Reading #3 The Ramsom of the Red Chief
It's time for our last reading "The Ransom of the Red Chief" by O'Henry.
You have already read several stories writte by O'Henry, so no need to say you should expect a surprising ending, indeed.
The story is in your anthology, but if you have time and internet connection, you may enjoy watching the movie. Here is the link:
Questions for analysis
Instructions:
Please, choose at least two questions to answer and respond to your classmates comments at least twice.
Deadline: Monday, November 13th, at midnight.
1. How does O. Henry, the author, portray the crime of kidnapping in this story? What makes this treatment different from real-life kidnappings you know of or have read about?
2. Why do you think that Sam and Bill, the two adult characters, are friends? Are they only friends because they could make money together? Do they really like each other? Have you ever felt like someone was only being friends with you for a purpose other than your friendship? What were their reasons?
3. How many mischief makers are in this story? Which person do you think is the most mischievous? Explain.
4. What is ironic about how Ebenezer Dorset responds to the ransom note? Based on the text, why does he respond this way? How is this response ironic?
5. What message about parenting and child-rearing is O. Henry trying to express to readers? Think about what Red Chief’s dad thinks of him, and why Red Chief doesn’t want to go home.
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ResponderBorrarThe situation with the kidnapping is that the author tried to look funny. Let's recap the fact, Red Chief goes around without restrictions, he is treated in such a good way, he even attack the kidnappers and received no punishment, the kidnappers played with him. So, for him, it is more like an adventure. Red Chief saw it as a camping day.
ResponderBorrarThis is not completely how a real kidnapping would look like. Not every day a kidnapper plays to be the victim's horse just to amused him or her. At the end, the kidnapping is just a kids story compared with real life.
Question #4
The respond of Ebenezer Dorset is a complete plot twist. It not also ruined the kidnappers plan, it even made they lose dollars. To understand the reason of the response, one have to focus in the actions of the Red Chief. He is totally a pain in the neck. He could drive everyone crazy and obviously that counts his father.
Since the beginning, his father knew how things were going to be for the kidnappers. He knew that they were going to be exhausted with the Red Chief. This was the reason of his tranquillity. He was trustful about his son's abilities to drive people crazy, but I must say that that confidence worried me. The reality is that he did not know how the situation between Red Chief and the kidnappers was going.
I agree with your answer. In my opinion, writers need to be very creative, innovated and also include comedy, suspense, drama …etc in order to make people read it. Of course the narrator loves to twist this story. And one clear example is how Ebenezer Doset acts when Sam and Bill kidnapped his son. Perhaps his father knows so well that his son is a naughty boy and instead of getting Doset paid to them, the kidnappers have to pay to get rid of their victim.
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BorrarAbout your first answer Wendoll, I share your opinion, The kidnappers were so permissive with the kid, they share closer and he told them why he doesn´t want to go home, he never saw it like a kidnapping, as you said was more like an adventure, he enjoyed stay with those "bad guys" and in the real life it doesn´t happen. There are many cases of bad and cruel kidnappings nowadays.
BorrarI agree with your opinion Wendoll, Ebenezer was veey intelligent and he knew completely his son and he knew that the kidnappers were having a bad time for this reason he was relaxing and tranquil.
BorrarQuestion 3
ResponderBorrarHow many mischief makers are in this story? Which person do you think is the most mischievous? Explain.
There are three mischief makers. I think the most mischievous is Johny Dorset because the child in his children's games recreates in his mind how to kidnap people, besides that He has begun a game of make-believe playing Indian, and he has named them all. The boy isn’t afraid of being kidnapped at all. So, Johnny is kidnapped by two criminals who believe they are going to make him suffering. Nevertheless the kidnapped is the one that makes them a miserable life. Johnny's dad is calm because he knows that the kidnappers are having a bad time, since the bad guy is his son and that´s why he says his son is like hell.
Question 4
What is ironic about how Ebenezer Dorset responds to the ransom note? Based on the text, why does he respond this way? How is this response ironic?
The father of Johnny receive a letter note demanding the father that $1500 have to be paid for the ransom of his son. And Mr. Dorset writes back. In his note, he tells the kidnappers, that he will agree to take his son back for $250. “You bring Johnny home and pay me two hundred and fifty dollars in cash, and I agree to take him off your hands.”
And as mention before, Johnny's dad is serene because he knows that the kidnappers are the ones who are having a rough time. I think this response is ironic because any father does whatever it takes to save his/her child and call the police for help and think the father probably has to deal with similar or worse problems with his son daily and knows what the kidnappers were going through.
Question #4
BorrarIndeed Mr. Big Shawn. Ebenezer Dorset knew who were the ones that were having a complicated time. I suppose that this was because something similar could have happened in the past and Mr. Dorset knew how to manage the situation. Allow me to say, Mr. Big Shawn, that this never happens. That is why the respond is so ironic.
Question #1
ResponderBorrarThis kidnapping is totally the opposite from the real life, it was very funny and very interesting, from my point of view it seems like if the kidnappers were the “victims”, the author describes the treatment like if the “crime” was good for the Red Chief, it is like a comedy instead of a “crime, and it was evident that he enjoyed the situation, it was like a game for him. We know that in the real life a kidnapping sometimes is so cruel, a very hard situation; however, in the tale is the opposite, I think that the attitude of the Red Chief marks the difference in the tale, the kidnappers don’t wait that attitude from him, he wants only play with them, so I think that he changes the role of the kidnappers to “friends or partners”, maybe like the friends that he didn’t have before.
Question #3
I’m going to give you my point of view, I firmly believe that in this story we don’t have like “villain”, that term describes a bad person and they don’t are really bad or cruel, I think that the only want to get money and was obviously that they wouldn’t hurt the kid, and is obviously that the most mischievous is the Red Chief, it could be because is child, I imagine that he just wants to play with them. How I said before, its probably that he doesn’t have friends and now he was taking advantage of the opportunity to “make” or “enjoy” of the kidnappers. The attitude of his father at the end gives to understand that the kid is like a “demon”. For that reasons, I said that the kid is the most mischievous in the tale.
