After Twenty Years

 

GLOSSARY (text/summary)

 

• Beat duty/ On the beat  A police officer walking around the area for which he is responsible

• Drizzle    Light rain

• Habitual     Usual, regular, doing something which is a habit

• Stalwart     Physically strong

• Notorious    Well known for being bad

• At large     Not under arrest, free

• Counterfeit  Fake, forged

• Reconstructed photograph   Picture of a wanted criminal got made by the police officials on the basis of description given by various people

• Hardware store   A shop where articles for the house and garden are sold such as hand tools, plumbing and electrical supplies, utensils, paints

• Fortune       Wealth, a large amount of money

• Staunchest    Loyal, faithful, reliable

• Chum         Friend

• Puffed up    To be too full of pride

• Bragging    showing off, proud

• Faltered    Hesitated, weakened

 

OBJECTIVE TYPE QUESTIONS

 

Q1. Name the writer of the story ‘After twenty years’.

Ans. The writer of the story ‘After twenty years’ is O. Henry.

 

Q2. Name the friends who would be meeting after twenty years?

Ans. Jimmy and Bob would be meeting after twenty years.

 

Q3. What was the police officer examining on his patrol duty?

Ans. He was examining the closed doors of the business houses.

 

Q4. Who made the fine picture of the guardian of law?

Ans. Jimmy Wells made the fine picture of the guardian of law.

 

Q5. What was the physical description of the criminal given by Jimmy’s boss?

Ans. The criminal had a pale face, deep and dark eyes and a little scar near the right eyebrow.

 

Q6. How old was Jimmy?

Ans. Jimmy was forty years old.

 

Q7. Where did Jimmy Wells see the man standing?

Ans. Jimmy Wells saw the man standing near the door of the darkened hardware store.

 

Q8. What was the man doing near the door of the dark hardware store?

Ans. The man was waiting for an old friend.

 

Q9. How old were Bob and Jimmy when they parted ways?

Ans. Bob was eighteen and Jimmy was twenty when they parted ways.

 

Q10.Where had the two friends dined together before parting ways?

Ans. The two friends had dined at Brady’s Restaurant before parting ways.

 

Q11. Where did Bob go to earn money?

Ans. Bob went to the West to earn money.

 

Q12. Who arrested Bob?

Ans. A plain- clothes policeman arrested Bob.

 

Q13.What type of policeman was Jimmy Wells?

Ans. Jimmy Wells was an honest and dutiful policeman.

 

SHORT ANSWER TYPE QUESTIONS

 

Q1. Why did the streets wear a deserted look?

Ans. The streets wore a deserted look because it was 10 o’clock at night. People of the area kept early hours. Also, it was drizzling and the chilly winds were blowing.

 

Q2. What was the policeman thinking of?

Ans. The policeman was thinking of the description of a notorious criminal given to him by his boss. The criminal had a pale face, square jaws, deep and dark eyes and a little scar near the right eyebrow. He printed counterfeit (fake) notes. His name was still unknown to the police and he was at large. Jimmy felt printing counterfeit notes was a serious crime and such a criminal must be caught.

 

Q3. How did the man from Chicago explain his presence on the road?

Ans. The man from Chicago explained to the policeman that he didn’t mean to cause any trouble. He was just waiting for an old friend. To remove the suspicion of the policeman, he told him about his friend Jimmy and the appointment they had made to meet at the same place and time twenty years ago.

 

Q4. What did the man think of his friend Jimmy?

Ans. The man called Jimmy his best friend and the finest fellow in the world. They were born and grew up together in New York just like two brothers. Jimmy was a ‘homing bird’ and could not be moved out of New York. For him, New York was the only place on the earth. However, he was a ‘slow mover’. He lacked ambition and competitiveness. But Jimmy was the truest and the most reliable friend so he was confident that he would surely turn up to meet him.

 

Q5. Why was the man arrested?

Ans. The man was a notorious criminal. He was arrested for printing five-dollar counterfeit notes in Chicago.

Q6. Why were the police looking for the man from Chicago?

Ans. The man from Chicago was a notorious criminal. He had been printing counterfeit notes. So, the police were looking for him. His reconstructed photograph and the details of his whereabouts were circulated in all the police stations.

 

Q7. What had been the activities of the two friends during the twenty years interval between their meetings?

