2. The third ingredient is another amazing story of the master of surprising endings O. Henry. A relate full of romance, humor and real troubles of ordinary people that will make you feel identified with.
3. In short The third ingredient tells the story of a youngminiature-painter (cecilia), whoselack of job impeles hertocommit suicide. Butshe’ssavedfor a man that she decide toremove of herlife, although shekeeps the hope of meetinghimagain. The secondmain character is a shop girl (Hetty) with whom Cecilia establishs a friendshipforneeding, (to share the dinner of beefstew with potatoes) and towhomshetellsherownstory. Both girlsregretnottohaveenoughmoneytobuyanonion, the thirdessencial ingredient for the stew, but at the end of the storytheyfindone, whose propietor turnsoutto the expectedlove of Cecilia. Itis a curiouslove- story with the stamp of O’Henry’sstyle.
4. Setting Place The storyisdeveloped in anapartmenthousecalled “the Vallambrosa” Time The storytake place during a day. Weather The climateiswarm, butitismentioned a experience in a rainyday. Social conditions Characters are normal people, employeeswhichsalaryisjustenoughtoeat and pay a smallapartment. Literaryanalysis
5. Title The titlerepresentsexactly the wholestory, through a metaphoriccomparisonbetweenanonion and the loveexpected, as the third ingredient of a stew (onion) and the third ingredient of Cecilia’slife (boyfriend). Characters A shop-girl (Hetty) , a painter (Cecilia) a richmanfriend of Cecilia. Plot In this tale, itis the momentwhenauthorletusknoworinfere the real identity of the man with the onion, becauseitimpactsyou and makeyoureflectsabouthowunexpected and ironiccoulddestinybecome. Literaryanalysis
6. Author’s personal points of views Someopinions are hiddenbehindcurtains of thin humor. Herethere are someexemples: Politicalopinion “Youshallnotlearnfrom me the salary that waspaidher as a beginner. Thereis a sentimentgrowingaboutsuchthings and I want no millionairestore-proprietorsclimbing the firescape of my tenementhousetothrowdynamitebombsinto my skylight”. “Thereiscertainsthings in life that are intendedtofittogether, oneisIrish and trouble”.
7. Author’s personal points of views Use of Metaphores “Figuratively , somepeople are Bosoms, some are hands, some are Heads, some are Muscles, some are Feet, some are Backs forburdens, butHettywas a shoulder. Allherlifepeoplelaidtheirheadsuponit and lefttheretheirproblems”. Belief in destiny’spower “ There’scertainthings that are naturallyintendedtofit and belongtogether, oneisham and eggs, oneisIrish and trouble and othreoneisbeef and potatoes with onions”. and at the end of the story: “Goon in, (saidHettyto the richman) Potatois in there, waiting. Goon in, onion”.
8. Author’s personal points of views -“Itoughttohave more water in it”,“ the stew, I mean”. “I cameneardrowning in that awfulriver”, Sense of humor -“That nastyriver?” “Itsmellsto me likesoapfactories and wet setter dogs… Oh, you mean the stew”. -“Itsmellsgood”!
9. Tosum up, itisimportanttosay that “The third ingredient” isanexemple of O. Henry’snarrationstyle. In whichyouwillfindironiccircumstances of normal life’sexperiences, humor, romance and of course a surprisingending. Itisone of those tales that understand and show the essence of humanfeelings and transmitus the ideas, anguish, hopes, dreams and happiness of poorpeople in the New York of the XIX century, as a representation of the wholehumanrace’ssituation. In thisstory as in somemanyothersstories of O. Henry, the feeling of hope and loveisalwayspresentto show us that itdoesn’tmatterhowdifficultcouldbe the real life, thereisalways a light at the end of the tunnel. Conclusion
