copyright 2003-2023 Study.com. The fact that he earned a seven-year sentence for counterfeiting also proves that Easton would have had to be an excellent liar. A young man is purposefully misrepresented in order to avoid embarrassment among friends. The young woman continues to chat with her acquaintance, but she continues to stare at the handcuffs. In O. Henrys short story Hearts and Hands, Mr. Easton is presented as a handsome, young man with a bold and frank manner. O' Henry is known for writing about good people, irony and symbolism, the story (hearts and hands) has all three. Mr. Easton, though embarrassed was sly enough to play along with this ruse. first sees him, a bright smile appears on her face and she blushes. Like Miss Fairchild, he is also unwise and at a moral corruption, ready to do anything to earn more money. Give a character sketch of the marshal in Hearts and Hands. 273 lessons. For instance, Porter spent some time in jail, where he wrote some of his stories. Although he is initially flustered to see Miss Fairchild, he regains composure quickly. Answer: In O. Henry's story Hearts and Hands', the title speaks about the compassionate heart of the Marshal, who saved Mr. Easton from the humiliation of being identified as a convict in front of an old friend. He also politely informs Miss Fairchild why he cannot shake her hands after she had initiated the gesture. 4. Man and woman activists on demonstration, national flag, hand gestures heart and victory, stork and coat of arms, i love badge cartoon vector set. Here's ur answer! V)The story begins with two people, Mr Easton and the glum-faced man hand-cuffed together. At first, Miss Fairchild is shocked to see the handcuffs; however, the other gentleman steps in and clarifies that he is the prisoner on his way to Leavenworth prison for seven years for counterfeiting. In the story, a passenger on a train in Denver named Miss Fairchild is seated across from an old acquaintance named Mr. Easton. Use the following prompts to learn more and to create your own work. the marshal's kindness toward Easton. Express. Miss Fairchild asks Mr. Easton if he will return to Washington, but her replies that those days are over for him. As soon as he entered the coach, Miss Fairchild, his old acquaintance, recognised him and got interested in talking to him. A body is said to move in a translatory motion if the whole body moves through the same distance in the same interval of time. II. Irony - a literary device used when writers portray an event or character in a surprising and unexpected way. All the characters in the short story are on a train bound for Denver. Of course, the marshal is also gallantly sparing the woman her blushes, too, because he has seen the distress on her face at seeing her former beau handcuffed to another man. Miss Fairchild comes across as a gullible character, easily deceived by the other two men. - Career Counseling The other two passengers play a short but significant role as well. 1 Answers. Significance of the Title: The title of story 'Hearts and Hands' is suggestive and appropriate because it refers to the conclusion of the story where the true identities of Mr. Easton and the marshal with the knowledge that a marshal always cuffs prisoners to his left hand. Perhaps, he has come to the west for a better life and in search of more money. An error occurred trying to load this video. In addition, she indicates to Easton that she is no longer seeing her former suitor, the ambassador. Despite being a prisoner, Mr Easton is clearly a charming and polite man. This is because O. Henry uses irony, description of characters and theme as details that all interconnect to find the twist of the story. In Talbot county, Eastern Shore, Maryland, near Easton, the county town of that county, there is a small district of country, thinly populated, and remarkable for nothing that I know of more than for the worn-out, sandy, desert-like appearance of its soil, the general dilapidation of its farms and fences, the indigent and spiritless character . He will certainly succeed. 'Say--did you ever know an officer to handcuff a prisoner to his right hand?''. Judging by the crimes he's committed, Easton is a thoroughly dishonest man, a fraudster who thinks it perfectly acceptable to engage in counterfeiting to get the money he needs to pursue a lavish lifestyle. His Showing Honesty in Certain Things When the marshal becomes compassionate and saves him from embarrassment by lying to the lady that he is the convict, Mr. Easton carries on talking to the lady with ease. Get unlimited access to over 84,000 lessons. people, Mr. Easton . But the fact that Miss Fairchild initially got things right (as her distress would suggest) implies that there is something unspoken about the appearance of the two men (something in their dress, perhaps, which O. Henry omits?) A native to the North Blue, Sanji grew up as part of the Vinsmoke family under his father Vinsmoke . So, it is evident that he is quite ambitious and reckless. young man on the train; handsome with a bold, frank countenance. Evidently, the man with Easton senses Easton's embarrassment and volunteers an explanation: Easton is the marshal, and the two are headed for Leavenworth prison. Miss Fairchild is smitten by Mr Easton, which is clear from her, interaction with him throughout the story. She holds a Mississippi AA Educator License. 