Clauses - Noun Clause, Adjective Clause and Adverb Clause

 

Essay on The Night the Ghost Got in (by James Thurber)

Introduction:

                “The Night the Ghost Got in” is a short-story from “My Life and Hard Times” written by James Thurber.  The author is one of the most famous humourists and cartoonists in America. Like Milton, he grew blind in course of his lifetime and spent his last eleven years of life in utter blindness. The humour in his story arises mainly from the odd characters in his story and their inappropriate understanding of what happens around them. In this story, the author’s over imaginative mother, eccentric grandfather, fussing police officers, the dining hall ghost and the helpless author all contribute to the humour of the story.

The Visit of the Dining Hall Ghost in Midnight:

                After taking bath upstairs at 1.15 a.m, the author hears the footsteps of the ghost in the dining hall downstairs. The author knows very well that there is a ghost in his house which entered on the night of November 17, 1915. The ghost now makes a rhythmic walking around the dining table again and again. The author wakes up his brother Herman and comes with him downstairs. The sound of the footsteps now starts running around the table and moves towards them. Herman flees upstairs and slams his door to fall asleep. The author’s mother is awakened by the sound and she imagines that it may be burglars. The phone is downstairs. So she throws a shoe that breaks through the window of the neighbour’s bedroom and informs the angry neighbour Mr.Bodwell to call the police. The mother again tries to throw another shoe out of fancy but is controlled by the author.

The Cops and Their Much Ado About Nothing:

                A Ford saloon with full of cops, two cops on motorcycles, a patrol wagon with eight policemen and a few reporters all arrive at the spot. Flashlights are shot everywhere and the police brake in the glass front door. They make a shot all around and pull down the windows, doors, shelves, the front stairs and the back stairs. Finally they find nobody and think that the burglars would have escaped.  The mother there stops the author from doing anything and he is helplessly standing with just a towel around his waist. He looks ‘hot’ to the police but really ‘cold’ with fear. The way the police make a fuss produces humour in the story.

Grandfather’s Peculiar Treatment of the Police:

                Suddenly all police hear a creaking sound in the attic. During the American Civil War, General Meade’s army made a retreat against the Confederate Army headed by Stonewall Jackson. The grandfather sleeping in the attic sees the police coming to him and thinks that they are the deserters from Meade’s army, now coming to hide away in his attic. He roars “ye, cowardly dogs!” and slapps a policeman to the ground. He takes the gun from a policeman and starts shooting on his shoulder. Usually people will be afraid of police but here the police are afraid of the grandfather and do not dare to go near him. Finally the author informs the reporters that there is a ghost in their house that is the reason for all these.

Conclusion:

                The way the next day the grandfather asks what happened yesterday amuses everyone and the author thus ends the story in a lighthearted manner. The author doesn’t say what happened to the hungry ghost. He rather says, there is a ghost within everyone that makes noise and terrifies others. The writer also plays the comic role by unknowingly putting on one of his mother’s blouses. The way the reporters and cops look at him adds further humour. Thus the story does not care for any results or solution and just makes fun of human eccentricities.

Essay on After Twenty Years – a Short Story Written by O Henry

Introduction:

            O Henry is a remarkable famous short story writer of America though he had short-lived and died at the age of 47. He has written over 300 short stories and “After Twenty Years” is one of the best short stories from him. It deals with Fate, Friendship and Duty and combines them all into a single thread as an interesting short story. If fate plays a game with your life, which one would you like to be loyal to – Friendship or Duty? The short story answers by unfolding the suspense in the climax.

Two Faithful Friends and Their Pledge:

            Eighteen-year-old Bob and twenty-year-old Jimmy Wells are two faithful friends in New York. Bob wants to leave for the West to find his fortune but Jimmy Wells is not ready to leave New York. Hence both make an agreement to live on their own way but to meet again after twenty years in the same restaurant where there are having a dinner right now at 10 p.m. They promise to meet again wherever they are and in whatever condition they are after 20 years. They part with each other. For sometimes, they keep correspondence between them but after a year or two, they don’t have any contact with each other and fate drags them apart and changes their character and life totally.

Bob’s Loyalty Even After 20 Years:

            Bob has grown very rich but by wrong means. He has now become an outlaw searched by the police. Anyhow after 20 years, he comes to the same restaurant to keep up his promise to his friend. He is very loyal to his friendship and is patiently waiting in the same place in darkness where there is no such restaurant now. A sincere patrolman on night duty comes to him to know why he is standing there.  Bob lights on his cigar and tells him everything about his promise with Jimmy Wells. The patrolman is surprised to see the friendship between them and his loyalty.  He wishes him that his friend Jimmy Wells would come alright and leaves the place continuing his duty.

Bob’s Meeting with Jimmy Wells:

            After 20 minutes, a tall man with overcoat crosses the street in the darkness and comes to Bob. “Is that you, Bob” he asked, doubtfully. “Is that you, Jimmy Wells?” cries the other excitedly.  He is so happy to see his friend again keeping the promise. The tall man holds both the hands of Bob in his own and takes him to a nearby drug store which has enough lights. Bob talks a lot about his career and how fate has changed his life overtime. When they come near the lighted drug store, Bob snaps his hand from the tall man and realizes by seeing the flat nose that he is not his friend Jimmy Wells who had Roman nose. The tall man reveals the fact that he is a police officer and has arrested him 10 minutes before. He also hands him over a note written by the Patrolman Jimmy Wells. The note reveals the truth that the patrol man is his friend who is loyal to law and anyhow he could not arrest his own friend.

Conclusion:

            This story from O Henry does not have just two characters. Darkness that hides the identity of the patrolman is a character. The rain that keeps the street less crowded and creates a pleasant moment for memories is also a character. Moreover, fate itself is a character that changes the character of Bob in course of twenty years and again locks him with the chains of loyalty and friendship. Both the friends are loyal to each other that is why they come to the same spot after 20 years. But for Jimmy Wells, being loyal to law is more important than being loyal to his friendship. He doesn’t want his friend to escape, though he is his best friend and long missed one.