The analysis of short story The Cactus by O. Henry

The analysis of short story The Cactus by O. Henry

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1. SUMMARY

            Trysdale was standing by a table in his bachelor apartments. On the table stood a singular-looking green plant in a red earthen jar. The plant was one of the species of cacti, and was provided with long, the leaves that perpetually swayed with the slightest breeze with a peculiar beckoning motion.

            Trysdale's friend, the brother of the bride, stood at a sideboard complaining at being allowed to drink alone. Both men were in evening dress.

            As he slowly unbuttoned his gloves, there passed through Trysdale's mind a swift, scarifying retrospect of the last few hours. It seemed that in his nostrils was still  the scent of the flowers that had been banked in odorous masses about the church, and in his ears the lowpitched  hum of a thousand well-bred voices, the rustle of crisp garments and, most insistently recurring, the words of the minister irrevocably binding her.

            As she had slowly moved up the aisle toward the altar he had felt an unworthy, sullen exultation that had served to support him. He had told himself that her paleness was from thoughts of another than the man to whom she was about to give herself. But even that poor consolation had been wrenched from him. For, when he saw that swift, limpid, upward look that she gave the man when he took her hand, he knew himself to be forgotten. Once that same look had been raised to him, and he had gauged its meaning. Indeed, his conceit had crumbled; its last prop was gone. Why had it ended thus? There had been no quarrel between them, nothing--

            As Trysdale grimly wrenched apart the seam of his last glove, the crowning instance of his fatuous and tardily mourned egoism came vividly back to him. The scene was the night when he had asked her to come up on his pedestal with him and share his greatness. He could not, now, for the pain of it, allow his mind to dwell upon the memory of her convincing beauty that night--the careless wave of her hair, the tenderness and virginal charm of her looks and words. But they had been enough, and they had brought him to speak. During their conversation she had said:

            How she fluttered like a snared bird when he laid his mightiness at her feet! He could have sworn, and he could swear now, that unmistakable consent was in her eyes, but, coyly, she would give him no direct answer. He, the indulgent, confident victor, smilingly granted the delay. The next day he waited, impatient, in his rooms for the word. At noon her groom came to the door and left the strange cactus in the red earthen jar. There was no note, no message, merely a tag upon the plant bearing a barbarous foreign or botanical name. He waited until night, but her answer did not come. His large pride and hurt vanity kept him from seeking her. Two evenings later they met at a dinner. Their greetings were conventional, but she looked at him, breathless, wondering, eager. He was courteous, adamant, waiting her explanation. With womanly swiftness she took her cue from his manner, and turned to snow and ice.

            After having conversation, Trysdale knew  that  the cactus was from Spanish, The natives imagine the leaves are reaching out and beckoning to him. They call it by this name--Ventomarme. Name means in English, 'Come and take me.'"

2. PLOT

- Beginning

Trysdale was standing by a table in his bachelor apartments. On the table stood a singular-looking green plant in a red earthen jar. The plant was one of the species of cacti, and was provided with long, tentacular leaves that perpetually swayed  with the slightest breeze with a peculiar  beckoning  motion.

- exposition

Shaken rudely by the uncompromising fact, he had suddenly found himself confronted by a thing he had never before faced his own innermost , unmitigated , arid unbedecked self.

- Ending

Trysdale knew  that  the cactus wass from Spanish, The natives imagine the leaves are reaching out and beckoning to him. They call it by this name--Ventomarme. Name means in English, 'Come and take me.'"

3. CHARACTER

- The character in this story is Trysdale as the main figure. The writer using pronoun He as the main figure.

- The characteristic of figure : - Trysdale : kind

                                             - The brother of the bride : friendly

4. SETTING

- Place : in the bachelor apartmens

- Time : at night

- Scene : Relax time, serious