Analysis Essay on Biography and Works O. Henry

The life of prolific author and father, William Porter spanned 47 years from 1862-1910. Porter is better known under his pseudonym, O. Henry. The author was born and raised by his grandmother and aunt in Greensboro, North Carolina. He attended a private elementary school and public high school until he was 15 when he quit for work. From the time he started working until his last job, he held many job titles. Some include a bank teller, bookkeeper, reporter, drugstore clerk, and ranch worker.  Although Porter had this experience and education, it wasn’t until later in life that he started publishing his stories.

Although he held many different jobs, that wasn’t the only thing his life consisted of. Porter also had an eventful personal life.  At 25, he eloped with seventeen year old Athol Estes, the future mother of his daughter. The three of them lived in Austin, Texas, in a home which is now the O. Henry Museum. When his daughter was only 7 years old, he worked as a bank teller, until he ran into trouble with the law. In 1896, the police caught him for the embezzlement of bank funds so he fled to Honduras, leaving his home and family behind. After finding out in 1897 that Athol was ill, he returned until her death that July. His incarceration took place after her death and he served only three years due to good behavior. After being released, he spent his last years writing stories in New York. As a widower and ex-convict, these years were unfortunately filled with depression and alcoholism. He also got remarried to his childhood sweetheart Sarah Coleman but their marriage only lasted about a year. In 1910 he died of cirrhosis (a late-stage liver disease), caused by his chronic alcoholism. Even though the end of his life was not joyous, the work he put into his legacy still carries on to this day.

It was after getting out of prison that Porter wrote the majority of his notable pieces. Inspired by people he had met in Honduras and New York, his stories included everyday people in the lower to middle class. With his experience gained as a former columnist, he was already established as a good writer. In 1905, he published his most famous short story, “The Gift of the Magi”. The surprising irony at the end of the story is something he became known for in his stories. A movie collection called “O. Henry’s Full House'' features this story, recognizing it as his most famous work. His career and legacy have been long lasting ever since. For example, the O. Henry Award is an annually granted award to exceptional writers in the U.S.