ANSWER KEY

GRADE-8 (ENGLISH)
AFTER TWENTY YEARS(PROSE)
- William Sydney Porter(O’ Henry)
TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE

Q. Read Bob’s statement given below. Match them with the character traits they reflect.
1. I come a thousand miles to stand in this door tonight,
and it’s worth it if my old partner turns up. b. dependable
2. The next day, I was to start for the West to make my fortune.
you couldn’t have dragged Jimmy out of New York, he thought it
was the only place on earth. f. daring
3. You see, the West is a pretty big proposition, and I kept hustling
around over it pretty lively. a. arrogant
4. You bet! I hope Jimmy has done half as well. c. proud
5. If Jimmy is alive on earth, he'll be here by that time. d. faith in friends
6. You've changed lots Jimmy. I never thought you were so tall by
two or three inches. e. observant
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WORKSHEET
A. Read these sentences and answer the questions.
1. "Rather a long time between meetings, though, it seems to me."
a. How much time had passed between the meetings?
Twenty years had passed between the meetings.
b. Where did the first meeting take place?
The first meeting was at Big Joe Brady's restaurant.
c. What do you think was the speaker's mood when he said this?
The speaker was rather surprised when he said the above line.
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2. "Did pretty well out West, didn't you?”
a. Who had done pretty well in the West?
Bob had done pretty well in the West.
b. Name the two things that the speaker noticed that made him remark that the other had done pretty
well ‘out West’.
The large diamond scarf pin and the watch with diamonds made the policeman remark that Bob had
done well in the West.
c. How do you think, had he actually done so well?
Bob had made a fortune by illegal means. He had become a criminal and was now wanted by the
Chicago Police.
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B. Short Questions. (Answer in about 40-50 words)

1. Describe the appearance of the man in the doorway. How do his possessions help you understand his
economic situation?
The man in the doorway was pale, lean and had a square-jawed face with keen eyes. He had a white scar
near his right eyebrow. He had a habit of smoking cigars. He had an expensive watch with diamonds and
his scarf pin had a diamond as well which proved that he was well-off and had lived a luxurious life.
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2. How can you say that Jimmy Wells was sharp and clever?
Jimmy Wells was sharp and clever because he recognized the true identity of Bob and sent a stranger to
arrest him because he knew that he couldn't have done it himself owing to his old friendship. Jimmy’s
act tells us that for him duty was foremost, but he valued his friendship with Bob and he did not want to
embarrass his friend by arresting him on his own.
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3. Why didn't Jimmy Wells make himself known to his old friend?
When Jimmy Wells recognizes Bob as a wanted criminal, he holds himself back from revealing his
identity and later makes himself known to Bob by means of a letter. Being a protector of law, Jimmy’s
duty and conscience did not allow him to make himself known to his friend. His friendship with Bob
made it was difficult for Jimmy Wells to arrest his friend on his own. So, he sent a plain clothes man to
arrest him and tell him the truth.
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4. What does the note tell you about Jimmy and Bob?
The note tells us that Jimmy and Bob were really close friends. That’s why, even after twenty years both
of them were at the designated place and time to meet each other. They were loyal to each other and it's
their bond which made it difficult for Jimmy to arrest Bob. He, however, had to do his duty so he sent a
plain clothes man to arrest Bob. He didn’t arrest Bob himself as he valued their friendship too.
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C. Long Questions. (Answer in about 50-60 word)

1.’One, his egotism enlarged by success, was beginning to outline the history of his career.’
What does this sentence tell you about Bob's personality?
The above-mentioned line highlights Bob’s materialistic fondness. Bob had always been an adventurous
and ambitious kind of person. He was the one who had ventured out into the West. His success in the
West not only fed his ego, but also added colour to his career. In order to add to his success, he became
unethical. He is extremely proud of his ‘progress’ and material success. His pride is clear that he can’t
wait to tell his old friend Jimmy Wells about it. He can hardly hold himself back from boasting about his
material success. His egotism is established on his ability to outperform his business competitors and he
enjoys boasting about the fact.
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2. Can Jimmy and Bob be compared to the hare and the tortoise? How?
In the story of the hare and the tortoise, the tortoise who had been slow but steady had won the race. The
hare, on the other hand, had been overconfident and had lost. Both Jimmy and Bob had started their
journey of life together before taking different routes to proceed in life. Bob, who wanted success at any
cost, had achieved great material success but was brought to a rude halt in his life. Like the hare, he lost
the race to Jimmy and finally got arrested in the end. Jimmy who had worked at a slow pace in life, had
remained steady and true to his morals like the tortoise. He succeeded by fulfilling his duty and arresting
the most wanted criminal.
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3. Compare and contrast Bob's and Jimmy's characters.

Bob and Jimmy Wells, who were longtime friends were very different from each other. Both men have
taken very different paths in life. They no longer are the young men that they had previously been. One
is a cop while the other is a criminal. They have chosen to live their lives on opposite sides of the law.

Silky Bob was the most wanted criminal the Chicago police had been after. Bob’s life had become one
of a man more comfortable being on the wrong side of the law. After he went out West, Bob got
involved in various questionable adventures. He is proud of what he has achieved since he boasts that
the West has given him everything that he has wanted. Nevertheless, Bob has not forgotten the love he
has had for Jimmy Wells and in an act of strong loyalty, Bob travels over a thousand miles to meet his
friend despite possible risks.

Wells was, first and foremost, an honest and sincere officer of the law. When the man in the doorway
says that he is meeting an old friend after twenty years, Jimmy realizes that this man is his old friend,
Bob. However, on noticing that his friend was none other than a wanted criminal, he decided not to
disclose his identity and meet him. He sent his colleague to arrest Bob instead. Like Bob, he also was
loyal and valued their friendship. This is evident as he did not arrest his friend himself and sent a note
for his old friend. Jimmy Wells was also dedicated to his friend as he kept the promise of the
appointment made twenty years ago.
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D. Extrapolatory Question.
In the story “After Twenty Years, what does the police officer do after saying good night to the man in
the doorway? What does this tell you about Jimmy? Is Jimmy justified in what he did with his friend?
Give reasons support your answer.
O’ Henry’s ‘After Twenty Years’ highlights an important theme- Duty vs Friendship which is
beautifully brought out through the characters Jimmy Wells and Silky Bob.

Jimmy recognized that the waiting man’s face resembles that of a wanted criminal by the
Chicago police. So, he held himself back and did not disclose his identity. He said good night
and left the place. He sent a plain clothes man to arrest Bob, but not before sending a short note
revealing that he was there at the appointed place on time. He had recognized him as a criminal
wanted by the Chicago Police, but his friendship had held him back from arresting Bob himself.
Under obligation of his duty, he had held back his identity and did what he was supposed to do
as a dutiful citizen.

This tells us that Jimmy Wells was loyal and he did keep the promise of the appointment. He
was an honest and sincere policeman too. Yes, whatever Jimmy did was justified as he fulfilled
his duty and respected his friendship at the same time. Jimmy's actions demonstrated that he still
cared for his old friend despite his crimes. In this way, Jimmy was true to both his obligations
and his heart.
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