I share your opinion, because I don’t consider this two men as bad guys, if they were bad, they would have punished the kid when he did all of the antics, actually I think those foolish men didn’t do anything right since the beginning. As you said Rolando, the kid probably didn’t have friends, and that can be one of the reasons for his behavior.
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BorrarI share your opinion in question #1, because I think something similar to you respect
Borrarto the situation, since it is very comical to compare that "kidnapping" with one of the real life where most of the time is only for bad actions, but in this story something good was given, something that started with ambition and then ended becoming something of profit.
You're right Rolando it's very diferent from real life because as you tell us, the kid thinks that the kidnappers were his friends also the kidnappers were already tired, the kid was naughty, in the real life a kidnapping is more serious and causes harm to the family in this case as you tell us it is opposite the kid caused harm to them.
BorrarI totally agree with you Rolando about the question #1,it is kind of fun to see the develop of the story around the little boy,it´s very interesting to see how the story has a twist about what we know as a kidnapping,it is in fact a sotory that we all as people should read once in the life
BorrarQuestion #1
BorrarI share your opinion that maybe the little Red Chief saw in the two desperate men those friend that he never had maybe, so for that reason he took the “kidnapping” just as a game and not as a real kidnapping.
I share your opinion Rolando, in the question #1 this situation that began like an crime and finished like a bad joke was totally opposite from real kidnapping in life, the unique victims there were Bill and Sam, in the other hand hand a kidnapping in real life ia cruel and sad, but in this story, the persons had amused every moment.
BorrarABOUT THE QUESTION #1
ResponderBorrarWe as persons know that kidnapping it´s a horrible,shameful and dreadful crime and it has to be punished ,but in this story,O´Henry gives us a totally different and unexpected kidnapping ,why?,let me tell you
Usually,the kidnappings are horrible like I said before and obviusly the kids that get kidnapped tend to be scared and get that kind of feelings,but the kid from story is not scared at all most of the times;In fact,he scares the two guys and makes their life suck during the whole kidnapping
Other example in which we see that this kidnapping is totally different from the ones we see in real life is that in real life,the family of the child that is kidnapped will pay any amount of money to get the child back to them ,but in this story the situation is totally different ,the family of the kid doesn´t want to pay anything ,they even encourage the kidnappers to pay some money to return the child ,it is actually a fun situation
ABOUT THE QUESTION #4
In my opinion,the response of Ebenezer Dorset it´s very funny and besides that,ironic,because he tell them that he is demanding money to have the child back,and this is due to an obvious reason that we can find as we read,the kid has a complicated behavior,you can see that in the way he treats the two guys,he makes their lifes a complete torture,now,if we think about it ,we can infer that the life of his family must have been a torture as well,and that's the reason why he is asking for money to have the kid back,the response of the father is ironic because instead of give money to the two guys to have his son back,he asks money to permit that his son returns,this situation is so hilarious
About your second answer Cris, I agree with you in the way that he responsed the demanding of money was very interesting and funny, I share your opinion because I think that his father and family had a breath for a moment of this kid's mischiefs when he was kidnapped and also his father wanted money to received him back so that was odd and hilarous.
BorrarI agree with you when you said that the story is funny and is completedly different to real story of kidnap, and when you said that it is a tortura for the father has a boy with a bad bahaviour it could be true but I don't believe how in a danger situation a father asks for get money back to accept again his son, well you know in my case like mother that story part sounds crazy, obviously it made the story more funny because the since the beginnig it showed two professional men to accustomed to had risks and dangers and they never believed that a boy of ten years old could be a headache.
BorrarReferring to your first response, I share your opinion Chris because kidnapping is something that no one wants to go through, people get hurt, scared, and sometimes it´s so hard to get ride of the memories they got while being kidnapped, but as you mentioned it was kind of funny and interesting to see that his father didn´t want to get him back, even Jhonny didn´t want to get back home. He enjoyed every momento with Sam and Bill; even though, they were not enjoying at all.
BorrarI share your opinion Cris, all of us know that a kidnapping is horrible and terrible, it not make no one happy, but the author makes that like a happy moment, and I think or is obviously that the child enjoys the moment, so the author changes the typical story about a crime, as you said, the family don't pay for him and that was surprising but it gives a different end.
Borrar1. How does O. Henry, the author, portray the crime of kidnapping in this story? What makes this treatment different from real-life kidnappings you know of or have read about?
ResponderBorrarWell from my point of view a I should to say that in the story the kidnapping is very “smooth” because despite of the kid makes them mischiefs, they treat him very well, they didn´t punish for that, so I think the author portrays the kidnapping like a hilarious and funny situation.
It is different from the reality because there are many kind of different kidnapping, there are some cases where the kidnappers want money, others just want to hurt the person, and some others do that crime because they are involved in human trafficking. And I firmly believe those kidnappers had never done that before, in my opinion they weren’t really bad people, because they were so permissive with the kid, also gave him much freedom to play and make mischiefs, even they talk with him. And in the real life, a conversation in the minimum.
4. What is ironic about how Ebenezer Dorset responds to the ransom note? Based on the text, why does he respond this way? How is this response ironic?
I think that is ironic his response because parents usually get worried about if something happened to their children but this one seems like someone who had suffered with this kid with those kinds of behaves, so is funny how he answers the letter, the role changes, they wanted money and now they suffered the kid’s mischiefs and they must to pay for get him back, it’s curious this plot twist because the kidnappers expected the money, the kidnappers didn´t see that coming, they thought they would get away with it. From my point of this short story seems like the movies “Home Alone” where the villains suffered mischiefs by a kid and are the victims.
