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Ransom of Red Chief

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Ransom of Red Chief
The Ransom of Red Chief

The story of "The Ransom of Red Chief" is a very ironic story because the author, O. Henry, turns the expectations of the audience around by making them feel sorry for the kidnappers, not the so-called victim. "Red Cheif" is a nine-year-old child who is very hyperactive. He loves to be out doing something anywhere. When the two kidnappers try to lure the boy into their car, he throws a brick, which is very unexpected from a child, and he then accepts to go with them. He doesn 't seem to realize he was just kidnapped and being held for ransom, he wants to play and have fun. The kidnappers take him by a cave and he "camps" in the cave as if the kidnap was a fun experience for him. When he misbehaves for the kidnappers, they threaten to take him home, and he doesn 't want to be taken home. Some of the things "Red Chief" does to misbehave or agrivate the kidnappers is to throw things, kick, scream, and anything he can do to generate a source of fun, which also thoughly annoys the kidnappers, Bill in perticular. Bill is one of the two kidnappers, hes the one "Red Chief" seems to love to terorize. Another way the boy seems to act in an unexpected way, which ties in with the list above, is that the boy actually is not afraid or in fear to hurt the men who held his life, who are starting to become the victim. When the kidnappers write the ransom note telling where to place the cash and where to receive you child, The child 's father replies very calmly. The reply note has a counter offer in which the father, if paid 250 dollars, will take the child off the kidnappers hands. This is probably one of the most ironic things in the story "The Ransom of Red Chief" because usually when a person receive s a ransom note, especially for someone they love, they would panic or simply agree to the preposition. Not only does the father not panic nor pay the ranson, but he also tells the kidnappers to pay him. The kidnappers finally give up and just end up



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