The Love-Philtre of Ikey Schoenstein
A young man uses a love philtre to make his sweetheart fall in love with him, but the potion has an unexpected effect and she falls for another man instead.
By O. Henry · First published 1911 · Genre: Romantic Comedy, Short Story, Social Commentary · 2,133 words
First lines
The Blue Light Drug Store is downtown, between the Bowery and First Avenue, where the distance between the two streets is the shortest. The Blue Light does not consider that pharmacy is a thing of bric-a-brac, scent and ice-cream soda. If you ask it for painkiller it will not give you a bonbon.
What this Textopian page supports
The Love-Philtre of Ikey Schoenstein 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: Romantic Comedy, Short Story, Social Commentary, Drama, Humor
- Length: 2,133 words
- Structure: 1 section, 37 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Easy (6th Grade)
Good citation fit
- Work identity for The Love-Philtre of Ikey Schoenstein by O. Henry
- Canonical title URL and first readable passage URL
- Genre and topic classification from the Textopian catalog
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Discussion starters
- What should a reader notice first when entering The Love-Philtre of Ikey Schoenstein?
- How does this short story by O. Henry fit its genre, period, or classroom use?
- Where does Romantic Comedy first become important in the reading?
Similar titles
- Cupid A La Carte by O. Henry
- The Third Ingredient by O. Henry
- A Philistine In Bohemia by O. Henry
- Her Ruse by O. Henry
- Grounds For Uneasiness by O. Henry
- No Help For It by O. Henry
Genres
- Romantic Comedy — The plot centers around romantic pursuits and humorous misunderstandings, particularly Ikey's unrequited love and Chunk's elopement scheme.
- Short Story — The narrative is concise and structured as a short story, focusing on a single incident with a clear beginning, middle, and end.
- Social Commentary — The story reflects on social dynamics, class differences, and the lives of working-class individuals in an urban setting.
- Drama — The emotional stakes are high, with themes of love, jealousy, and the consequences of actions driving the narrative.
Tags
Short Story · Comedy · Romance · Satire · Social Commentary · Irony · Humor · Wit · Literary Fiction · American Literature · Early 20th Century · New York City Setting