The Fifth Wheel by O. Henry (1910)
A young woman marries a wealthy man for his money and social status, but her husband's death leaves her with nothing. She then marries a poor man who turns out to be the son of her first husband's business partner, inheriting a large sum of money from her first husband's estate.
By O. Henry · First published 1910 · Genre: Literary Fiction, Social Commentary, Humor · 5,182 words
First lines
The ranks of the Bed Line moved closer together; for it was cold. They were alluvial deposit of the stream of life lodged in the delta of Fifth Avenue and Broadway. The Bed Liners stamped their freezing feet, looked at the empty benches in Madison Square whence Jack Frost had evicted them, and muttered to one another in a confusion of tongues. The Flatiron Building, with its impious, cloud-piercing architecture looming mistily above them on the opposite delta, might well have stood for the tower of Babel, whence these polyglot idlers had been called by the winged walking delegate of the Lord.
What this Textopian page supports
The Fifth Wheel is listed on Textopian as a short story by O. Henry, dated 1910 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: 1910 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Literary Fiction, Social Commentary, Humor, Drama, Romance
- Length: 5,182 words
- Structure: 1 section, 110 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Easy (6th Grade)
Good citation fit
- Work identity for The Fifth Wheel 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 Fifth Wheel?
- 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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- How She Got In The Swim by O. Henry
- Grounds For Uneasiness by O. Henry
- A Comedy In Rubber by O. Henry
- A Disagreement by O. Henry
- The Third Ingredient by O. Henry
Genres
- Literary Fiction — The work explores complex themes of social class, redemption, and the human condition through rich character development and nuanced storytelling.
- Social Commentary — It critiques societal issues such as homelessness, addiction, and the struggles of the lower class in urban settings.
- Humor — The narrative employs wit and irony, particularly in the interactions between characters and the absurdity of their situations.
- Drama — The plot revolves around personal struggles and emotional conflicts, highlighting the characters' hardships and desires.
Tags
Short Story · Comedy · Satire · Social Commentary · Marriage · Relationships · Love · Deception · Moral Lesson · Irony · Plot Twist · Humor