The Cynic by O. Henry (1911)
A wealthy man dies and leaves his fortune to a stranger who has been kind to him. The stranger is revealed to be a beggar who had given the man a smile when he was feeling down.
By O. Henry · First published 1911 · Genre: Literary Fiction, Satire, Humor · 167 words
First lines
Junior Partner: Here's an honest firm!
Sharp and Simpson send us a check for $50 in addition to their monthly account, to cover difference in price of a higher grade of goods shipped them last time by mistake.
Senior Partner: Do they give us another order?
Junior Partner: Yes! The longest they have ever made.
What this Textopian page supports
The Cynic 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: Literary Fiction, Satire, Humor, Social Commentary, Short Story
- Length: 167 words
- Structure: 1 section, 11 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Easy (6th Grade)
Good citation fit
- Work identity for The Cynic 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 The Cynic?
- How does this short story by O. Henry fit its genre, period, or classroom use?
- Where does Literary Fiction first become important in the reading?
Similar titles
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- Getting At The Facts by O. Henry
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- Squaring The Circle by O. Henry
- The Assessor Of Success by O. Henry
Genres
- Literary Fiction — The work explores complex themes and character interactions, typical of literary fiction.
- Satire — The dialogue and situations critique societal norms and human behavior, characteristic of satire.
- Humor — The use of wit and playful language contributes to a humorous tone throughout the text.
- Social Commentary — The narrative reflects on social issues and human nature, providing commentary on society.
Tags
Satire · Social Commentary · Cynicism · Philosophy · Literary Fiction · Short Story Collection · American Literature · 20th Century Literature · Realism · Irony · Dark Humor · Morality Tale