THANKS GIVING DAY

THANKS GIVING DAY

- O.Henry 

Summary

O Henry is the pen name of American writer William Sydney Porter. Porter’s 400 short stories are known for their wit, word play, characterization and the clever use of twist endings. O Henry stories are famous for their surprise endings, to the point that such an ending is often referred as an “O Henry ending”. The Thanks Giving Day is written by O Henry.

        The Thanks Giving Day is a very special holiday in the United States brimming with celebration and charity. It’ time to give thanks and to offer help to those in need. But in the story the two gentlemen will go to extremes in order to fulfill the true spirit of Thanksgiving.

        Old Pete is a homeless man. He has a tradition of meeting an Old  Gentleman at bench in Union Square every Thanksgiving Day for nine years. He is tall and thin sixty years old man. He was aristocratic-looking . Each year the Old Gentleman invites Pete to a fancy restaurant and treats him to a huge holiday dinner. Then he eats  the dinner and old man sits idle by his side on the bench in the park.

       This year, however , as Pete is making his way to the park bench, the two rich old ladies of ancient family on Fifth Avenue stop him, invite him into their home and served him like a king with more sumptuous than traditional fare.

      Pete is fully stuffed and sat as usual on the same bench in the park. Then the old man came as usual. Pete doesn't have the heart to disappoint the kind old man. He goes along with Old Gentleman to their traditional restaurant and eats a second huge holiday dinner while his elderly benefactor watches and smiles Pete says thanks to Old Gentleman for a fine dinner.

     They both departed Pete towards the North and old gentleman to the South.

      Later that day, they fell unconscious Pete brought to the hospital, the victim of his two holiday dinners. Soon after, within an hour the Old Gentleman is brought to the hospital for his starving.

       From this story 'Thanksgiving Day' O'Henry makes it very clear that most of the times Philanthropic comes more harm than good. It's a sad drama of ironic generosity. One is over eaten and another is starving for two days.