Jimmy Valentine Character Analysis

Many people try to make themselves into someone else, but it does not always turn out well. In Jimmy Valentine’s case though, he succeeded. In the story A Retrieved Reformation, Jimmy Valentine was a burglar who was being chased by the detective Ben Price. He eventually moved to a town named Elmore, which changed him for the better. He went from the notorious Jimmy Valentine, to the man everyone loved, Ralph D. Spencer. In the end, Jimmy Valentine was truly dedicated to living a moral life since he got married, he owned his shop, and he gave away his tools.

When a man marries a woman, he loves her very much and would do anything for her. That’s exactly what Ralph D. Spencer was, and this made him stop stealing. His wife Annabel believed in …show more content…
Yet another reason why Jimmy changed himself. He was good with shoes. In Elmore, a shoe shop had not been made. Since he was a good cobbler, he could make a living off them. Not only was he good, but everyone loved his shop. With his abilities, he earned the respect of everyone in the village. It was also how he married Annabel. “A guard came to the prison shoe shop where Jimmy Valentine was assiduously stitching uppers.” He obviously had some experience from jail. He obviously did not want to go back either. Jimmy had earned the respect of the village, but to finally quit stealing, he did one last …show more content…
“Ralph D. Spencer passed away and Jimmy Valentine took his place.” He broke a safe even though he said he would never do it again. In Jimmy’s letter to his friend Mike, he said he would never do anything bad again. All true statements, however the detective Ben Price saw him at the end as well and would have arrested him if he was going back to crime. He also could not go back to thieving because he gave away his tools. Finally, he could have just robbed the bank, since he was already there, but instead he chose to leave. Although these are valid reasons they are simply