Symbolism in Henry O’s The Cactus

Symbolism is representing the meaning of some object, to give an entirely different

meaning that is much deeper and more significant. Also, an action, an event or even a
word spoken may have a symbolic value. By its definition, symbols are a means of
complex communication that often can have multiple levels of meaning. (Womack, M.
2005) A simple example, smile is a symbol of friendship. Thus, the action of someone
smiling at you may stand as a symbol of the feeling of affection which that person has.
Symbols do shift their meanings depending on the context they are used in. Thus,
symbolic meaning of an object or an action is understood by how it is used. It also
depends on who reads the work.

According to Pierce, a symbol is a general sign, a sign whose meaning has been agreed by
a wide range of people (1894), and to Barthes, symbol is equal to Myth, the third order of
signification which carries cultural meaning. (1972) Laurence Perrine (1983: 4) stated
that the universal and specific meaning of a symbol can be understood as general and
contextual meanings. The general or universal meaning covers the interpretation of a
symbol which carries with it a worldwide acknowledgement. As it called as universal
meaning, it must be easily perceived by the majority of people, because there has been
some kind of agreement made upon its meaning. Thus it also has specific or contextual
meaning.

Furthermore, a novel writer turns imagination and the surrounding circumstances into a
story in which certain things are possible to be represented as symbols, for instance,
quoted from Kate Choplin short story about the death of Mrs. Mallard at the end of Story
of an Hour might symbolize the death of her freedom as a married woman whose rights
were possessed fully by her husband whom she thinks died in an accident earlier that
day. (1894) A similar case of a surrounding circumstances in the story in that has certain
things considered to have to represented as symbols also appear in The Cactus by Henry
O. By the discovery of several symbols in The Cactus by Henry O, that are glove, cactus,
and Spanish a deeper understanding about the context of the story is needed because
without understanding the context or content of the literary work, the interpretation of
this specific meaning may not be any closer to the interpretation the author tries to
express (Perrine, L. 1983:4).

First, the glove. Described as and it is not past belief that one may review an entire
courtship while removing one’s glove (line 3) it can be understand that Trysdale start to
hesitating his own relationship. He is thinking about go over his entire courtship. This
glove thing mentioned at least three times in the story, also in as he slowly unbuttoned
his gloves, there passed through Trysdale’s mind a swift, scarifying retrospect of the
last few hours (line 11) a word slowly is the key of this supposed to mean. Then, in as
Trysdale grimly wrenched apart the seam of his last glove, the crowning instance of his
fatuous and tardily mourned egoism came vividly back to him. (line 42) Sentences that
has the word glove inside it depicted Trysdale doubt inside. Along the story goes it
explained the process of doubt that was in him until he finally let go as he grimly
wrenched. Thus, Trysdale’s slow opening of gloves becomes symbolic of his conscious
rejection of the past.

Second, the cactus. It is the most vivid symbol in the story as I can understand. Because
cactus has a lot more clear mean as a symbol, cactus is a thorny plant, conventionally
accepted as a symbol of repulsion and distancing, suffering and wound, becomes a
symbol of amorous invitation. Despite the twist end, cactus as a symbol is used by the
writer to trick the reader into guessing the end. At noon her groom came to the door and
left the strange cactus in the red earthen jar. There was no note, no message, merely a
tag upon the plant bearing a barbarous foreign or botanical name. (line 66) here it is
how the author manipulates the reader to believe that Trysdale accept a repulsion. The
part of Trysdale misjudge the cactus where he could have confronted his girlfriend for a
clear explanation about her a thorny cactus means. The final revelation comes at the end
knowing that the botanical name Ventomarme means come and get me, that was worth a
dozen love letters. To conclude, the gloves Trysdale finally loose may be equated with the
love that he has to let go of.

Third, it is the Spanish. As far as I understand from the story, the author use Spanish to
symbolize the description of Trysdale’s character that is hypocrite because it all started
when his girlfriend asked him if he knew any Spanish words and he said yes, but he lied
because he doesn’t really know any Spanish languages. To be known as young, noble and
wealthy man, he did not want others to know that he lack of something. However, for
Trysdale’s been lying and the ignorance that kept him from understanding the inviting
message “come and take me” that first written in Spanish so the bad luck that comes up
to it is indeed due to himself.

