The Plot

The plot of the story runs as follows:

The exposition of the story is at the very its beginning. The reader is introduced to the landlady, Mrs. Parker who shows her apartment to a client. It is an author’s introduction that describes the usual model of Mrs. Parker’s behavior when presenting the rooms. The situation is not too pleasant which at once gives the reader the general impression about the woman.

The rising action starts when we meet Miss Leeson, a young tender woman who wants to get a room but is very short of money. She has to endure the landlady’s behavior, her attitude when she finds out that she was ‘neither a doctor nor a dentist’ and humiliation when she is led to the worst room in the house which cost only 2 dollars.

Despite all the difficulties the poor girl manages to find happiness even in such a bad situation. In this house she finds many friends, she spends a good time there and even finds a star in the sky which is seen through the skylight in her room. She gives it a special name because it ‘looks like the big diamond pin that Night fastens her kimono with’.

Having lost her job Miss Leeson is exhausted by the constant search for work and lack of food comes home one day and being too weak to undress falls upon the iron cot. The only thing she can see is her star, Billy Jackson, shining down on her, calm and bright. She thinks how beautiful and special it is ‘But you kept where I could see you most of the time up there when there wasn’t anything else but darkness to look at…’.

And here is where the climax comes. At 10 o’clock the next day a maid found Miss Leeson locked in her room. Somebody called the ambulance. When the young medico arrived and heard the name of the patient he hurried up the stairs and took care of her himself.

The resolution of the story is expressed through the narrator’s thoughts. There was nothing known about Miss Leeson or the strange behavior of the doctor, only a few words ‘Dr. William Jackson, the ambulance physician who attended the case, says the patient will recover.’.

The setting

The events in the story take place at the Mrs. Parker’s house, a lady of noble manners who rents her rooms.  The rooms in her house are divided according to the price. The cheaper they are – the higher the floor is. A young woman, Miss Leeson, came to Mrs. Parker in an attempt to get a room. As she was very poor she was given the smallest room in the whole house. It was in the attic, poorly furnished and with only one narrow window in the roof. In spite of the poor conditions Miss Leeson moved in.  The atmosphere of the room shows to the reader the character’s feelings. It is dull, dark and empty as well as Miss Leeson’s life is tough and lonely. But there is a window in the room, though small, still the stars are seen through it. They are like symbols of hope for her, hope for the better future, for the better life, close or distant but apparently real.  

Let’s get acquainted with O.Henry =)

William Sydney Porter (September 11, 1862 – June 5, 1910), known by his pen name O. Henry, was an American writer. O. Henry's short stories are known for their wit, wordplay, warm characterization and clever twist endings. He wrote about the life of ordinary people in New York City. Typical for O. Henry's stories is a twist of plot which turns on an ironic or coincidental circumstance. Although some critics were not so enthusiastic about his work‚ the public loved it.

Henry's best known work is perhaps the much anthologized 'The Ransom of Red Chief'. Besides, he is famous for 'The Gift of the Magi', 'One Dollar's Worth', 'The Last Leaf'.

O.Henry’style is famous for snapper or twist endings, making readers “root for the underdog” and describing the life of ordinary people.

My first impressions!

It was very difficult for me to start working on my stylistic analysis. Perhaps the most difficult task for me was to choose a story to analyze. Having looked through almost all of them I’ve finally chosen “The Skylight Room” by O. Henry.

In the long run the story turned out to be a very interesting one and I have no regrets about choosing it. Frankly speaking, it is quite intricate. The end of the story leaves for the reader to make his own decisions about the story and thus everyone understands the story in his own way.

All in all I liked the story and I want to make you like it too. So, here is my analysis! ))