An Analysis of "The Cop and the Anthem"

I. The introduction of the author and the story.

The author of this story is O Henry. Henry was a distinguished American storywriter. He
wrote more than 300 short stories in his life, and all of his stories were ingeniously
conceived, with the endings always contrary to readers' expectations His father was a
doctor. He has a cheater of life as its theme, written many short stories. The most
outstanding of his short stories such as Love Sacrifice, The Cop and the Anthem,
and the furnished rooms, Magi Gifts. Such as The Leaf of Rattan among the list of
the worlds outstanding short story.
"Police And Hymn" are one of European Henry's representative works. Humorous
charming, the pungent satire, the idea unusual plot winding are changeable, is this novel
artistic feature. The novel poorly describes because to be unemployed, the home less
tramp, for enters the jail to be able to find a place to live but intentionally the crime,
several time causes trouble has not all achieved the goal, afterwards wanted to change
evilly reforms, the cop have actually arrested him.
II.

The analysis of the element of The Cop and the Anthem

2.1 Conflict
The conflict may be either external, when the protagonist is pitted against some object or
force outside himself, or internal, in which case the issue to be resolved is one within the
protagonists own self. The conflict of this story: the struggle between Soapy and Cop
and between man and society. The man and the society is the external one.
2.2 Plot
There are four stages in this story. They are exposition, complication, climax and

resolution. Exposition: the exposition is the beginning section in which the author
provides the necessary background information, sets the tense, establishes the situation,
and dates the action . It usually introduces the characters and the conflict, or at lest the
potential for conflict. Complication: the complication , which is sometimes referred to as
the rising action, develops and intensifies the conflict. Crisis: the crisis (also referred to
as the climax) is that moment at which the plot reaches its point of the plot, directly
precipitating its resolution. Resolution: the final section of the plot is its resolution; it
records the outcome of the conflict and establishes some new conclusion or the
denouement, the latter a French word meaning unknotting or untying. In this story,
the exposition is from paragraph 1 to 5. The main idea is Soapy desired to spend the
winter in the prison. The main idea is soapy sought many ways to make cop catch him,
but all in vain. The climax is from paragraph 32 to 36 tell us that soupy came to an old
church and began to reflect himself. The resolution is from paragraph 37 to 41. The main
idea is that although soapy decided to change, he was caught by the cop for nothing in
the end.
2.3 Character
There are two kinds protagonist and antagonist. Protagonist is the major or central
character o the plot and easy enough to identify. Antagonist is the opponent of
protagonist and may not be a living creature at all but rather the hostile social or natural
environments. The other is the indirect. The direct methods are characterization through
the we of names, characterization through appearance and characterization by the author.
The indirect characterization are characterization through dialogue, characterization
through action. In this story, there are three characters: soapy, the policeman and the
whole society. Soapy is the protagonist. The cop or the whole society is the antagonist.
The author used for methods to portray the characters in this story characterization
through appearance, characterization through the authors comments, characterization

through the dialogue and characterization through the actions.

2.4 setting
In its broadest sense, encompasses both the physical locale that frames the action and the
time of day or year, the climatic conditions, and the historical period during which the
action takes place. The function of setting; setting as a background for action, setting as
antagonist, setting as means of creating. The first paragraph of this story described of the
wild geese honk high of nights. That is setting as means of creating appropriate
atmosphere. In the paragraph 34 to 35, there is a description of the church, this is setting
as a means of revealing character.
2.5 Point of view
The method of narration that determines the position, or angle or vision, from which the
story is told. The type of point of view: Omniscient point of view, Limited point of view,
first-person point of view and Dramatic point of view. The point of view of this story is
Omniscient point of view. The great advantage of the Omniscient point of view is the
flexibility. It gives its all knowing narrator, who can direct the readers attention and
control the sources of information.
2.6 Theme
The theme is the central idea or statement about life that unifies and controls the total
work. The theme of this story is people are born kind and equal. But under the evil
control from the local government. Some of the people become evil. Though they are
hoping to change themselves, they are not gave any opportunities to do so.
III.

The

comment

on

this

novel

Look over the full text, the European Henry humorous manifestation is different. One of
them is the author ingeniously utilizes in the settling developing process "unfairness".

Soapy by once several time stirred up trouble, wanted to enter the jail to be able to find a
place to live. But he always "bad luck". The police should stress his time does not grasp,
should not walk time grasps. This a series of the phenomenon which disobeys with the
reason causes the person bursting out laughing to laugh in spite of trying not to all. In the
thing developing process "unfairness" often ingeniously is used by the people displays
humorously, but European Henry on has utilized this technique well, and borrows this
profoundly reflects the social reality. Certainly, in the article utilizes the humorous
method so much, but it has a common ground that is any place has the humor, any place
has author's profound meaning. If the author article writing technique is humorous, to
society's exposition was profound at that time, when reflection depressed classes life and
the mood is heavy.
Holds humorously to send the profound meaning which is Henry's humor in the
European. Looking from this angle, "Police And Hymn" an article not only has
manifested author's humorous style, moreover lets us further understand any is the true
humor.