Hearts and Hands by O.

Henry
L8.5 Demonstrate understanding of figurative language, word relationships and nuances in word meanings.
RL.8.3 Analyze how particular lines of dialogue or incidents in a story or drama propel the action, reveal aspects of a character,
or provoke a decision.
RL.8.1 Cite the textual evidence that most strongly supports an analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences
drawn from the text.

Directions: Please use 3 different colored highlighters (one for each character in the chart below) and as you read
Hearts and Hands, highlight any information you learn about each character. Then complete the chart below.
Character

Physical
Characteristics and
Personality

What the character says

or thinks (include direct

Characters actions

(include direct quotes)

quotes)

Words and actions of

other characters
(include direct quotes)

(include direct quotes)

Miss Fairchild

Mr. Easton

-pretty
-fancy clothing
-rich
-was old friends with
Mr. Eastman
-thinks Mr. Eastman is a
marshall
-lovely smile
-rounded cheeks
-little grey gloved hands

-bold
-Frank countenance and
manner
-Handsomely dresses
-Handcuffed to another

Oh! said the girl with a

deep breathe and
returning color. So that
is what you are doing
out here? A marshal!

The girls eyes,

fascinated, went back,
widening a little, to rest
upon the glittering
handcuffs.

Don't you worry about

them, Miss, said the
other man, All marshalls
Handcuff themselves to
their prisoners to keep
them from getting away.
Mr. Easton knows his
business.

The younger man

roused himself sharply
at the sound of her
voice, seemed to
struggle with a slight
embarrassment which

...and then clasped her

fingers with his left
hand.

Well mr. Easton, if you

will make me speak first,
I suppose I must. Don't
you ever recognize old
friends when you meet
them in the West ?

Hearts and Hands by O.Henry

Other man

man with his right hand

-embarrassed to see
Miss Fairchild
-Is a prisoner

he threw off instantly,

-ruffled glum faced

-roughly dressed
-Heavily built
-handcuffed to Mr
Eastman with his left
hand
-Is a marshall
-Is kind by letting the
prisoner be on good
terms with Miss.
Fairchild

You'll excuse me for

speaking, miss, but I see
you're acquainted with
the Marshall here. If you
ask him to speak a word
for me when we get to

the pen he'll do it, and

it'll make things easier
for me there. He's taking
me to Leavenworth
prison. It's seven years
for counterfeiting.

The glum-faced man

had been watching the
girls countenance with
veiled glances from his
keen, shrewd eyes.

Young! exclaimed the

speaker, why-Oh! Didnt
you catch on? Say-did
you ever know an officer
to handcuff a prisoner to
his right hand?

Based on the characterization above what can you infer about the characters?
You can infer that Mr. Easton doesnt want to embarrass himself in front of Ms. Fairchild, so hes lying about being the
Marshall. You can also infer that the other man, who is actually the Marshall, is okay with Mr. Easton doing this. Its probably
because the other man finally found Mr. Easton, and he is going to jail for seven year, so hes okay that he wants to impress
the girl.
Explain the plot twist at the end of the story using text evidence:

At the plot twist at the end, you realized that the other man was actually the Marshall. The text states, Young! exclaimed the

Hearts and Hands by O.Henry

speaker, why-Oh! Didnt you catch on? Say-did

you ever know an officer to handcuff a prisoner to his right hand? Since
most people are right-handed, you can guess that the Marshall probably is too. If the Marshall is right-handed, he would want
his right hand free. Mr. Easton handcuffed his right hand, so he wasnt the Marshall.

RL.8.1: Cite the textual evidence that most strongly supports an analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences
drawn from the text.
Not Yet Meeting
Struggled to explain
what the text directly
says as well as the
meaning behind the
text. Did not identify
evidence from the text.

Approaching Standard
Explained what the text
directly says as well as the
meaning behind the text.
Identified evidence, but not
necessarily the strongest
evidence.

Meeting Standard
Explained what the text directly says as well as
the meaning behind the text. Identified the
evidence that most strongly supports this
analysis.

Exceeding Standard
Explained what the text directly says as well as
the meaning behind the text. Identified the
evidence that most strongly supports this
analysis AND proposed an argument for why this
is evidence is the strongest.

RL.8.3: Analyze how particular lines of dialogue or incidents in a story or drama propel the action, reveal aspects of a character, or
provoke a decision.
Not Yet Meeting

Approaching Standard

Meeting Standard

Exceeding Standard

Struggled to identify where

particular lines of dialogue or
events in a story or drama propel
the action, reveal aspects of a
character, or cause a certain
decision to be made

Identified where particular lines

of dialogue or events in a story
or drama propel the action,
reveal aspects of a character, or
cause a certain decision to be
made, but did not explain how.

Explained how particular lines of

dialogue or events in a story or drama
propel the action, reveal aspects of a
character, or cause a certain decision to
be made

Explained how particular lines of dialogue or

events in a story or drama propel the action,
reveal aspects of a character, or cause a
certain decision to be made AND supported
an argument for how this is important to the
overall story