A Righteous Outburst by O. Henry
The story revolves around a young woman who seeks revenge against her former lover for abandoning her after she became pregnant with his child. She orchestrates a series of events to make him believe that their child has died, but ultimately reveals the truth and forces him to confront his past actions. The narrative explores themes of love, betrayal, and redemption in a small town setting.
By O. Henry · First published 1911 · Genre: Literary Fiction, Short Story, Social Commentary · 414 words
First lines
He smelled of gin and his whiskers resembled the cylinder of a Swiss music box. He walked into a toy shop on Main Street yesterday and leaned sorrowfully against the counter.
"Anything today? " asked the proprietor coldly.
What this Textopian page supports
A Righteous Outburst is listed on Textopian as a short story by O. Henry, dated 1911 CE.
This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.
- Work type: Short story
- Author: O. Henry
- Date: 1911 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Literary Fiction, Short Story, Social Commentary, Humor, Drama
- Length: 414 words
- Structure: 1 section, 7 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Fairly Easy (7th Grade)
Good citation fit
- Work identity for A Righteous Outburst by O. Henry
- Canonical title URL and first readable passage URL
- Genre and topic classification from the Textopian catalog
- Readability and classroom-planning context
- Passage-specific claims should cite the exact /read/ URL for the relevant chapter or paragraph
Discussion starters
- What should a reader notice first when entering A Righteous Outburst?
- How does this short story by O. Henry fit its genre, period, or classroom use?
- Where does Literary Fiction first become important in the reading?
Similar titles
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- The Assessor Of Success by O. Henry
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- The Unprofitable Servant by O. Henry
- An Inspiration by O. Henry
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Genres
- Literary Fiction — The work explores complex human emotions and social issues, focusing on the protagonist's struggles and moral dilemmas.
- Short Story — The narrative is concise and structured as a short story, delivering a complete arc within a limited word count.
- Social Commentary — The story critiques societal attitudes towards poverty and the treatment of the less fortunate.
- Humor — The dialogue and situations contain elements of irony and wit, providing a humorous perspective on serious themes.
Tags
Satire · Social Commentary · Short Story · American Literature · Humor · Irony · Morality Tale · Fiction · Literary Fiction · Realism · Comedy of Manners · Class Satire