An X-Ray Fable by O. Henry (1922)
A man with a Cathode Ray travels the country, revealing people's innermost thoughts for a fee. In a town, Reuben and Ruth, a couple engaged to be married, each seek the man's services to discover the true nature of their love for one another. Reuben hires the man to find out whom Ruth loves, while Ruth hires him to learn about Reuben's affections. After both have their heads examined, they confess their actions to each other. The next day, they return together to the man with the Ray, eager for the results. The man presents them with two slips of paper, each containing the name of the person they love most. Reuben's slip reads "Reuben," and Ruth's reads "Ruth." They are overjoyed, believing their love is mutual and true. However, the man with the Ray has omitted a crucial detail: the photographs he took revealed that Reuben's thoughts were solely focused on himself, while Ruth's thoughts were consumed with her own love for herself. The couple leaves, blissfully unaware of the true nature of their feelings, illustrating the irony of self-love versus mutual affection. The moral suggests that the man with the Ray was astute in his understanding of human nature.
By O. Henry · First published 1922 · Genre: Fable, Satire, Romantic Comedy · 341 words
First lines
And it came to pass that a man with a Cathode Ray went about the country finding out and showing the people, for a consideration, the insides of folks' heads and what they were thinking about. And he never made a mistake.
And in a certain town lived a man whose name was Reuben and a maid whose name was Ruth. And the two were sweethearts and were soon to be married.
What this Textopian page supports
An X-Ray Fable is listed on Textopian as a short story by O. Henry, dated 1922 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: 1922 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Fable, Satire, Romantic Comedy, Fantasy, Short Story
- Length: 341 words
- Structure: 1 section, 9 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Standard (8th-9th Grade)
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- Work identity for An X-Ray Fable by O. Henry
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- Genre and topic classification from the Textopian catalog
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Discussion starters
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- How does this short story by O. Henry fit its genre, period, or classroom use?
- Where does Fable first become important in the reading?
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Genres
- Fable — The story conveys a moral lesson through a narrative involving anthropomorphized characters and a fantastical element.
- Satire — The plot critiques human relationships and the absurdity of seeking external validation for love.
- Romantic Comedy — The story revolves around romantic entanglements and misunderstandings, leading to a humorous resolution.
- Fantasy — The use of a Cathode Ray to reveal thoughts introduces a fantastical element to the narrative.
Tags
Fable · Satire · Social Commentary · American Literature · Short Story · Humor · Irony · Critique of Society · Class Struggle · Poverty · Wealth · Inequality