I totally agree with your last response David, because Jhonny´s father made it look as if he used to suffer because of his son´s behavior. As you said it does not happen in real life because parents are supposed to get concerned about their childen, however he didn´t do it and instead of giving money to get his son back, he asked for money to help them get rid of Jhonny, it seems he knew they were suffering a lot because of his son, that´s why he tried to take advantage of the situation. Of course it never happens in real life and you got a point there referring to the movie “Home Alone”.
Borrar1 .How does O. Henry, the author, portray the crime of kidnapping in this story? What makes this treatment different from real-life kidnappings you know of or have read about?
ResponderBorrarThe kidnap in this story was complitely different and made the story funny because most of the kidnap are violents and the situation of the kidnappeds are cruel because they suffer a lot specialy with the condition of the place where they are or the absent of food and water, and in some cases they try to scape or cry desesperated for return thieir houses but this story showed a boy who enjoyed almost every moment that he was out his house and not only that the story showed two men with good manners to treat the boy until the point that the boy did't want to back home and this was clear when Bill went to give back the boy, but the boy followed him again until the summit because he felt good with the kidnappers.
4. What is ironic about how Ebenezer Dorset responds to the ransom note? Based on the text, why does he respond this way? How is this response ironic?
Well I think the story showe two men who wanteted to obtain money by a kidnap and they obviously they didn't have the custom to do this kind of things, in fact they used to commit crimes with more risk and danger and they believed that they could have easy money with the kidnap of a boy of ten years old, and that the feelings of a father could pay all the money of the world, and when they sent the letter aking for the ransom the most ironic situation happened becouse the father of the boy asked the two men for money if they wanted that he recived again his son.
I have to be honest I can't imagine what could be the reason because a father didn't accepted to pay money to rescue a son and the ironic of that story is how the rolls changed when the father asked for the money and the men finally accepted to pay the money for return the boy back, and the father not only had his son back whether no he earned money.
Exactly Rossy, I agree with you, this kidnapping was totally different from real life, and actually it’s funny because we can say that at the end the two men were the kidnapped instead of the kid; moreover, the boy had a great time in the cave, and as you said he didn’t even want to return to his home.
BorrarQuestion #1
ResponderBorrarI would say that this kidnapping is totally different from real life, I can start mentioning that when the child was kidnapped, he didn´t oppose; moreover, nobody cared about the event, nor did his father care about it, and actually in real life, the family immediately would try to look for help in order to find the kid as soon as possible, but this wasn´t the case. Other things that made this kidnapping kind of funny were that the kid could do whatever he wanted, he even played with the two guys, Red Chief would beat and torture them and he received no punishment. According to the story, the kid enjoyed every moment he spent with the kidnappers, for him was like a kind of adventure, and of course we can’t compare this situation with real life, because is completely different. The child didn’t feel fear about what was happening, contrary to a real kidnapping.
Question #5
I think the author try to show us the lack of discipline of this kid, I understand that he is just a child, but his behaviors were amazingly bad. We can assume that the Red Chief’s father didn’t love him because he didn’t care about the ransom of his son, he even made fun of the kidnappers when he told them that they had to pay to get rid of the child, and he did it because he knew how annoying his son could be. I would say this kid didn’t want to go home because his father probably ignore him, at least I think so. Red Chief preferred to play with Sam and Bill instead of his old father, and he had incredible moments and adventures in the cave; furthermore, the child knew that with them he could do whatever he wanted.
Question #1
BorrarLet me say, Miss, that we shared the same thought. About your statement of the kid opposing against the kidnappers, you are right. It seems that he does not know what a kidnapping is and for this would say that his father is to blame. He is the one responsable of his son and must teach Red Chief about the dangers of the world. I will remark that it is like a camping day. I suppose that Red Chief had not had some much fun since a time. Allow me to say that towns in the past were small, so everyone is common to be known by almost all the people living there; because of this, the kidnapping of Red Chief is suppose to be noticed.
I agree with you in all, because is difficult to believe that a father can't feel worry about a son's kidnapp; besides, the manner and behaviour of the child was a lot of funny, the story is complitty different to real kidnap and the most interest part for me was when the father asked for money in order to have his son back, at the end the men couldn't have money; instead of, they lost the little money they had including a lot of problems with the child's behaviour.
BorrarHey Lau! About your question #1 I totally agree with you, it's kind of shocking to see for me how normal it was for the parents, as you said nobody cared about what was happening. It's kinda of funny what the father said to kidnappers because he already knew what they were dealing with!
BorrarEven though it seems to be so normal for them we can not pretend that it is something that we could bear nowadays.
I share your answer #5, when you talk about the discipline of the kid, it is evident that the father doesn't care about his son and for that reason the kid does what he wants or he had a bad behaviour, and moreover you're right, the kid was very happy with Bill and Sam maybe because they played with him since he did not fun at home and he didn't want to come back at home.
BorrarI firmly believe that what you said is true, Dorset didn’t love his son, and apparently he was tired of him, I also think that the author wanted to mention how in some cases parents are unconcerned about their children and how they would like not have to take care of them, an example of this are so many children who walk on the street without a home or so many newborns who have been found in garbage dumps simply because their parents didn’t want them.
BorrarI think we are not poles apart in your answer to the question #5 Laura,the bad behavior of the child is obviusly due to the bad education that his father teach him ,every son is a reflexion of his father ,we all know that
BorrarHe had so much fun with his new "friends" that he didn´t want to leave them,that´s one of the essence of the story
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BorrarAbout Question 5.
BorrarI share your opinion about his father does not love him because the most interesting is that his father was who asked for some money to the kidnappers to receive his son again instead of them who should have done if they were the kidnappers, and I also agree with you about the reason that the child could have not to want to go home which makes me think that the child was ignored by his father maybe because he has to work, and he does not have time for him or that the child was the typical not planning blessing like it actually happens in most of the cases.
