Journal:

• Have you ever wished for something that you later came to regret? Write about your experience. What was it that you wished for? Why did you later regret your wish?

Summary: The story is about a homeless man named The story is about a homeless man named Soapy. Soapy faces the urgent necessity of Soapy. Soapy faces the urgent necessity of finding some sort of shelter for the winter. He finding some sort of shelter for the winter. He plans to put himself in prison in Rikers Island, plans to put himself in prison in Rikers Island, the New York City jail. the New York City jail.

For this purpose, Soapy decides to do For this purpose, Soapy decides to do something illegal in order to attract a cop’s something illegal in order to attract a cop’s attention. What he does includes cheating a attention. What he does includes cheating a restaurant into serving him an expensive meal, restaurant into serving him an expensive meal, vandalizingvandalizing the plate-glass window of a luxury the plate-glass window of a luxury shop, repeating his eatery exploit at a humble shop, repeating his eatery exploit at a humble diner, sexually harassing a young woman, diner, sexually harassing a young woman, pretending to be publicly intoxicated, and pretending to be publicly intoxicated, and stealing another man's umbrella .stealing another man's umbrella .

However, no matter what he does, his plan However, no matter what he does, his plan falls into failure. Disappointed, Soapy hears the falls into failure. Disappointed, Soapy hears the church organ playing an anthem that makes him church organ playing an anthem that makes him decide to turn over a new leaf. Just at this decide to turn over a new leaf. Just at this moment, a policeman taps him on the shoulder moment, a policeman taps him on the shoulder and asks him what he is doing. Soapy answers and asks him what he is doing. Soapy answers “Nothing,” and then he is arrested by the “Nothing,” and then he is arrested by the policeman. He is convicted of the misdemeanor policeman. He is convicted of the misdemeanor of loitering and sentenced to three months in of loitering and sentenced to three months in blackwell,s islandblackwell,s island

Blackwell,s island:

Discussion:

• How could Soapy have avoided being jailed?

Discussion:

• Consider the effect of a job training program for criminals in jail on future crime prevention. We evaluate the relative effectiveness of a job training program on lowering the probability of reentry and making duration till re-entry longer. Some programs are shown to be more effective than others, thus reorganization of programs may lead to more effective future crime prevention.

Satire:

DEF: A satire is a literary genre in which vices, follies,

abuses, and shortcomings are held up to ridicule,

ideally with the intent of shaming individuals,

and society itself, into improvement. • Although satire is usually meant to be funny, its

greater purpose is often constructive social criticism, using wit as a weapon.

Q: What could O. Henry possibly be satirizing about

society in his short story “The Cop & the Anthem”?

Satire:• Although, this story was written in a Although, this story was written in a

humorous style. In fact, it satirizes the humorous style. In fact, it satirizes the society at that time. The police who society at that time. The police who people think are ones to maintain justice people think are ones to maintain justice are not ones to maintain justice. Whatever are not ones to maintain justice. Whatever Soapy did, he wasn’t caught as he had Soapy did, he wasn’t caught as he had wished. But when he did nothing, he was wished. But when he did nothing, he was caught by the police. Maybe the author caught by the police. Maybe the author complained about American situation. We complained about American situation. We should take it as a reminder, we shouldn’t should take it as a reminder, we shouldn’t have our society fall into that situation. have our society fall into that situation. This is what we should pay more attention This is what we should pay more attention to.to.

• Maybe he is trying to say that cops are Maybe he is trying to say that cops are never around when we need them. Isn’t never around when we need them. Isn’t that the truth!that the truth!

Closing Journal:• What does O. Henry

show us about society with the character of Soapy? What would society be like if the people who wanted to go to jail couldn’t? What do you feel in society today creates people like Soapy?

The Cop and The Anthem - YouTube.htm.lnk