a strong impact, awe-inspiring
- Guardian: a person who protects or guards something/someone
- Neighbourhood: an area in a town or city where people live
- Appointment: a meeting ..
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