Answer #1
ResponderBorrarFrom my point of view it was exactly the opposite of a real kidnapping, because when it happens everybody gets concerned and worried about it, nobody realized Jhonny was absent from town, even his father who is the person in charge of him, or at least he is supposed to look after him. The child disappeared with the two men, however the child didn´t fight the men, it seemed he was enjoying every moment with those guys, which is completely different from real life, the child wasn´t hurt by the men, I even dare to say they suffered due to Jhonny´s behavior. Something that amazed me was that even though those men were supposed to ask for some money to set Jhonny free, the person who asked for money was Jhonny´s father, because he knew they wanted to get rid of such a horrible kid.
Answer #5
Everything that comes to my mind is that Jhonny´s father doesn´t care about him, he wasn´t even afraid of losing his child, maybe he was worried about something else and it seems it wasn´t the best relation between father and son. Some aspects that probably made Jhonny´s father think in such a terrible way is that his son wasn´t a lovely son, he always misbehaves and even mistreats people, I could say his father got sick and tired of this and stopped showing love to his son. What I´m driving at is that Jhonny probably felt the lack of love from his father, that´s why he was always trying to catch his attention, but unfortunately he was looking for the worst way.
That's right, he doesn't show any preoccupation about the situation, actually it could even be that he's not even is real son, it could be the step-son, it's a possibility trying to infer in the text, but the thing that cannot be passed over is that the relation between each other is not that good.
BorrarHey Tayron talking about your question #5, you're right I think that is so easy to noticed the disinterest that the father shows. We also could noticed that maybe Andy's behavior wasn't the best he was always doing bad things and we are not gonna say that he deserved his father disinterest because he was just a child, but in any way for me it was so cruel that anybody cared about him.
BorrarAbouut quetion 1.
BorrarI completly agree with you about this kidnapping is completly diferent from a real one, and that the fact that makes me think about his father's lack of responsability which is incredible because he must care and be paying attention about where his son is and is doing, specially when the boy is very young like in this case.
According to all I've read and watch on Tv news, kidnappings are something in which people suffer not only physical bad treatments but also mental, and kidnappers do not care about it. In this case, the author turns this into a different kind of kidnapping, first of all, the kid rather enjoys the kidnapping instead of suffer from it, which would never happen in real life. Also the men playing with the kid, I've never heard of a kidnapping like this, it becomes rather a game meeting, and the kid shows that he does not want to go home, totally in the other way around with the involved people in a kidnapping
ResponderBorrarI totally share your opinion because in a real kidnapping people never enjoy it like happened in this case.It was awesome for the red chief.Because he enjoy every moment playing with Bill.And he didn't know that it was a kidnapping for him he was a good adventure.Also he didn't want to return to his son because at home nobody play with him.
BorrarQuestion #4
ResponderBorrarThe response the father had is not as it should be, instead of paying money in order to get the kid back, he's asking money to get the kid back. This shows that it may be a situation with the kid that is possibly impossible to go through, and almost the father doesn't want him back that much. The father responses very calmly, and the only reason that comes to mind is that behavior the kid has. In real life the response in a letter with this importance would be desperate and willing to do whatever it takes to get him back, but is wasn't in this case.
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ResponderBorrarQuestion #1
ResponderBorrarI really have to say that if we compare this kind of kidnapping with the ones we a front nowadays, they are so different!
Firstly if we are going to talk about the child behavior, he was so normal when it happened, I know that sometimes in this kind of situations kids don't know what is happening, but this kid was so normal he didn't care about anything he was so disobedient and restless, and during the story somehow this is funny to see how friendly he is with his kidnappers.
What I'm trying to say is that nowadays you're NOT going to see this kind of "friendship" between kidnappers and children.
And talking about the way the kidnappers took the kid is kinda similar with the "current kidnappers", they use to talk with children in a "lovely" and easy go way.
As I already said, this kind of kidnapping that the author shows is so different with the ones that we see in the news and so on.
I don't think that any kid would be so happy to be kidnapped as the kid of the story, it's very controversial the way all this happened.
Hi Dani, I share your opinion with the question #1, actually that was one that I chose. From the beginning the way that they interacted each other make you think that they aren't bad people or criminals. The criminals in these days, the real real criminals are totally different from them. The modern criminals can kill you in a moment and they not. I really consider them like a innocent and inoffensive people, that want to save or to get money in an easy way, did it something completely silly and then they regret it. Of course, we know that this interesting and uneasy child was very anxious and imaginative kid and his behavior is from other world, but for me, if they really wanted the money they could support more for the money specially Bill, but he was tired. So it was clear for him to finish with the kidnap.I hope you share your opinion with me!
BorrarHi Dani, taking about the first question, we are not poles apart. I also think that if we compare the story´s kidnapping with a real one, the reality would be totally different, the kidnappers were very friendly with the kid, that for sure didn’t have an idea of what was going on. I agree with all you said.
BorrarQuestion #5
ResponderBorrarWell I would say that if we noticed the reaction of the father about the kidnapping, he was so normal, the author shows us the disinterest of the parents to want their kid back, I can't say that they didn't love him, but the father already knew that this wasn't going to last long, and well the same thing, in these time if a child is kidnapped the parents get crazy for find him, even though the security that we have isn't god enough, parents always get desperate for finding their child. Our parents are NOT going just to sit and wait as Ambrose Dorset did it
And well it's too obvious that if we're talking about a kid we know that kids want play all the time, and as we could ready how happy this kid was with the kidnappers, he didn't want go home cause he knew that the adventures would end.
I share your opinion, we don't know if the father loves the child, I think that the answer is yes, but the tale or the author gives to understand the desinterest of the father, I think that he doesn't care about it because he knows how is the child, and as you said he's a child, he just wants to play and was a good opportunity to play.
