“Transients in Arcadia”
This story was a man and a woman stayed in the great hotel Lotus and two looks very excellent, sophisticated, but at the end it’s proved that both of them actually did living life not so rich-each other needs go back to work.
It’s interesting the metaphor using in this hotel-“during the torrid day one remains in the umbrageous fastnesses of the Lotus as a trout hangs poised in the pellucid sanctuaries of his favorite pool.”.
The description how a woman looks as if a queen was great-“She breakfasted at ten, a cool, sweet, leisurely, delicate being who glowed softly in the dimness like a jasmine flower in the dusk.”.
The description how a woman had the distance from daily life was swell-“I wanted to get up when I please instead of having to crawl out at seven every morning; and I wanted to live on the best and be waited on and ring bells for things just like rich folks do.”.
“The gift of the Magi”
In this story two man was out. One was the mistress Della and another was her husband Jim. The season was Christmas, so Della wanted to get the great present for Jim, but don’t enough money-only had one dollar and eighty-seven cents. So Della decided to sell her hair-it was she proud of and got the present that was worthy platinum fob chain for her husband’s watch. After getting home, Jim gave the present to Della, it was the set of combs Della had worshiped but look at Della, Della cut the hair, so he hesitated to give the present. Della gave Jim the present-Platinum fob chain for Jim’s watch but Jim had sold his watch already to get the present-the set of comb for Della. As be in the title the word “Magi” means so wise men who brought gifts to the Babe in the manger, and O. Henry thought this story’s character was so wise.
The description how the mistress was miserable was great-“There was a pier-glass between the windows of the room. Perhaps you have seen a pier-glass in an $8 flat. A very thin and very agile person may, by observing his reflection in a rapid sequence of longitudinal strips, obtain a fairly accurate conception of his looks. Della, being slender, had mastered the art.”.
The description how Della felt the pleasure was great-“white fingers and nimble tore at the string and paper. And then an ecstatic scream of joy; and then, alas! a quick feminine change to hysterical tears and wails, necessitating the immediate employment of all the comforting powers of the lord of the flat.”.
This two story’s ended up did something mutually.
Bibliography
O. Henry; selected and with an introduction by Burton Raffel (1984), “41 stories by O. Henry”, New York: Signet Classic
(O. ヘンリー著・大久保康雄訳、2002年、『O. ヘンリ短編集(一)』、新潮文庫
O. ヘンリー著・大久保康雄訳、2008年、『O. ヘンリ短編集(二)』、新潮文庫)