273 lessons. Miss Fairchild has obviously missed Mr. Easton from her circle of friends and is excited to see him again. - Study Strategies that REALLY WORK! If that is true, it indicates to the essential. While one of them believes that Easton is the marshal, the other man shrewdly observes that marshals don't cuff their right hands to prisoners, and so Easton cannot be the marshal. In "Hearts and Hands," the conflict and twist revolve around two men who are handcuffed to one another on a train in Denver. He is caught off guard at the sight of Miss Fairchild. He needed to go to Leavenworth, and she needed to feel attractive and only put off due to Mr. Easton's obligations. At any rate, Miss Fairchild misinterprets his position in the handcuffs, believing Easton is the marshal rather than the criminal. Among other things, this indicates a certain shallowness on Easton's part; everything for him is all on the surface; it's not what you are but what people think you are that counts. After all, theres no chance of Mr Easton wooing Miss Fairchild now, but he may as well be permitted his little lie to a woman he will doubtless never see again. Through his actions, the marshal represents the moral that no one should judge others by outward appearances and that human kindness and compassion for others should be extended to all. Freedom for belarus stickers of opposition symbols. the passenger's appreciation for the marshal. One remarks on Mr. Easton's appearance, saying that he seems too young to be a marshal. His quick-wittedness is also evident from the way he anticipates that too much conversation. Now he was being taken to the Leavenworth, prison for seven years of imprisonment for counterfeiting. As he says: I had to do something. The Eavesdroppers The role of the eavesdroppers is to make the reader aware of Miss Fairchild's error in identifying Mr. Easton as the marshal as they recognize that no marshal would handcuff his prisoner on his right hand. And if conforming to other people's expectations requires moneyeven if it's stolen moneythen so be it. What does the marshal show about his character by choosing to lie for Mr. Easton, and how does this tie into the overall theme of "Hearts and Hands?" . In the story, Hearts and Hands, the author presents characters who cross-paths and strike up a seemingly innocent conversation. It quickly becomes apparent that the woman knows one of the men. Use the following prompts to learn more and to create your own work. The wind (1)____(pick) up and a few drops of rain fell on the old tin roof. He does not keep her in the false hope of seeing her or having a relationship with her. I saw this opening in the West . A woman, Miss Fairchild, spots an old friend Mr. Easton on a train B. Mr. EASTON initially felt a little nervous and embarrassed because of his . eNotes Editorial, 9 Apr. The men enter into the train handcuffed to each other. O. Henry is clearly playing with our assumptions about what a criminal looks like, and he cleverly uses symbolic detail to build up his simple plot so it carries deeper meaning. The common themes of his short stories are deception, the effects of coincidence, unchangeable fate, mistaken identity and . In this story, the protagonist eventually learns that Mr. Easton has been arrested for counterfeiting, which means that he was involved in fraudulent imitation of some kind, likely for financial gain. The glad look in the girls eyes slowly changed to a bewildered horror. The roughly dressed bigger man implies that Mr Easton is the marshal rather than the prisoner, and Mr Easton informs Miss Fairchild that has left Washington D. C. to travel out west to take up a job as a marshal. Characters. Create your account. Once the real marshal leads Miss Fairchild to believe that Easton is the marshal, she notices details in the two men that seem to confirm this erroneous information. This website helped me pass! How does this depict the overall theme of Hearts and Hands? As Miss Fairchild is horrified, the marshal comes to Mr. Easton's rescue and insinuates that it is the marshal who is the prisoner. Young and beautiful Miss Fairchild is surprised to see Mr. Easton, her old friend on a train. "Hearts and Hands" is a short story by O. Henry about a man named Benny who is a part of a group of street performers known as "Hearts and Hands.". This story has perfectly blended reality and fantasy to bring out the irony of the writing. This shows his humane nature and sympathy for others, even for a criminal. Clearly he was always burning through money when living among fashionable Washington society (I had to do something, he tells her when the ruse has got underway; Money has a way of taking wings unto itself, and you know how it takes money to keep step with our crowd in Washington). himself by posing for a prisoner. His Heavy Greed for Money Mr. Easton seems to have migrated from the East to the West for earning more and more money. Answer: The Marshal is described to be a grim looking man who is taking a convict, Mr. Easton to Leavenworth prison. Get unlimited access to over 84,000 lessons. So, it is evident that he is. Our summaries and analyses are written by experts, and your questions are answered by real teachers. The two men happen to be on the same train as the young woman, on of them enters into a conversation with the lady and it is . Easton clearly attaches a good deal of importancetoo much importance, in factto the trappings of high society life. All the while, two passengers seated nearby have listened to the conversation. The title informs the astute reader that the story is going to deal with handcuffs, the quizzical nature on which hand or hands the cuffs are cuffed, as well as the emotional side of the characters . 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