BorrarI agree with you because I believe that our parents show us their love through their actions, and if something happens to us, obviously they worry and do their best to save us or help us, a fact that in this story does not happen, as the Red Chief's father that was totally disinterested in what happened to his own son.
BorrarNice answer, I really share your thought because nowadays parents are more interested in protecting their children, in some of the cases it doesn't work like that, but it would be very common to see them worried about such a situation.
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ResponderBorrarQUESTION #1
ResponderBorrarWell, I think the author wanted to create a funny story or maybe a different perspective on kidnapping, because generally these are evil, violent, cruel and aggressive. However, this story creates a totally different or opposite version of what is a real "kidnapping", here the author shows us a funny and interesting story, since the victimizers rather end up being the victims of the whims of a small child, which It makes it look funny. In real life a kidnapping is anything but funny is a purely ambitious and evil situation.
QUESTION #5
From my point of view, the message that the author tries to express to us is that sometimes, when the treatment of our parents in childhood is not the best, certain feelings of resentment are created by those mistakes that we repeat with our children as a way of retaliate, perhaps even unconsciously. I think that was exactly what happened with the father of the Red Chief, and that is why he disinterested with his own son.
As a result of that, they had a very bad relationship which caused the child not to go home with his father because he thought or felt that his father did not really love him or receive attention, so he felt happy with his captors, and also he had someone to play with or rather who to bother, but it was a manner to catch the eye of someone.
As the saying goes: "you reap what you sow"
About question # 1, I agree with you when you say that the author wants to create a funny story, because from my point of view only in a story invented and funny would a kidnapping developed in that way.
BorrarFor question #1
BorrarI´m agree with you, this kidnaping story is totally different from what we are used to listening, also I think that the author wanted to emphasize the live of the child, because he says that he prefers to stay there with them instead to return to his house, so it seems that in his house he doesn’t have the freedom to do what he wanted to do with whom he wants.
Hi Jessi, I agree with you on your first response. The author wrote the whole story in a way that is not what it really is. The kidnapping is something cruel and worrying and is not something to act as the characters did.
BorrarQuestion #1
ResponderBorrarIn my opinion the author tries to describe this kidnapping really different from what is a real kidnapping because in this case they never hurt or treated the child badly. The child did not know that it was a kidnapping.Also he was having a lot of fun and for him that was amazing because he said he had never had so much fun in his life as that time that happened with them. We know that the child in the story was not an angel because he was the one who attacked men especially Bill and even So they did not treat him badly.
Also I think that the kidnappings of real life would never be compared like this story because in a real kidnapping the kidnappers do not treat a person well they make them suffer to get what they want,so the people who have to pay the money realize that they speak seriously and that this is not a disagreeable joke or a game. And they never make that person have fun or have a good time while they get what they want as in this case.
Question #1 I totally agree with you Yess, because the kidnappings of real life it is not like in this story,you can't play with the ransoms that is obviously,and it is like weird to see some random play with the dam
BorrarQuestion #4
ResponderBorrarThat was ironic because in the letter of the kidnappers said that he has to pay them with money for them to return him. Then this changed because the father told them to change the treatment that instead of them receiving money they had to pay him and return the son. In addition I think he responded in that way because he knows his son.So he knows that nobody wants to have the red chief for a long time because he was so tremendous and problematic.And the answer is ironic because instead of receive money they lost it and have to give money to the boy's father and return the boy; however, in the end they agree with it because they couldn't stand the red chief anymore..For me it doesn't make sense.
I think you're right with your answer to question #4. I also think that in the end, the story doesn't make much sense because everything went wrong for Bill and Sam.
BorrarBut that's really what the story is about, and the irony of the situation turned out to be something funny and in the end the mischief makers received a lesson.
Hi Yessenia 😊 I totally agree with your point of view, I believe the same talking that was so ironic that the father of the kid instead of paying the amount of money that the kidnappers asked him, he decided just to be calm and tell them to give him money and of course the kid, because he knew that his son was like a demon for that reason I think he did it.
BorrarQuestion #1
ResponderBorrarWell,In my opinion the author describes kidnapping very different ,I say this because a kidnapping isn't like that, in real life kidnapping causes harm to the person or are dangerous, in this case it was totally different because the child was "the affected" was having a nice time with Sam and Bill, moreover, something important is that the family cares about the affected person in this case nobody was worried about him.The child made the kidnappers suffer, in real life it should be the opposite, a real kidnappers makes the victim suffer or are more violent
I agree with you I consider this kidnapping something unreal,it´s to difficult that this happen in the real life, well, for me is crazy how two men wanna catch a child, for some days and then rather have to paid to the father insted of ask for the money to the rescue. Currently, the real kidnappers until kill the person since the family don´t have the money to paid them.
BorrarQuestion #5
ResponderBorrarI think that the author tries to express us that is important care our children maybe teaching them about values or receiving a good education, in this story show us to a child with bad behaviour, I guess that his behaviour was because his father didn't care what happened to him, this made the chils do what he wanted, this child was naugthy and he enjoyed playing but his father didn't pay attencion to him for that reason he didn't want to come back at home, he had to spent a good time with the kidnappers, he already had to someone to play with butn I think that it wasn't the only reason, maybe he needed more attention form his father, he needed someone to play with him and someone who controlled his behaviour.
I agree with you.
Borrardisruptive behavior in young ones might be the result of adult attention. However, this boy has like, a criminal mind and is hard to predict what are the factors of his behavior and would have to analyze what led him to act in that way. Sometimes, genetics or aggression at home can be the cause
Hello Alfre, I share your comment completely. I think we thought similar saying that the child needed more education and attention, and also that it was clear that he felt good when he found attention from his abductors, and he felt comfortable there so he didn't want to back home.
