The Cop And The Anthem Analysis

The Cop and the Anthem is a short story that includes interesting morals that the reader could use within their own lives. The story takes place in downtown New York City and is centered around a man by the name of Soapy. The decision to read the story based on its interesting title that the author had given it was a very great idea. Before reading the story, the reader probably expected the story to be centered around a police officer who enjoyed music, but after reading a few lines the reader could tell it wasn't. Personally, I enjoyed the shocking ending to the story. I'd recommend the story to anyone. The author O. Henry provides hidden messages to the reader telling them that people are the ones in control of their own path. Also, The …show more content…
In society it's bad enough people are more often judged by their physical appearance, and also, people are quick to assume and misjudge others and the story provides different examples. The story presents different events when others constantly judge Soapy. For instance, when Soapy attempted to enter the restaurant before he could even step foot in the restaurant he is shoed out because of his scruffy clothing. The people inside of the restaurant did not even know if Soapy was capable of purchasing a meal, but they quickly assumed he was poor, and they turned him down. The author did a great job inserting different examples of how people in even today's world are so quick to judge. When Soapy throws the stone through the glass window, the cop rushes and ask him who committed the act. Soapy even hinted that it was him, and the cop still did not believe him. As the cop confronts Soapy he notices a man chasing a cab and he chases after the man. It seems as if Soapy judges himself, by limiting what he is capable of, and he feels that his only way of life is being homeless. When Soapy encountered with the woman he figured that since he was a homeless man he was strange, and the woman would have been afraid of him, but she wasn't. Next, the author compares a higher-class person's plans for the winter are vacationing of traveling to Florida or enjoying the beaches, while …show more content…
Soapy never gave up on his objective, when one plan did not go well he came up with a new plan. The short story informs the readers of how people are judged based on how many assets they own, but that does not define who people are overall. Soapy was constantly judged based on the fact that he was homeless. He tried to go to the first restaurant and they people inside shoed him away. Lastly, the author states that one's struggle is their everyday problem, and they must go through it. Soapy's plan to go to prison for three months was his seasonal plan, so that he would be able to survive the winter. O. Henry's short-story provides readers to stay on the right path and ensure that they follow their dreams and achieve their