Ans. Bob was over ambitious. He went to the West to gather lots of wealth. He didn’t hesitate to earn money by hook or crook. His strong lust for money turned him into a notorious criminal. He became a gambler and a cheater. He printed fake notes and was wanted by the Chicago police. On the other hand, Jimmy was a homing bird. He stayed in New York and became an honest and dutiful police officer. He had no lust for money. He lived a simple and contended life.

 

Q8. Why did Jimmy Wells not personally arrest Bob?

Ans. Jimmy and Bob were childhood best friends. They were born and grew up together in New York like two brothers. Both were true and sincere to each other. Bob had travelled a thousand miles to meet Jimmy. So, Jimmy could not gather courage to arrest him and sent a plain-clothes policeman to do the sad job.

 

Q9. How did Jimmy Wells recognize Bob?

Ans. Bob was standing near the door of a darkened hardware store and explaining his situation to a policeman. The policeman was actually Jimmy himself. The moment Bob struck the match to light his cigar, Jimmy got a chance to see Bob’s face and recognize him. Moreover, from Bob’s story of success he became certain that Bob was the same person who was wanted by the Chicago police.

 

Q 10. What transpired during the short meeting between Jimmy Wells and Bob?

Ans. While waiting for Jimmy, Bob started narrating the story of his friendship and success to a policeman on beat duty. He didn’t recognize that this policeman was actually Jimmy Wells who had also come to keep his promise. But Jimmy got a chance to see Bob’s face and recognize him the moment Bob lit his cigar. Moreover, from Bob’s story of success he became certain that Bob was the same person who was wanted by the Chicago police. Jimmy stayed loyal to his job. As he couldn’t arrest his childhood friend himself, he sent for a plain-clothes policeman to arrest him.

 

LONG ANSWER TYPE QUESTIONS

 

Q 1. Write a brief character-sketch of Jimmy Wells.

Ans. Jimmy Wells was the most important character of the story ‘After Twenty Years’ written by ‘O. Henry’. He was an honest and dutiful police officer in New York. His strong character can be sketched under these headings:

Impressive personality: Jimmy was forty years old. He was physically strong. He had keen and watchful eyes. He moved on his beat duty with habitual smartness. He made a fine picture of the guardian of law.

A true and sincere friend: Jimmy was Bob’s best friend. Bob described him as the finest fellow in the world. They were born and grew up together in New York like two brothers. Bob called Jimmy the truest and the most reliable friend. He was sure that Jimmy would keep the appointment. Jimmy also kept his promise and came to meet his childhood best friend at the appointed place and time.

A homing bird: Bob called Jimmy a homing bird. He stayed in New York and became a faithful police officer. For him New York was the only place on the earth. He was not competitive. He worked slowly but laboriously. He had no lust for money. He lived a simple and contended life. Jimmy was a respectable citizen.

A dedicated and loyal police officer: Jimmy had a strong sense of duty. Even on a rainy and windy night, Jimmy performed his beat duty with smartness and alertness. When he realized Bob was the wanted criminal, he stayed loyal to his job. As he couldn’t gather courage to arrest Bob himself, he sent for a plain-clothes policeman to do the job. He handled the complex situation very wisely and correctly. In the end, we can say that Jimmy was the hero of the story. He had a powerful personality. He was a true and loving friend. But above all, he was a devoted and loyal police officer.

 

Q2. Write in brief the character- sketch of Silky Bob.

Ans. Silky Bob was the central character of the story ‘After Twenty Years’ written by ‘O. Henry’. His underworld ambitious character can be sketched under these headings:

Physical appearance: Bob was thirty-eight years old. He had a pale face, square jaws, deep and dark eyes and a little scar near the right eyebrow. He must have been very quick that the police were unable to catch him for so long.

Over ambitious and an outlaw: Bob was eighteen years old when he left for the West to gather lots of wealth. He didn’t hesitate to earn money by hook or crook. His strong lust for money turned him into a notorious criminal. He became a gambler and a cheater. He printed fake notes and was wanted by the

Chicago police Unethical and proud: Bob had no respect for social values and ethics. He was not ashamed of his unlawful activities. He told the policeman that the West had given him everything he wanted. He was showy. He carried an expensive watch with small diamonds on its lid. He bragged about his success, wealth and the important friends.