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BorrarQuestion #1
ResponderBorrarIn my opinion, the author describes a kidnapping out of the ordinary or the real. All the kidnapping itself is totally different from what happens in real life, first a child of that age no matter how rude he would be scared if he were kidnapped, second no true kidnapper would support so many mischief; rather the kidnapper would kill a child that try to do something of that Jhonny did, third no kidnapper pays to return to the kidnapped, fourth a father never in life would risk the life of a son, he would have to be a person without a heart. This whole story is a complete joke of what really involves a kidnapping, and I imagine that the author wanted to give a little sense of humor to the story.
Question #4
I think Ebenezer Dorset's answer is complete irony, I imagine that Ebenezer Dorset knew that the kidnappers were not having a good time with Johnny, he knew that Johnny was a difficult child that the kidnappers would not support for a long time, but all It was a complete irony because Ebenezer Dorset was supposed to pay for the rescue of his son not the kidnappers pay to return his son. Compared to real life this is an irony, because in real life or pay or he dies, but even in some cases even if the ransom is paid, the child is killed or never found.
About #4 I agree with you and the part that you said that in the real life you pay or die,and it is complete irony that the kidnappers had to return his gold coin, it's mean the little boy, in the real we can't do that because it so weird that the little boy could do all the he wanted with that two ransoms.
Borrar#4
BorrarReading your comment I can see that you are right, I think that the kidnappers dont know that a father can do this kind of treatment with his son, it's ironic. On the other hand, I believe that his son has bad behaviors, and for that reason he doesn't want him.
#3
ResponderBorrarI think that in this story there were 3 mischief markers; Sam, Bill,
the Johnny's father, why the father? Because he stole $250 and took off the boy and other words the father was the most mischief because he took off two important things, the boy and the money, the other 2 men didn't take nothing. On the contrary, they lost money and won problems with that little tedious boy, because that boy was so annoying, and the most mischievous person was the little boy because he did all that he wanted with the other 2 men and also the little boy was so bad with the poor Bill, so Johnny the little boy maybe was like this because his father was so bad with him and maybe he never showed affection to his son and never wanted to play with him or he wasn't his father and for that reason that treatment toward him.
#5
Well, in my humble opinion I think that O. Henry was trying to express to us the readers that if you don't have the capacity and the patience to take care children are better that you think before; about childrearing, he express that we need to pay more attention and give more affection to our children, because they need more love and feel that they are understanding to their parents , but also they take up all that they see and hear, so their parents need to take more careful about the treatment that they give to their children. I think that Jonny's father was thinking about his son to much but for some situation he knew that his son will come soon and for that reason he didn't feel worry because he met very well his son, he knew that his son was so tremendous to him and why not with the two mischief. I think that the Red Chief doesn't want to go home because his father was so bad to him, and maybe never showed love and affection for that reason his behavior was like tiresome, so maybe the fault is of his father's treatment toward his son and is not fault of him.
Stacy! I really love your opinion, you really made me think about it! That’s totally true! I really think that he was trying to express the responsibility of the father to their children, to take care of every day, make them love, correct their mistakes, tell them when they are mistaken, I mean, to make awareness about the childhood in general, that’s one of the responsibilities as parents. I don’t have kids, but I agree 100% you must make the kids see their mistakes. And, I share your opinion that he didn’t want to regret home, he was having a fun time with his ‘’kidnappers’’, probably in his house his father doesn’t pay him attention or don’t care anything about him, so maybe it could be one of the reason to be sad. Maybe, one day he will remember this kid, but in the way that the tale ends not!:P
BorrarAbout question #5 I agree with you because some parents don't pay attention to their children and for that reason they look attention with another people.Also they get a strange behavior because I think they don't know how to act.
ResponderBorrarQuestion #1
ResponderBorrarWhat makes this kidnapping different from real life or from these times is that, this has a peculiar funny story because the kidnappers are not bad enough with the boy, even when they had planned everything to carry out that, I think that more than a kidnapping is more like an adventure for the boy, if we think that if something like that occur in these times we could go into despair because we would not know how to face with a situation like that, but in this story the author tried to make a different and funny story, the victim attacking the kidnappers and the kidnappers indulging the victim in everything he wanted just to not be attacked, its look no real, and of course with an unexpected end for us as readers, at the end the two desperate men had to paid to return the boy and not as the way they had planned, in a real kidnaping it would have been another end, but this story was funny and different.
Question #4
The respond of the Red Chief´s father is completely ironic in all ways, he answered with a total calm and make them get angry because they don’t expected nothing like that, Ebenezer Dorset knew his son enough to know that the kidnappers could not refuse the offer he was offering them, pay to get rid of a ten year-old child, it is something incredible for the kidnapers, because nothing went as planned, and how tired the dad must be to understand what it´s like to deal with that child, and at the end make them loose money, something that they never expected.
ABOUT THE QUESTION #1
ResponderBorrarWhat I was reading about this story, I don´t believe that this kind of kidnapping is going to happen in the real life, since it was crazy how two men catch a child, ask for reward, and then they must pay to leave him in his house with his father. The author portrays the crime for me like a game with the Red Chief, and does this kidnapping something funny; besides, he shows us and story totally different how I consider that the life is, where the people suffer rape and abuse, and the family must look for the money to paid to the kidnappers, but the worst is that in some cases when the family can´t pay they kill the person.
ABOUT THE QUESTION #4
From my point of view, the Johnny’s father Ebenezer Dorset is a person that is not afraid of the situation that is happening with his child, he takes this problem in a positive way and rather do this kidnapping something funny. He responds ironically to the Ransom note, since nobody was going to believe that a father responds in that way, but I consider that he had problems with his child because of his bad behaviors. I don´t know how a father can negotiate his child in that way even though the boy was a bad person is ironic that he rather ask for the money if they want to return the child to the house; also this story never is going to happen in the real life, you can’t say this to the kidnappers.
