What you Want by O. Henry (1911)
The story revolves around a young man who is struggling to make ends meet and is desperate for money. He comes up with a plan to marry a wealthy woman in order to gain access to her fortune. However, he soon realizes that his wife's wealth comes with a condition: she must remain chaste until marriage. The young man is torn between his desire for wealth and his growing feelings of love for his wife.
By O. Henry · First published 1911 · Genre: Literary Fiction, Social Commentary, Humor · 2,360 words
First lines
Night had fallen on that great and beautiful city known as Bagdad-on-the-Subway. And with the night came the enchanted glamour that belongs not to Arabia alone. In different masquerade the streets, bazaars and walled houses of the occidental city of romance were filled with the same kind of folk that so much interested our interesting old friend, the late Mr. H. A. Rashid. They wore clothes eleven hundred years nearer to the latest styles than H. A. saw in old Bagdad; but they were about the same people underneath. With the eye of faith, you could have seen the Little Hunchback, Sinbad the Sailor, Fitbad the Tailor, the Beautiful Persian, the one-eyed Calenders, Ali Baba and Forty Robbers on every block, and the Barber and his Six Brothers, and all the old Arabian gang easily.
What this Textopian page supports
What you Want 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, Social Commentary, Humor, Short Story, Character Study
- Length: 2,360 words
- Structure: 1 section, 35 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Easy (6th Grade)
Good citation fit
- Work identity for What you Want 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 What you Want?
- 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
- A Years Supply by O. Henry
- The Purple Dress by O. Henry
- Hearts And Crosses by O. Henry
- His Doubt by O. Henry
- A Guarded Secret by O. Henry
- Tobins Palm by O. Henry
Genres
- Literary Fiction — The work explores complex characters and themes of wealth, desire, and identity, typical of literary fiction.
- Social Commentary — It critiques social class and the nature of happiness in relation to wealth and personal fulfillment.
- Humor — The dialogue and situations contain elements of humor, particularly in the interactions between characters.
- Short Story — The narrative is concise and structured as a short story, focusing on a single incident.
Tags
Short Story · American Literature · Romance · Tragedy · Love Triangle · Marriage · Deception · Betrayal · Social Class · Class Conflict · Materialism · Poverty