Supply and Demand by O. Henry (1911)
The story revolves around a young man who marries a woman for her wealth and then plots to kill her so he can inherit her fortune. However, his plan backfires when the woman's will stipulates that she must be killed by someone she loves in order for him to receive the inheritance. The young man is forced to find someone to pretend to kill the woman, but ultimately decides to confess his true intentions and spare her life.
By O. Henry · First published 1911 · Genre: Satire, Fiction, Comedy · 4,810 words
First lines
Finch keeps a hats-cleaned-by-electricity-while-you-wait establishment, nine feet by twelve, in Third Avenue. Once a customer, you are always his. I do not know his secret process, but every four days your hat needs to be cleaned again.
Finch is a leathern, sallow, slow-footed man, between twenty and forty. You would say he had been brought up a bushelman in Essex Street. When business is slack he likes to talk, so I had my hat cleaned even oftener than it deserved, hoping Finch might let me into some of the secrets of the sweatshops.
What this Textopian page supports
Supply and Demand 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: Satire, Fiction, Comedy, Social Commentary, Adventure
- Length: 4,810 words
- Structure: 1 section, 101 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Very Easy (5th Grade or below)
Good citation fit
- Work identity for Supply and Demand 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 Supply and Demand?
- How does this short story by O. Henry fit its genre, period, or classroom use?
- Where does Satire first become important in the reading?
Similar titles
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- The Day We Celebrate by O. Henry
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Genres
- Satire — The work critiques economic principles and human behavior through humor and irony.
- Fiction — The narrative is a fictional story that explores themes of capitalism and human interaction.
- Comedy — The dialogue and situations are humorous, highlighting absurdities in the characters' beliefs and actions.
- Social Commentary — The text comments on societal norms and economic systems, particularly the dynamics of supply and demand.
Tags
Short Story · Satire · Social Commentary · Economic Satire · Irony · Twist Ending · Humor · Wit · Sarcasm · Class Satire · Income Inequality · Poverty