To be concluded, there are several sign in the story that the author want us to understand
from the symbol he used to describe and deliver the story. The symbol gloves, cactus and
Spanish becomes useful to identify the correlation of symbols, narrative mode and
character representation to lead to the point of reversal when the irony of fate is realized
by both characters and readers. Gloves that symbolize doubt, cactus means come and get
me message that worth a dozen love letters, and Spanish means to describe how
hypocrite the character is. It proven that symbols can carry deeper meanings according
to the context used in the novel.

The Cactus by O Henry : A Story About The Irony of Fate

The Cactus by O Henry is a characteristic short story showing the subtle art of
storytelling that O Henry is famous for. For O. Henry, the short story was not just a
literary act of communicating his artistic imagination, but also a vehicle to explore the
extreme possibilities of such an endeavor. His stories are characterized by extreme
unpredictability, transforming the genre into an active, pulsating living presence. “The
Cactus” is no exception. The readers are , for the principal part of the story, invited into
an assurance of predictable dullness when suddenly their trance is broken and they are
awakened to a revelation.
The most potent device that O. Henry uses to ensure that the readers go through such a
climactic experience is the deft use of the narrative mode. He uses a third person limited
narrative persona who is able to provide an objective rendering of the principal
character’s thoughts and actions.

The story of The Cactus by O.Henry opens with a general observation of the disparity
between temporal expanse and one’s consciousness of it, subsequently relating it to
Trysdale’s present state. This helps him to provide a retrospective account of Trysdale’s
amorous encounters his defeat and sense of despair. However, the account itself is not
entirely objective as it is focalized through Trysdale. It becomes a revelation for Trysdale
as he finds himself responsible for his suffering: “He saw all the garbs of pretence and
egoism that he had worn now turn to rags of folly.” At the same time, the author rouses
the readers’ curiosity as to why the affair could not work!

The lady-love is portrayed with every conventional “feminine grace”- modest, childlike,
worshipful and sincere. The descriptions, evocative of the Petrarchan Courtly tradition,
are ironically, an inversion of the same tradition. This is because, it is the man who is
placed on the pedestal and the woman becomes the adoring worshipper. This could have
been a possible reason for the disastrous outcome, for it only enhanced Trysdale’s
vanity.

Just when the readers begin to accept Trysdale’s high-handed attitude as the probable
cause of disaster, the narrator slips in bits of conversation about Trysdale’s empty boasts
of linguistic competence in Spanish. Only one hint is provided, that, possibly this
particular case of vanity was the source of Trysdale’s eventual crisis: “ He did not feel the
prick of the thorn that was to pierce him later.”

The next part of the story allows this metaphor of thorn to develop through a detailed
account of the arrival of the cactus, sent without any note bearing only a tag with a
strange botanical name. the final revelation comes only at the end when the readers
come to know that the botanical name “Ventomarme” was worth a dozen love letters.
However, Trysdale’s ignorance kept him from understanding the inviting message
“come and take me”. The damage was complete when this ignorance was coupled with
conceit.

The final sentence puts the readers into a perplexing situation, despite the apparent
humour of it. It becomes difficult to see Trysdale as only a rude chauvinist and one may
even feel sympathetic for him. Short stories are not tragedies where mighty heroes fall
from height and go through anagnorisis before the final downfall. Short stories provide
chunks of real life where mediocre people fall for mediocre follies.

The error of judgment on the part of Trysdale is not difficult to locate. Had he been a
little less conceited, he could have confronted his beloved for a clear explanation about
her “thorny” message. He chose pride over love and eventually lost both. O. Henry
generously scatters symbolic messages throughout the text. Trysdale’s slow opening of
gloves becomes symbolic of his conscious rejection of the past. At the same time, the
warmth of the gloves may be equated with the warmth of love that Trysdale has to let go
of.

Cactus, a thorny plant, a conventionally accepted symbol of repulsion and distancing,

suffering and wound, becomes a symbol of amorous invitation. This is the imaginative
genius of O.Henry – he transforms the deep-rooted conventions of the readers to ensure
that they see the reversal in its entirety. The object of supposed rejection becomes the
object of acceptance. O. Henry uses symbols only to dismantle the assumed
connotations so that the readers interpret it in a whole new light.

