Figurative Language
Which type of figurative language is used: "That boy put up a fight like a welterweight cinnamon bear"?
Simile
Word meaning "those who live in a place"
Inhabitants
What is Red Chief's real name?
Johnny Dorset
Why do Sam and Bill need money?
For a fraudulent town-lot scheme in Western Illinois.
Why did the kidnappers think the small town Summit, Alabama was the best place for a kidnapping?
They believe the people are simple and had few resources to investigate.
What type of figurative language is being used: ". . . it ani't human for anybody to give up two thousand dollars for the forty-pound chunk of freckled wildcat."
Metaphor
Word meaning "supplies of food"
Provisions
What is the first thing Red Chief did to Bill?
Hit him in the eye with a piece of brick.
What occurs in the EXPOSITION of a story?
The general situation of the story, the major characters, and the setting is introduced to the reader.
What is an example of verbal irony at the beginning of the story?
The name of the town is Summit, meaning "the highest point of a mountain" but the town is described as being "as flat as a flannel cake".
What literary device is being used in this example: "Bill and me figured that Ebenezer would melt down for a ransom of two thousand dollars to a cent. But wait till I tell you."
Foreshadowing
Word meaning "to spread throughout"
Pervade
Where did the kidnappers keep the boy they kidnapped in "The Ransom of Red Chief"?
In a small mountain cave about two (2) miles from Summit, Alabama.
Why did Same go to Poplar Grove to mail the ransom note?
He didn't want the letter traced back to him and Bill.
Which two characters had the most conflict between them?
Bill and Red Chief
What type of figurative language is used: "I went out and caught that boy and shook him until his freckles rattled."
Hperbole
Word meaning "secretly; in a sneaky way"
Surreptitiously
Who is the narrator of the story?
Sam
In response to the kidnapping demand, Ebenezer Dorset makes a counter-offer. What is it?
He says the kidnappers must pay him $250 to take his son back.
What is ironic about Red Chief's kidnapping?
You would expect a kidnapping victim to be terrified and try to escape but Red Chef was having so much fun he didn't want to go home.
Describe the tone of O. Henry's "The Ransom of Red Chief."
Humorous
Word meaning "a bitter scolding or criticism"
Diatribe
Who is this passage describing: "Just at daybreak, I was awakened by a series of awful screams . . . . They weren't yells, or howls, or shouts, or whoops, or yawps, such as you'd expect from a manly set of vocal organs -- they were simply indecent, terrifying, humiliating screams, such as women emit when they see caterpillars."
Bill
What is the RESOLUTION of "The Ransom of Red Chief"?
Ebenezer Dorset says he can hold Johnny for about 10 minutes to give Bill and Sam a head start of run and get away from Johnny.
Why is the story an example of situational irony?
Because you would expect the kidnappers to be paid a ransom but the opposite happens. The kidnappers have to pay to get rid of Johnny.