Lucky Either Way by O. Henry (1914)
A young woman's husband dies and leaves her a large sum of money. She is initially grief-stricken but soon realizes she can now marry the man she loves, who was previously unable to afford her due to his poverty.
By O. Henry · First published 1914 · Genre: Humor, Social Commentary, Fiction · 342 words
First lines
The Memphis Commercial-Appeal, in commenting on errors in grammar made by magazines, takes exception to an error in construction occurring in Gode's Magazine in which, in J. H. Connelly's story entitled "Mr. Pettigrew's Bad Dog," a character is made to say: "You will be lucky if you escape with only marrying one."
A man says this to another one who is being besieged by two ladies, and the Commercial-Appeal thinks he intended to say: "You will be lucky if you escape with marrying only one."
What this Textopian page supports
Lucky Either Way is listed on Textopian as a short story by O. Henry, dated 1914 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: 1914 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Humor, Social Commentary, Fiction, Satire, Romantic Comedy
- Length: 342 words
- Structure: 1 section, 5 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Easy (6th Grade)
Good citation fit
- Work identity for Lucky Either Way 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 Lucky Either Way?
- How does this short story by O. Henry fit its genre, period, or classroom use?
- Where does Humor first become important in the reading?
Similar titles
- The Discounters Of Money by O. Henry
- Whiskey Did It by O. Henry
- Supply And Demand by O. Henry
- A Comedy In Rubber by O. Henry
- The Other Side Of It by O. Henry
- A Christmas Pi by O. Henry
Genres
- Humor — The narrative employs wit and irony to explore the complexities of marriage, making it humorous.
- Social Commentary — It critiques societal norms and expectations surrounding marriage and gender roles.
- Fiction — The story is a work of fiction that presents a fictional scenario involving characters and dialogue.
- Satire — It satirizes the institution of marriage and the expectations placed on men and women.
Tags
Short Story · Comedy · Satire · Social Commentary · Irony · Fate · Luck · Gambling · Addiction · Moral Ambiguity · Cynicism · Pessimism