To understand how the author manipulates the reading experience in “The Cactus”, it
becomes useful to identify the correlation of symbols, narrative mode and character
representation to lead to the point of reversal when the irony of fate is realized by both
characters and readers. He follows every rule of the genre- limited number of
characters, unity of place, time and action; single line of plot; potent symbolism and link
with real life experience. At the same time, he goes beyond the genre, in portraying a
singular universality and almost pathetic defeat of man in the hands of fate.

O Henry The Cactus Summary-A Lost Love

June 19, 2023

saqibkhanj7

The Cactus is a fascinating story in literature that tells a tale in life of man named
“Tyrsdale”.He was in love with a girl but didn’t get her because of his one minor lie.

This article will share The Cactus Summary, Analysis,Themes and lessons for you.Stay
connected till end.

Author

The Cactus is a story written by O Henry.The story was written back in 1902.You can
tell the ending of story till you reach its end.O Henry had a great set of stories in his
bio.Some of work are:

 The Cop And The Anthem

O Henry The Cactus Summary

The story starts with a man named “Tyrsdale“. He’s the main character of the story.He
tell his story to his friend who was his lover brother.He came in his office and saw a
beautiful red jar with a green cactus plant in it.Tysdale even seems sad and ignore
smoking offer.Then,he narrate his love story to his friend.

He was in love with a girl who admired him soo much.She loved him
unprecedented.She praised Tyrsdale but he absorb all such stuff like the desert plants
that capture rain drops.One day,she told him that she had listened from some of his
friends that he knew Spanish.In reality,he didn’t know a lil bit but he lied and said yes to
her.The next day,he proposed her and she said she’ll gonna know her answer the next
day.The man waited for one day and received a gift that had cactus plant with a paper
that had some weird language.Tyrsdale didn’t understand what does it mean.He
waited for the girl and didn’t get reply.The next day,they both parted away.

Now,that girl is married to a new man and she devoted her heart and soul to him.His
friend asked him what was written on that paper and he said “Ventomarme”meaning
“come and take me“.So,the whole event that lead to breakup was misunderstanding
of language and the lie.That’s how the story ends.Many people question
did Tyrsdale reunited with that girl?The answer is no because she was now married to a
man and had devoted her soul to him.

The Cactus Analysis-O Henry Short Story

The story seems full of confusion till you reach ending.The main moral lesson of the
cactus by o Henry is be real in life.Further,writer sends a message to us that we should
never go with lies.Tyrsdale told lie that he knew Spanish and when his lover send him a
letter in Spanish,he didn’t read it and lost her.

The story explores the hazards of lie.Morever,if you analyze character of “Tyrsdale“,
you’ll get a vibe that he seems a man full of pride and arrogance.This is another element
that highlights how pride gonna bring downfall.

Symbols in the cactus by O Henry

 Why it’s called the cactus?Or What the cactus represent in story?

It’s because cactus had thorns that can hurt us.When Tyrsdale saw it,he remember the
one who gifted this and it hurt him.

Further,the girl send him cactus because she loved Tyrsdale like the cactus that always
look thirsty for water.

The Cactus Themes

Here are some major themes in the cactus by O Henry:

Lie
The lie Trysdale spoke to her lover lead to break-up.He lost her because of his lie.This
show how much lies can be fatal in love.

Pride

Tyrsdale personality looks like a man of pride.Even even took that girl as granted in life
and this was his big fault that lead him to downfall.

Power of Truth

Although,it’s hard to tell truth but it has plenty of benefits.If we speak truth,we’ll never
face problems.

Major Lessons

 Never go with lies

 Follow reality and speak truth
 Never let pride as a dominant factor
 Share your problems with your circle

Review:The Cactus Short Story

I say the writing style was difficult.Some of words was difficult to understand at first.The
thing that caught my praise was the ending of story.You can expect the ending of this
story.Further,the writer sends a powerful message in the form of story.

Conclusion:The Cactus Summary-O Henry

Here this blog had completely highlighted “The Cactus Short Story Summary”.If you
have any queries,you can let us know in comments.

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