Red Chief Thesis

Although it is age-old wisdom to believe what we see, but sometimes this is not the best practice, as around 60-90 percent of people miss an object when they are focused on something else (Scientific American, Live Science). In “The Ransom of Red Chief,” two desperate men kidnap a child to get a ransom. This child ends up being a handful, and the two men are in over their heads taking care of him. The plan the two men have made to get money fails, as after sending the boy’s father a ransom note, they get a reply back saying that he will take the boy back if they pay him 250 dollars. The men agree, wishing to get rid of their annoying stolen property as quick as possible. In the short story, “The Ransom of Red Chief,” the author, O. Henry,

To begin with, after sending a ransom note, the two men get a return message back from the father of the boy, stating that he will gladly take the boy from the men if they pay him 250 dollars. In his note, the father writes that if “you bring Johnny home and pay me two hundred and fifty dollars in cash, and I agree to take him off your hands. You had better come at night, for the neighbours believe he is lost, and I couldn’t be responsible for what they would do to anybody they saw bringing him back” (TRORC, pg. 14, par. 3). This is contrary to what the men originally want, as they are expecting payment, rather than having to pay the father of the boy. They were originally sure that they could get easy money out of the deal. They believe all of this based on the fact that the father, and not on the boy himself. In addition to getting a return message that dashes their hopes of getting easy money, the two men decide to return the boy and pay the 250 dollars, contrary to their original plan. After receiving the note, Sam, the other kidnapper, is angry at first, but his accomplice Bill says, “What’s two hundred and fifty dollars, after all? We’ve got the money. One more night of this kid will send me to a bed in Bedlam. Besides being a thorough gentleman, I think Mr. Dorset is a spendthrift for making us such a liberal offer. You ain’t going to let the chance go, are you?” (TRORC, pg. 15, par. 2). Sam eventually agrees with Bill, and they both return the boy and pay the 250 dollars. Their plan to make easy money has failed due to the fact they went on the original appearance of the boy and his father, and not the actual temperament of the boy. Along with returning the boy and paying 250 dollars, the two men make a very quick get away. Sam comments