“Cop and the Anthem”

By Justin Ehrenpreis

Author

O’ Henry

Setting

Late fall Washington park, NYC streets

Characters

Soapy, young woman (knows Soapy), umbrella man, police cops (2), restaurant workers

Plot

Trying to go to jail so he can be fed and comfortable in the winter time than on the streets. Later on he feels guilty for trying to go to jail.

Themes

“Never give up”

“Think before you act”

“Be careful of what you wish for”

Literary Devices

Soapy wants to be somebody

Epiphany- inside church

Situational irony- when he wants to get arrested he doesn’t, when he doesn’t want to get arrested he does