Question#1:
ResponderBorrarContrary to the real kidnappings that you can watch on TV, in series in Netflix or in the real life, this author tries to make fun of them, of the kidnappers. Why do I say that? Because in the whole story he explains how the kid abuses of one of the kidnappers, is very funny from him to treats bad the other guys, like when he was with the stone and almost hit Bill. This kid has an amazing energy, and described very well in the story. He wrote since the kidnap begin, all the process, all the activities that they do to communicate with the father of the Red Chief, the money that they were asking, how Sam writes the letter for the Red Chief’s father and how they (let’s say) regret for that and considerate the counteroffer and how they really paid the money to his father. I mean, what kind of kidnappers they are? Haha this make me laugh! In real life if you don’t have the money, the kidnappers kill or abuse of the victim, or torment the family. So, for me he tries to make fun of the kidnappers. Everything in real life is different, and therefore ruder, and cruel. For me the crime is this story make me think about how sometimes people are crazy and stupid. that kind of stuff we need to eliminate.
Question # 4:
I think that is ironic because he knows his son, and the way that the letter was written easily can show you that they weren’t talking serious or consider them as a bad people. I mean, if you’re a criminal, you won’t sign the letter as a Two Desperate Men… C’mon! That’s ironic 100%!! You’re the boss, you have all the power in your hands. If they really wanted, they would have done anything with him like tortured him or something like that but not! They regret it or maybe Bill more than Sam haha. That’s completely silly for me, but they couldn’t support his behavior, his movements and his way of being. I think that his father knew it, that was one of the reason why he replied like that. What had happened if the father didn’t keep his word? And tell the police the whole true? They didn’t think about it! Another thing, they showed their faces to Red Chief’s father, again what kind of kidnappers are they?
#1 I think, the author portrays this story like a joke with a little fun, the kidnappers were very foolish and the did not have idea of how to plan a kidnapping, they only wanted to earn money in easy way, however everything chanced of course, this story han amused in every paragraph. In my opinion, a real kidnapping there is more violence and mistreatment towers the victims ,and real kidnappers are cold and hard heart, they don't care about victims and families, they only want to have the money of the ramson ,and something very important is that a read kidnapper make a real plan and know everything have to do,instead sam and bill were a to foolish men that don't know what they were doing.
ResponderBorrar#3 For me the principal mischief maker was the child, but the kidnappers were his partners in crime,thus there were 3 mischief makers because for the child this situation was an adventure and the kidnappers played with him to reassure him although sometimes they did not support him. In my opinion ths most mischievous but intelligent was Ebenezer Dorset because he changed the game to the criminal fools,Ebenezer knew that the kidnappers were desperate and he took advantage of the situation and won the game at last time.
I agree with you in #3, because most of us thought the little guy was the victim, but until the end I realized the kidnappers suffered even more because of the mischievous little boy.
BorrarAnswering question #1
ResponderBorrarThis crime of kidnapping story is completely different from the ones I've read or had knowledge of. It really surprised me and it was even fun. Many of these cases of kidnappings of children are terrible, they are generically depophiles who kidnap and torment them for a long time.
In fact, there is a case of a young woman from Austria named Natascha Kampusch who was abducted in 1998 at the age of 10 years, she was 8 years in a basement being abused by her kidnapper. Case contrary to Johnny Dorset, the child of the history, who really enjoyed being captive and manipulating their kidnappers.
O. Henry portrayed this crime very funny and friendly if we compare it with reality.
About question #5
I think that although Ebenezer Dorset was a respectable businessman and someone very well known, he was not a good father for my concept. I think that when parents concentrate too much on labor issues, sometimes they forget the family and don't give them a good quality time. In the behavior of Red Chief it was very evident that he needed education, values and attention. He said: "At home I don't have fun and I don't like going to school" so when he got to be with Sam and Bill, he felt attended and entertained. They would play with him and somehow give him the attention that his dad probably didn't offer him and for that reason he didn't want to go home and didn't want to lose his playmates.
I agree with your opinion Fer in your answer#1 usually these cases of kidnapping of children is an issue that touches the heart of society and disgusting at the same time because children take the place of innocence because they are children and do not have in themselves the conscience of their actions, for this same reason for example in jails when a prisoner is in jail for causing the death of a child either by physical violence the inmates of another indole are responsible for making suffer and torture in the same way to these, why? because children are loved and cared for. But returning to this topic as you say is funny because because of the bad upbringing that the child had could go back home even if the father did not support it, usually a dad desperately hopes that his son will return alive in real life but in this hustoria was not like that.
BorrarI share your opinion on question # 1, I don't think I have heard of a similar case, unfortunately now and always these terrible situations have occurred and continue occuring, but in real life unfortunately it would be very difficult for someone to run with the fate of this child who ran into not very smart kidnappers.
BorrarI had not thought that way about the question #5, in sort of way I agree, there are plenty cases in which the children don't receive the parenthood they deserve. Sometimes people put other labors over their family or even themselves. That situation makes uncountable problems, but in this case is reflected in the kidnapping with the kid and their family, and last but not least the response of the father at the letter.
BorrarI completely agree with you on your #5 answer. I firmly believe that this guy with his attitude showed he really needs love, attention,sharing time with his father and undoubtedly he realy needs education and values. As you said, sometimes our obligations "drain" our time, and we don't give our kids the time they need and deserve. Is a fact of priorities, and sadly some parents don't know how to organize their time, some don't care or ignore that the priority must be our children, the contact with the family, the education, the support and the love they need.
BorrarQuestion 1
ResponderBorrarI agree with most of you guys, for me was very funny the story, how it could be possible that a little guy of ten years can annoy his captors with questions, keeping them from sleeping and those kind of things.
