October and June

"October and June" by O. Henry


Brief information about O. Henry
O. Henry was an American writer whose short stories are known for wit, wordplay and clever twist endings. He wrote nearly 600 stories about life in America.
He was born William Sidney Porter on September 11, 1862, in Greensboro, North Carolina. His father, Algernon Sidney Porter, was a medical doctor. When William was three his mother died and he was raised by his grandmother and aunt. He left school at the age of 15 and then had a number of jobs, including bank clerk. In 1896 he was accused of embezzlement. He absconded from the law to New Orleans and later fled to Honduras. When he learned that his wife was dying, he returned to US and surrendered to police. Although there has been much debate over his actual guilt, he was convicted of embezzling funds from the bank that employed him, he was sentenced to 5 years in jail. In 1898 he was sent to the penitentiary at Columbus, Ohio.

O. Henry's 'October and June' is a story about the Captain and his love interest, who rejects him due to their age difference. Explore a summary of 'October and June', with attention to the protagonist's visit to his love and a May/December relationship.

May/December
You may have heard this expression before: ''They have a May/December relationship.'' What on earth could that possibly mean? One person is born in May and the other is born in December? What's the big deal about that?

In fact, a May/December relationship is used to describe two people in love who have a wide gap in age. If you think about May being the start of a young person's vibrancy and December being explanatory of an aged person approaching their senior years, you can see how the months are used to describe particular pairings.

In O. Henry's short story ''October and June'' you might be able to speculate on the ages of the potential lovers, but how it pans out may just surprise you.

Summarizing ''October and June''

''October and June'' opens with a very regal introduction. A character identified only as ''The Captain'' is looking at his sword hanging on the wall. His faded uniform, evidence of ''his country's strenuous times,'' hangs in the closet.
But it's not war that's on the Captain's mind. It's a woman. The Captain is in love with a woman who has just politely turned him down. Her note, in part, read: ''In declining the honor you have done me in asking me to be your wife, I feel that I ought to speak frankly. The reason I have for so doing is the great difference between our ages.'' She continues by saying that, even though she likes him a lot, she's certain their marriage would not be suitable.

Not content to sit by and take no for an answer, the Captain pulls himself up out of his misery and decides to plead his case in person. After all, he was celebrated in the field for his ''decisiveness and energy.'' The Captain prepares ''for his greatest battle'' and boards a train to visit Theodora Deming at her family home in Tennessee.

Visiting His Love
Upon arriving at the house, he spies Theodora sitting on the porch and approaches her. Seeing her in person again, he is convinced their age difference would not be that big of a deal. Theodora is receptive of his visit, though curious about whether he had received her letter or not. The Captain says he has, asking her to reconsider.

Conclusion

Enjoy the short story "October and June" of a great American writer O. Henry. You will read about a frustrated marriage, but the unexpected ending makes this story humorous and ironic. Main character, Captain gets a letters from his sweetheart, where she refuses to marry him. The reason she gave was the age difference. For such a determined person as Captain it doesn't sound like a sufficient reason. His love, care and high position in society can cover the difference in age. So he rushes to her place hoping to win this battle. The lady meets him with a gentle smile, through she's uncompromising in her decision. Age difference will become a problem in a couple of years and their marriage won't be happy. Courageous Captain calmly accepts this answer and goes back home. Only the last paragraph gives us a key to the whole composition, turning this sad story into a comical incident.A SmartTouch Media production.
L