A true and sincere friend: The police were searching for Bob everywhere still he took a big risk. He travelled a thousand miles to meet his childhood friend after twenty years but it was an irony of fate that he was arrested by the same friend. In the end, we can say that though Bob was a criminal and dishonest person but as a friend, he was loyal and dedicated. This quality of his makes him a likeable character. We feel pity for him.

Q 3. Compare and contrast the life and characters of Jimmy Wells and Silky Bob.

Ans. The story ‘After Twenty Years’ written by ‘O. Henry’ revolves around two main characters- Jimmy Wells and Silky Bob. They were childhood best friends. They were born and grew up together in New York City like two brothers. Both were true and sincere to their friendship. Bob travelled a thousand miles to keep his appointment made twenty years ago. Jimmy couldn’t gather courage to arrest his childhood friend and sent for a plain-clothes policeman to do the sad job. Other than this, they were poles apart from each other. Bob was over ambitious. When he was eighteen years old, he left for the West to gather lots of wealth. His strong lust for money turned him into a notorious criminal. He became a gambler and a cheater. He printed fake notes and was wanted by the Chicago police. He kept changing places and lived a risky life. On the other hand, Jimmy was a homing bird. He stayed in New York and became an honest and dutiful police officer. He was not competitive. He worked slowly but laboriously. He had no lust for money. He lived a simple and contended life. Jimmy was a respectable citizen. When he realized Bob was the wanted criminal, he stayed loyal to his job and got him arrested. To sum up, Bob was a criminal and dishonest person. His crook ways landed him in a jail whereas Jimmy O Wells was an honest and devoted police officer who brought credit to himself and the police department. 

 

Q 4. What is the theme of the story ‘After Twenty Years’? (OR)

What had been the activities of the two friends during the twenty years interval between their meetings?

Ans. The story is based on the theme that we should always stay honest to our duty. It also conveys the message that crime doesn’t pay in the end. The story is about two best friends- Jimmy Wells and Bob who returned to keep an appointment made by them twenty years ago. They were born and grew up together in New York like two brothers. Bob was eighteen and Jimmy was twenty when they had their last dinner at Brady’s restaurant. Then they both parted ways. Bob left for the West to gather lots of wealth. He didn’t hesitate to earn money by hook or crook. His strong lust for money turned him into a notorious criminal. He became a gambler and a cheater. He printed fake notes and was wanted by the Chicago police. On the other hand, Jimmy was a homing bird. He stayed in New York and became an honest and dutiful police officer. He worked slowly but laboriously. He had no lust for money. He lived a simple and contended life. When he realized Bob was the wanted criminal, he stayed loyal to his job. As he couldn’t arrest his childhood friend himself, he sent for a plain-clothes policeman to arrest him. Bob who had become a notorious criminal had to pay for his dishonest ways. It was an irony of fate that he was arrested by his own friend whereas Jimmy Wells was a devoted police officer who brought credit to himself and the police department.

 

Q 5. What is the significance of the title ‘After Twenty Years’? (OR)

How did Jimmy Wells recognize Bob? What did he do after that?

Ans. The story ‘After Twenty Years’ is so titled because it revolves around the reunion of two best friends after twenty years. But the happy reunion ended in a strange mishap with the arrest of one friend by the other. Bob was eighteen and Jimmy was twenty when they both parted ways. However, they made an appointment to meet at the same place and time after twenty years. Bob went to the West to gather lots of wealth. He didn’t hesitate to earn money by hook or crook. He became a notorious criminal, a gambler and a cheater. He printed fake notes and was wanted by the Chicago police. On the other hand, Jimmy stayed in New York and became an honest and dutiful police officer. He had no lust for money. He lived a simple and contended life. Bob travelled a thousand miles to meet Jimmy. While waiting for him he started narrating the story of his friendship and success to a policeman on beat duty. He didn’t recognize that this policeman was actually Jimmy Wells who had also come to keep his promise. But Jimmy got a chance to see Bob’s face and recognize him the moment Bob lit his cigar. Moreover, from Bob’s story of success he became certain that Bob was the same person who was wanted by the Chicago police. Jimmy stayed loyal to his job. As he couldn’t arrest his childhood friend himself, he sent for a plain- clothes policeman to arrest him. It was an irony of fate that Bob was arrested by his own friend. The title also suggests that twenty years is a long period to change a good man into a bad one. The two friends who had grown together were on opposite side of the law when they met after twenty years and this led to a twist ending of the story for which O. Henry is well-known.