In my point of view, it was weird and interesting because we all know that in the real life the kidnappings are not like that. We know that kidnappings are very cruel, inhuman, simply indecent, so what I believe is that the author wants to give us a very different story taking the story maybe like a joke.
Question 4
Ok I think that is ironic ´cause if that situation would have happened in real life the kid's father would have been really worried, but in the story when the father saw the note, he asked them for money, so the role changed.
In my opinion Ebenezer asked for the return of his son, and the money without seem worried because he knew that the behavior of the kid was no good, so he knew that they were going to accept.
I agree with you Karol in your answer #4, I think it's ironic that both the gentleman acting unconcerned and the kidnappers being tortured and not the child, is not the case in real life, so in real life the child would be expected to live and if is that luckily happens and parents desperate for their children but in this story they changed the exact roles as you say it.
BorrarQuestion 1
ResponderBorrarI think the author tries to make this story look funny, maybe like comedy but the most important thing is that if it compares this kidnapping with a real one, the most probably is that a real kidnapping will end in a horrible way, because a person dissapears (Specially a little boy of ten) will be found dead if he or she is not found in the first 24 hours, so for that I firmly believe that boy had not returned to his father's house if the kidnappers were bad poeple, so it makes me think they were not so bad as they had to be if they are criminal!.
Question 5
I hava a reason to believe that Red Chief's rearing is not good enough, basing on how he behaves (nagging and tiring people), and the reason for that is his father does not educate him in a correct way maybe it could be because his father does not have time to share with him and punish him when it is necesary, for that his father does not worry about it because he knows how his son behaves, but in my opinion it is a lack of resposability that one of the parents do not worry if his or her son of ten has not appeared, and to finish I believe the reason why the boy does not want to go home is because he is ignored, while his father is working.
Question #1
ResponderBorrarHe mentions that it was a great idea of kidnapping but that after that idea hit them, really the idea of kidnapping this child was but rather almost a horror story in my brief words. In the story can be deduced how the kidnappers are tortured by the child, well who has seen that instead of being the kidnappers who torture the reen is the reen that tortures the kidnappers and is that it is a helpless child you could say in real life, to kidnap a child today or the child is hurt without mercy or a quick death is what he receives and without even giving the opportunity to pay a sum of money in exchange for the child's life but that the same kidnappers have to pay kidnapping that is strange and even more that the child acts quietly, rather seems to enjoy the kidnapping, since the child mentions that he does not want to be returned to his home and think about playing, in my case being a girl I think that I would be horrendous wishing to return to my home with my parents safe and sound and try to see how I do to escape but this child does not even try that.
Question # 4
the father of the red chief in the letter in the letter that the kidnappers sent him saying that if he wanted his son back he had to pay a sum of money and that only then would he have him back safely and without doubt some the answer of the gentleman was very ironic because he said that the sum was very high and that he made them a proposed comtra, clear knowing how it was the child was very easy to see that the child a good eduacacion had not recieved and that nobody wanted it until the kidnappers did not want it almost turning around crazy they would be. Then the gentleman asked them to pay him two hundred hundred dollars and he would remove the burden and suffering of having this child, of course the man knew that they would not bear to have the ill-educated child for so long doing pranks. Neither the neighbors wanted the child who told them that they would not be responsible for what would happen if they realized that the child was returning and was not missing. I think that in part the lack of education has served to be released and safe from kidnapping but in this plays a very important roll of what is education and how parents are primarily responsible..
Question #3
ResponderBorrarIn my opinion, there are at least 3 mischief makers, taking into account the child, and the last one is perhaps the most dangerous or mischievous, since the fact of making two kidnappers want to return them to their father must be something very difficult to achieve, and well this child had a somewhat unbearable behavior, he managed to make the kidnappers not care about the money, so the issue of the kidnapping to get some money was turned upside down.
Question #4
The irony of Dorset's response is that he made another proposal to the kidnappers asking them completely the opposite of his proposal, the father of the child had Sam and Bill pay him to return the child, when what the kidnappers had planned was to receive more money from Dorset, in the end they had to pay.
ResponderBorrarQuestion 1.
In my opinion, the author is trying to do it in a funny way. Even though the kidnapping was real it doesn’t look as in real life, but also it seemed to be a well-planned kidnapping. According to what I’ve heard, these situations are so dangerous, and people who do it is very strict, they don’t change their mind, at least that’s what I know. During the whole story we can see that they are being respectful with the little guy and that doesn’t occur in real life.
Question 4.
As in every alarming situation, parents are going to be always worried about what’s going on, but here it was totally different because Mr. Dorset acts in an ironic way, telling the kidnapers that they are wrong, that it would be better if they take the boy home and then pay him a little amount for helping them, by keeping his son at home while they flee.
Hi Kevin!
BorrarI agree with you. As you said, we always hear that these situations are so dangerous and the rescues are usually complicated, some end up injured and unfortunately some end up dead. But in this story everything is fun and completely different. When I started reading I expected something different, but in my opinion, it turned out to be very funny.
#1
ResponderBorrarIn my opinion, the story is a comedy, the way they wanted to carry out the kidnapping and the way it resulted. I think they imagined a totally different result. They treated the guy (I would say) like a cousin or just like a guy they had to babysit, not like the “expected or normal” way the criminals do in real life. Kidnapped people are commonly tortured, they are not fed, they are beaten, they sleep on the floor in inhumane conditions, but it was not the case of Red Chief; on the other hand, they played with him make him feel like in camp having fun.
#4
His response was very funny because instead being worried and giving the money they asked for his son, he asked for money from them in order to receive his son back. He obviously knew very well his son and his personality, he was sure that the guy could drive everyone crazy (All parents say something like: “I know very well what I have in my house”) and I believe he imagined that the kidnapping would be the other way around, I mean, his son could make them feel as the kidnaped, indeed they will want to get rid of him as soon as possible.