2. Biography
• The so- called Orrin Henry was born at North Carolina
under the name: William Sydney. When he was fifteen
he left school and later on he worked in a drug store
which was owned by his uncle. Before venturing in
journalism he spent ten years on different jobs,
mentioning here the teller in a bank, clerk or as a book
keeper. He, once was brought in front of justice
because he was accused for embezzlement of funds in
his capacity as a teller. His flair for writing was
developed while he was completing his sentence in
Ohio. He published his first short stories in 1905.
3. The ransom of Red Chief
• This short story was published in 1910.
• It is told in first person where the narrator is one
of the kidnapper.
• It is a story which includes self confidence and a
lot of nerves where a kid could make the others
feel angry.
• At the end of the story we face a father who he
might be self-confident or he does not care a lot
for his child which it might not be possible.
4. • The story takes place in a village called
Summit in south of Alabama.
• At this short story we can find parts that
would make you laugh.
• The story treats the people’s deed in order
just to gain some sums.
5. The Ransom of Red Chief
• Till at the title of the short story, we reveal the
plot of the story. At the beginning of the short
story we get a lesson that there are people
who do inappropriate things but not because
they are selfish or cruel but because their
circumstances oblige them.
6. • It is a story told in first person point of view
where the narrator tells what happens during
all the story. The place where the short story
written by the author is the calm town called
Summit. He describes the town or better say,
the people there as calm and poised, people
who do not disturb if anything interesting
might happen to them as long as there is
nothing to do with them.
7. Characters of the story
• Sam
One of the kidnappers
more patient and calm
criminal
• Bill
One of the kidnappers
impatient
can get easily frightened
criminal
naive
8. • Red chief
ten year-old child
energetic
playful
curious
Intelligent
• Ebenezer Dorset
only child’s father
rich
clever
respected
elder
9. Plot Structure
• Exposition: Beginning
At the beginning the narrator presents us the place where
the action has happened, the people who are involved
in this story and explains us the reason why they
planned this action. They are desperate because they
wanted to have more money, so they thought the
kidnapping would be the best and the fastest choice,
but they had no idea that would be their worst step.
Later he continues with the analyzing of the target and
mainly at his father who they were most interested.
10. Rising action: Introduction of the
problem of speaking
• The rising action begins when the narrator called
Sam and his friend, Bill kidnapped the respectful
and tight citizen’s child, and they transfer him at
the mountain which was two miles from the
village of Summit. The victim’s hair are red and he
seem to be quiet but later on the kidnappers
proved the contrary. By the actions of the
kidnappers, on how they got the kid by force,
they seem to be amateurs and this caused
something not good at the end.
11. • While they were at the cave two miles from
Summit, the nerves caused by the red head
were on top and the person who was suffering
from this was Bill who even had some fun at
the same time where he and the kidnapped
child played a lot.
12. The climax (The highest point)
• The apex of this story was when the kid goes
beyond the limits when he hits Bill, one of the
kidnappers at the back of his ear with a stone
with the same shape as an egg and the
narrator decides to write a letter to the kid’s
father. The narrator had some opinions
relating with the missing of the child. He was
supposing that the whole village might be
searching about the child because he was full
of joy and familiar with everyone.
13. Falling action (Winding down)
• We distinguish the falling action of the short story
at the moment when the narrator writes a letter
containing the requests in order to have a quick
deal with the child’s dad. The letter contains
nervousness, impatience and desperate.
• Nervousness
At the entrance of the letter he reminds to the
child’s father that it was useless to look for him.
14. He was worried that the child’s father might
look for him and might find them but with this
warning, he was thinking that the respectful
man might not look for them.
• Impatience
The money to be left at midnight tonight”
Sam and Bill were so impatient and they were
eagerly waiting the child’s dad to pay their
request sum and take the child.
15. • Desperate
We can easily catch this feeling at the end of the
letter where he types, two desperate men.
16. • There comes the end of the falling action
where the kidnappers get a reply from the
respectful “father” were he types his own
demands.
17. Resolution (The end)
• There is an unexpected ending where the
kidnappers who can never be found sent the
kid with an amount of sum which was written
at the counter demand of the child’s father
and they both went far away from the village
of summit, especially Bill.
20. a) What is ‘literary scholarship’?
b) What are the distinction between literary
theory, criticism and history?
c) What is the relationship between literary
criticism and literary history?
24. history
• literary criticism and literary history has some
distinctions and they has some similarities but
comparing together, there are less similarities.
This less similarity is that neither criticism nor
history can never be used on their own. they
have merged them each other as much as to
make it so connected between each other.
25. What is ‘literary scholarship’
• literary scholarship is the systematic study of
literature.
26. What are the distinction between
literary theory, criticism and history?
• literary theory is impossible except on the
basis of a study of concrete literary works.
• on the other hand/ conversely, no criticism or
history is possible without some set of
questions, concepts point of references or
generalizations.
27. What is the relationship between
literary criticism and literary history?
• literary history is very important for literary
criticism
• if a critic has no idea on history, he would
always give poor judgment.
• you can never criticize without historical
resources.
• a literary historian must be a critic if he wants
to be a historian.
