Examples Of Figurative Language In The Ransom Of Red Chief

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In the story The Ransom of Red Chief, the story follows Sam and Bill, with the story giving first person perspective to Sam. The story follows the two men who are staying in a small town called Summit, even though the town is as flat as a pancake. The two men had to raise some money to pull off a scam they had planned, and that's when they came up with a plan to kidnap Ebenezer Dorset’s child. Ebenezer was a banker in the town with many riches, which made him a prime victim for the two men, but they didn’t mind thinking about the boy and his behavior. They went to Ebenezer’s residence to capture the boy, but it was not an easy battle like one would suspect. Throughout the story the boy takes control over the two men, and instead of getting any money out of their heist, the two men end up paying Ebenezer to take his kid back. The story uses many instances of Figurative Language, Imagery, and Situational Irony to showcase the theme to not judge a book by its cover. Using a simile to compare the boy to a bear when …show more content…

O’ Henry uses figurative language to compare the little boy to a bear, showcasing his power and control over the two men by comparing him to a commonly respected animal of the forest. O’ Henry also uses imagery to describe the terror the little boy makes Bill endure throughout the story, given Bill is the designated babysitter while Sam goes and does all the heist work. Lastly, O’ Henry finishes off his use of literary devices with the uses of two perfect examples of situational irony, through the little boy having absolute control of the two men, and also the parent, Ebenezer, not wanting to pay for his son back, but instead for them to pay him back to take the boy off their hands. O’ Henry perfectly showcases his valuable them of not judging a book by its cover through his strategic uses of figurative language, imagery, and situational

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