Out of Nazareth by O. Henry (1908)
The story revolves around a young woman who returns to her hometown after being away for several years. She is met with suspicion and hostility by the townspeople due to her past behavior. The narrative explores themes of guilt, redemption, and the complexities of human relationships.
By O. Henry · First published 1908 · Genre: Satire, Fiction, Social Commentary · 5,841 words
First lines
Okochee, in Georgia, had a boom, and J. Pinkney Bloom came out of it with a "wad. " Okochee came out of it with a half-million-dollar debt, a two and a half percent city property tax, and a city council that showed a propensity for traveling the back streets of the town. These things came about through a fatal resemblance of the river Cooloosa to the Hudson, as set forth and expounded by a Northern tourist. Okochee felt that New York should not be allowed to consider itself the only alligator in the swamp, so to speak. And then that harmless, but persistent, individual so numerous in the South -- the man who is always clamoring for more cotton mills, and is ready to take a dollar's worth of stock, provided he can borrow the dollar -- that man added his deadly work to the tourist's innocent praise, and Okochee fell.
What this Textopian page supports
Out of Nazareth is listed on Textopian as a short story by O. Henry, dated 1908 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: 1908 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Satire, Fiction, Social Commentary, Humor, Drama
- Length: 5,841 words
- Structure: 1 section, 115 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Easy (6th Grade)
Good citation fit
- Work identity for Out of Nazareth 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 Out of Nazareth?
- How does this short story by O. Henry fit its genre, period, or classroom use?
- Where does Satire first become important in the reading?
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Genres
- Satire — The work critiques societal norms and the folly of human ambition through humor and irony.
- Fiction — The narrative is a fictional account that explores the lives and interactions of its characters in a constructed setting.
- Social Commentary — It addresses themes of economic ambition, deception, and the impact of societal expectations on individuals.
- Humor — The writing employs wit and comedic elements to highlight the absurdities of the characters' situations.
Tags
Short Story · American Literature · Humor · Satire · Social Commentary · Fiction · Realism · Irony · Plot Twist · Character Study · Morality Tale · Christian Themes