A Sacrifice Hit by O. Henry (1911)
The story revolves around a young woman who marries an older man for financial security. She becomes pregnant and her husband's business partner tries to take advantage of the situation by offering him money to abandon his wife. The husband refuses, realizing that he has found true love with his wife despite their age difference.
By O. Henry · First published 1911 · Genre: Literary Fiction, Humor, Romance · 2,022 words
First lines
The editor of the Hearthstone Magazine has his own ideas about the selection of manuscript for his publication. His theory is no secret; in fact, he will expound it to you willingly sitting at his mahogany desk, smiling benignantly and tapping his knee gently with his gold-rimmed eyeglasses.
"The Hearthstone," he will say, "does not employ a staff of readers. We obtain opinions of the manuscripts submitted to us directly from types of the various classes of our readers."
What this Textopian page supports
A Sacrifice Hit 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, Humor, Romance, Satire, Short Story
- Length: 2,022 words
- Structure: 1 section, 35 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Fairly Easy (7th Grade)
Good citation fit
- Work identity for A Sacrifice Hit 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 Sacrifice Hit?
- 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?
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Genres
- Literary Fiction — The work explores themes of ambition, love, and the complexities of human relationships, characteristic of literary fiction.
- Humor — The narrative employs irony and comedic situations, particularly in the interactions between characters and the absurdity of the protagonist's plan.
- Romance — The central plot revolves around romantic relationships and the protagonist's pursuit of love, making romance a significant genre.
- Satire — The story critiques the publishing industry and societal norms through exaggerated characters and situations, fitting the satire genre.
Tags
Short Story · American Literature · Tragic Love · Fate vs Free Will · Moral Ambiguity · Social Commentary · Class Conflict · Romance · Drama · Irony · Symbolism · Literary Fiction