The Unprofitable Servant by O. Henry
A wealthy man hires a servant who is unprofitable due to his laziness and incompetence. The master's patience wears thin, but he decides to test the servant's loyalty by pretending to be ill and leaving him in charge of the household. The servant fails miserably, causing chaos and destruction throughout the house.
By O. Henry · First published 1917 · Genre: Literary Fiction, Social Commentary, Humor · 5,367 words
First lines
I am the richer by the acquaintance of four newspaper men. Singly, they are my encyclopedias, friends, mentors, and sometimes bankers. But now and then it happens that all of them will pitch upon the same printworthy incident of the passing earthly panorama and will send in reportorial constructions thereof to their respective journals. It is then that, for me, it is to laugh. For it seems that to each of them, trained and skilled as he may be, the same occurrence presents a different facet of the cut diamond, life.
What this Textopian page supports
The Unprofitable Servant is listed on Textopian as a short story by O. Henry, dated 1917 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: 1917 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Literary Fiction, Social Commentary, Humor, Drama, Parable
- Length: 5,367 words
- Structure: 1 section, 72 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Fairly Easy (7th Grade)
Good citation fit
- Work identity for The Unprofitable Servant 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 Unprofitable Servant?
- 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
- An Opportunity Declined by O. Henry
- Three Paragraphs by O. Henry
- Mammon And The Archer by O. Henry
- The Sphinx Apple by O. Henry
- The Guardian Of The Accolade by O. Henry
- His Only Opportunity by O. Henry
Genres
- Literary Fiction — The work explores complex themes of talent, ambition, and the human condition through nuanced character development and narrative style.
- Social Commentary — It critiques societal norms and the entertainment industry, highlighting the disparity between talent and success.
- Humor — The writing employs wit and irony to convey the absurdities of life and the pursuit of fame.
- Drama — The narrative centers on personal struggles and aspirations, embodying dramatic elements through character interactions.
Tags
Short Story · Literary Fiction · American Literature · Humor · Satire · Social Commentary · Class Conflict · Economic Inequality · Morality Tale · Fable · Allegory · Symbolism