JIMMY VALENTINE BY OHENRY THEME The power of love is more effective than anything else in changing a mans character

Relevance of the Title The story is about Jimmy Valentine, a burglar who is reformed after falling in love, so the title is selfexplanatory Setting and Time Small towns in America, specifically in Elmore, Arkansas Is probably set in the last decade of the 19 th or the first decade of the 20 th century Characters Jimmy Valentine, an expert safecracker/ Ralph D. Spencer, a successful small businessman The warden at the prison where he was incarcerated, and Cronin, the guard His friends Mike Dolan and Billy Ben Price, the detective who had arrested him In Elmore: Annabel Adams, the bankers daughter, with whom Jimmy falls in love Mr. Adams, the banker Annabels married sister Her two daughters nine year old May and five year old Agatha PLOT SUMMARY Jimmy Valentine is being released from jail the details of his crime and punishment The wardens advice to Jimmy Jimmys response Jimmys actions on being released His meeting with Mike Dolan at the latters caf his activity there Jimmys resumption of his career Ben Prices reaction Jimmys move to Elmore, Arkansas his encounter with a young lady near the Elmore Bank Jimmys efforts to find out more about the town and the young lady His subsequent actions the disappearance of Jimmy Valentine and the appearance of Ralph D. Spencer in his place Jimmys successful career as Ralph, a businessman Jimmy writes a letter to a friend indicates his intention to begin a new life Ben Price arrives in Elmore finds out all about Jimmy Jimmys plan of visiting Little Rock breakfast at the Adamses before he sets out The visit to the Elmore Bank to view the new vault Jimmy is disinterested Ben Price wanders into the bank May locks Agatha in the bank vault there is no way of getting the child out All look to Jimmy for help Jimmy asks Annabel for her rose throws off the persona of Spencer, reverts to Valentine Jimmy takes ten minutes to cut through the steel door and release Agatha He walks out, prepared to be arrested Ben Price pretends not to know him CHARACTER STUDY Jimmy Valentine as Valentine Expert burglar who specialises in cracking safes, works alone Has spent ten months of a four year sentence in prison where he expected to spend three months has influential friends

Likeable even the warden in the prison seems to like him Extremely clever never admits to anything Inspires loyalty in his friends Mike helps to get him a governors pardon Has a taste for good society likes to eat good food and wear expensive clothes Unrepentant goes straight back into a life of crime though he learnt shoe-making in prison Is skilled in drawing out information he manages to get all the information he wants about Elmore and the young lady from the boy in front of the hotel Falls in love in an instant and is a changed man Jimmy Valentine as Ralph D. Spencer Opened a shoe store in Elmore, became a successful businessman Gained social success made a lot of friends, won the respect of the community in Elmore Met Annabel Adams and fell more and more in love with her was engaged to her by the end of the year How others felt about him (a) Annabel loved him and was proud of him; she expected him to solve her problems (b) Mr. Adams approved of him (c) he was treated like a member of the Adams family Decided to break off from his old life completely and start afresh because of Annabels belief in him decided to give his burglars tools to a friend Doe not show interest in the new vault shows the firmness of his purpose Courageous enough to make the right choice in rescuing Agatha, even though he knows that his action will lead to his exposure and arrest shows his love for Annabel Ben Price Had been responsible for Jimmys earlier incarceration Relentless sets out to capture Jimmy when he resumes his criminal career Does not give up even when Jimmy has been leading a respectable life for a year Careful and given to detailed study of the person he is pursuing he knows the hallmarks of Jimmys modus operandi; he tracks Jimmy to Elmore; he enquires carefully into Jimmys life in Elmore A man of morals when Jimmy rescues Agatha, he pretends not to know Jimmy and lets him pass