Class-XI
Prose
Chapter- 3
Jimmy Valentine
-O. Henry
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| Jimmy Valentine Broad Questions and Answers |
Broad Questions and Answers (Long Questions and Answers)
1) Describe the appearance and behaviour of Jimmy.
Ans:- Jimmy is easygoing with a good sense of humour. Even the warden of the prison seems to like Jimmy and Jimmy is comfortable enough to joke with the warden. We learn he has a good heart by what the warden says to him:"You're not a bad fellow at heart. Stop cracking safes, and live straight.” This information about Jimmy's personality also foreshadows what Jimmy will do at the end of the story.Jimmy Valentine likes the good (material) things in life. When Jimmy is released from prison he is not interested in nature but goes to a restaurant for a nice meal and a good cigar:We see that Jimmy has compassion because he "tossed a quarter into the hat of a blind man sitting by the door."We get a sense that Jimmy is young, good-looking, and well-built by this physical description of his appearance:"Jimmy, looking like an athletic young senior just home from college..." and that he is sophisticated and likes to dress well by the way the clerk at the hotel is impressed with the way Jimmy acts and the clerk studies/admires the way Jimmy tied his tie.
2) Give an account of Jimmy’s life in Elmore before his real identity was disclosed ?
Ans:- Before his real identity was disclosed ,Jimmy led the life of his dream at Elmore. He settled down there as Ralph D Spenser and set up a flourishing shoe business. He also succeeded in securing the love of Miss Annabel Adams and they got engaged. Even Mr Adams, the typical plodding country banker, approved of Jimmy. Though Jimmy continued to live in hotel, he visited the Adams household very often and had become someone who was seen as a member of the family, After his marriage , Jimmy wanted to sell his assets and settle on the western part of the country where he presumed he would not have any old enemy who would like to settle scores with him.
3) Describe Jimmy’s final meeting with Ben Price. Why did Ben refuse to recognize Jimmy?
Ans:- In the story Jimmy Valentine When Jimmy saved the life of the little girl by cracking open the safe in the bank of Mr Adams, he saw Ben Price standing at the gate. Jimmy knew that he had been exposed and it was clear to everybody that he was after all a burglar. Jimmy felt that the world had come to an end for him. He knew that Ben had come to arrest him and as he was totally frustrated at the turn of events, he smiled at Ben and offered to go with hum as it did not make any difference to him then. At this juncture Ben pretended not to know him at all and reminded him that his buggy was waiting for him. Ben refused to recognize Jimmy as he was convinced that Jimmy was already a reformed man and did not deserve any more punishment. He did not wish to come between Jimmy and his happy life ahead with Annabel.
4) What did Jimmy write in his letter to his old friend?
Ans:- In Elmore Jimmy's life was totally changed and he decided to give his tools to one of his friends. So he wrote a letter to one of his friends for giving his tools to him. In his letter to his old friend, Jimmy wrote that he wanted to meet him at Sullivan’s Place in Little Rock on Wednesday night at nine o’ clock. He wanted to present his old friend Billy his kit of tools which was impossible for anybody else to replicate. He wrote that he had quit his job as a burglar, was boing well in business and was going to marry the finest girl on earth and lead a straight life. He also informed his friend that after his marriage he would sell out and go to the west and settle there with his wife and not commit any crime in his life again. At the end of the letter he again requested Billy to be sure to come and take away his kit from him and end up a few things for him.
5) Evaluate the character of Jimmy Valentine.
Ans:- In O Henry’s short story “Jimmy Valentine”, the hero Jimmy has been presented in the beginning as a smart burglar who would not touch hard drinks, would mix with the upper class people, and would randomly impersonate. Later Jimmy is transformed and the agent of this transformation is his love Annabel Adams whose strong personality and looks captivate Jimmy. He falls in love and becomes a good man. His goodness goes to the extent of saving the life of a little girl at the cost of his own future with Annabel. Jimmy ,thus, is an example of a person who is transformed by the power of love. This type of complete transformation is rarely seen. It shows Jimmy’s commitment to his love and his commitment to stick to honesty and goodness after renouncing criminality.
6) Discuss the irony in the story 'Jimmy Valentine.'
Ans:- Retrieved Reformation is about a thief named Jimmy Valentine who cracks open safes and vaults. He was released from jail, but continued to open safes, so an investigator named Ben Price tries to track him down. Until one day, Valentine falls in love with a woman named Annabel Adams, and decides to live a whole new life as a man named Ralph D. Spencer.The irony in this story happened towards the end. "Ralph Spencer" prospers in his shoe store, and will marry Annabel Adams in two weeks. Since Jimmy Valentine is no more, the suitcase with the pick-locking tools have no use either; Spencer decides to give it away to one of his friends. However, the same day Spencer was going to drop off his tools, one of Annabel's nieces was accidentally trapped in the new vault at the bank, and there seemed to be no way to get her out of the vault. Although Spencer had carried the suitcase of tools with him to the bank, he could get Agatha (the niece) out, but doing that would reveal who he really was -- a criminal. Revealing the truth might end the wedding; not to mention the fact that Ben Price had finally tracked Valentine down and was watching him by railings.Ben Price realized that Jimmy was starting a new life to rehabilitate himself, so he let it all go, which might also be the reason why he walked away.
7) How did Jimmy prove his nobility towards the end of the story ' Jimmy Valentine'
Ans:- When Annabel requested Jimmy to do something for saving the child , Agatha who was accidentally locked inside the vault , Jimmy was in a fix . He had with him the tools for burgling .But if he would open the door to save the child , his real identity would be revealed to all , specially to Annabel whom he loved so well . in this situation he showed his nobility by cracking open the door to save the child . Even when he was aware that this action would ruin his prospect of marrying Annabel and might send him back to jail .
8) ' He opened this and gazed fondly ' . What was opened ? What did the person gaze fondly at ? Why did he gaze at it fondly
Ans:- The suitcase which belonged to Jimmy Valentine and was kept hidden in his room was opened.
The suitcase contained Jimmy's burglary tools . It was an assortment of specially tempered steel implements like drills, punches, braces, and bits, Jimmies, clamps and auger along with one or two special tools innovated by Jimmy himself .
Jimmy got these tools specially made at a secret place where these were manufactured. It cost him over nine hundred dollars for the complete set .Jimmy felt proud of them and so looked fondly at his prized possession.
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