Writing+Style+and+Devices

Readers enjoy O'Henry's writing because of the twist at the end of the story. His stories contain the device we call irony.

Irony Situational irony happens when the outcome of an event is the opposite of what is expected. For instance if a runner had prepared for months for a race and then overslept the day of the race.

[|Video Review of Situational Irony]

Reversal of Character Reversal of Direction

He often wrote about everyday people, and often those who were down and out. Some of his characters were in jail, or homeless, and frequently they were poor, and down on their luck. At times he writes of those with inspirations that pull them out their seeming hopeless lives. His irony and humor make him one of the masters of the short story.