Even Worse by O. Henry (1907)
The story revolves around a young man who marries an older woman for her money and then plots to kill her by staging a robbery at their home. However, the plan backfires when he accidentally shoots himself in the leg instead of his wife. The police arrive and find him wounded, with no sign of his wife's body.
By O. Henry · First published 1907 · Genre: Humor, Social Commentary, Realism · 60 words
First lines
Two Houston men were going home one rainy night last week, and as they stumbled and plowed through the mud across one of the principal streets, one of them said:
"This is hell, isn't it?"
"Worse," said the other. "Even hell is paved with good intentions. "
What this Textopian page supports
Even Worse is listed on Textopian as a short story by O. Henry, dated 1907 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: 1907 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Humor, Social Commentary, Realism, Short Story, Satire
- Length: 60 words
- Structure: 1 section, 3 paragraphs
Good citation fit
- Work identity for Even Worse by O. Henry
- Canonical title URL and first readable passage URL
- Genre and topic classification from the Textopian catalog
- Readability and classroom-planning context
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Similar titles
- The Pride Of The Cities by O. Henry
- A Night Errant by O. Henry
- The Shock by O. Henry
- The Trimmed Lamp by O. Henry
- The Tale Of A Tainted Tenner by O. Henry
- My Watch An Instructive Little Tale by Mark Twain
Genres
- Humor — The dialogue and situation present a comedic take on misfortune and human experience.
- Social Commentary — The story reflects on societal conditions and human behavior in a light-hearted manner.
- Realism — The setting and characters are grounded in everyday life, depicting relatable experiences.
- Short Story — The narrative is concise and focused, typical of the short story format.
Tags
Satire · Social Commentary · Dark Humor · Irony · Twist Ending · Short Story · American Literature · 20th Century Fiction · Realism · Critique of Society · Class Struggle · Poverty