 

Author: O. Henry

 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR O. HENRY The Master of Surprise Endings

Born September 11, 1862, Greensboro, North Carolina

Died June 5, 1910 (aged 47), New York City, US

Birth name William Sidney Porter

Pen name O. Henry, Olivier Henry, Oliver Henry

Occupation American short story writer

Famous stories The Gift of the Magi, The Ransom of Red Chief, The Cop and the Anthem, The Last Leaf, A Retrieved Reformation, The Duplicity of Hargraves, The Caballero’s Way

Legacy – O. Henry Award A prestigious annual prize named after Porter and given to outstanding short stories.

 

SUMMARY/STORY/PLOT OF ‘AFTER TWENTY YEARS’

 

• ‘After Twenty Years’ is an interesting story written by O. Henry. The story takes place on the streets of New York City. The story is about two best friends who parted ways in their youth. They returned to keep an appointment made by them twenty years ago. The happy reunion turned into a strange mishap with the arrest of one friend by the other.

• The time was 10 o’clock at night. It was rainy and windy. A policeman was on his beat duty. He was carefully checking the doors of closed business houses. He was moving with habitual smartness. The officer had a strong and sturdy figure and alert eyes. He kept spinning his stick while on duty. He made a fine picture of the guardian of peace.

• While keeping a watchful eye, he was also thinking of the description of a notorious criminal given to him by his boss. The criminal had ‘a pale face, square jaws, deep and dark eyes and a little scar near the right eyebrow’. He printed counterfeit (fake) notes and was wanted by the Chicago police. The policeman looked at the criminal’s reconstructed photograph which he kept with him. He felt that the crook must be caught. There was something else also on his mind. He looked at his watch.

• Suddenly his eyes fell on the man standing near the doorway of a darkened hardware store. The policeman hurried towards the man. The man started giving an explanation. He told the policeman that he didn’t mean to cause any trouble. He was merely waiting for his old friend. There used to be a restaurant named ‘Brady’s Restaurant’ where this hardware store stands now. He had a dinner with his friend there twenty years ago.

• Then the man struck a match and lit his cigar. The policeman got a chance to see his face. The man began telling about Jimmy Wells, his friend whom he called his best friend and the finest fellow in the world. They were born and grew up together in New York just like two brothers. He was eighteen and Jimmy was twenty when they had their last dinner at Brady’s restaurant. Then they both parted ways.

• The man went to the West to make his fortune whereas Jimmy stayed in New York only. He was a ‘homing bird’ and could not be moved out of New York. For him New York was the only place on the earth. However, they both made an appointment to meet at the same place and time after twenty years. The man described his friend, Jimmy, as the truest and the most reliable friend so he was confident that he would surely turn up to meet him.

• The man checked time on a very expensive watch with small diamonds on its lid. Seeing the watch, the cop commented that he must have made lots of money in the West. The man admitted that he had done very well and hoped that Jimmy had also done half so well as he was a ‘slow mover’. Jimmy was not very ambitious and competitive whereas he himself had to compete with the sharpest minds in the world to earn money. Then the policeman left.

• The rain got heavier and the winds grew chillier but the man kept waiting for his friend. After about twenty minutes, a tall man in a long overcoat with collars turned up came over to the man and called him by the name ‘Bob’. Both greeted each other heartily. Bob commented that Jimmy seemed to have grown taller. Jimmy suggested a place where they could sit and talk. Both started walking arm in arm. Bob kept bragging about his success, wealth and the important friends. Jimmy kept listening with interest. Then they reached a medicine store lit brightly with electric lights.

• Here, Bob realized that this tall man was not Jimmy as twenty years cannot change the shape of a man’s nose. The tall man revealed that he was a plain- clothes policeman sent to arrest him on the charge of printing five-dollar fake notes in Chicago. Then he gave him a note sent by the police officer, Jimmy Wells. In the note, Jimmy had written that he had come to meet Bob at the appointed time and place but when he lit his cigar, he saw that it was the face of a man wanted by the police in Chicago. He couldn’t gather courage to arrest Bob so he sent for a plain-clothes policeman to arrest him.