William Sydney Porter Research Paper

William Sydney Porter was a short story writer known for surprise endings and irony through his stories. The writer was born on September 11, 1862, in South Carolina. As a young boy, he clerked at his uncle’s drugstore and at twenty he moved to Texas. The reason for the move to Texas was for health reason, both his mother and grandmother died from tuberculosis. During his life in Texas, he worked on a ranch and as a bank teller. Many of the stories he wrote were stories of his experience living in the West. William Sydney Porter also met a girl named Athol Estes whom he married.
During his time working at a bank Porter was accused of embezzlement of bank funds. William Sydney Porter fled to New Orleans and then Honduras to try to escape the accusations. He left his wife and children behind until he returned to Texas when he heard the news of his wife dying of tuberculosis. In 1898 Porter was guilty of embezzlement and was sent to Ohio jail for a three-year sentence.
During his sentence in jail, William Sydney Porter started writing stories and earned money by working as a pharmacist at the jail. When he was released in 1902 Porter changed his name to O’ Henry and moved to New York. William Sydney Porter wrote stories for several magazines and newspapers under his pen name O’ Henry.
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This related to O’ Henry’s life since he himself have been to jail. After Jimmy was released from jail the character moved to Elmore and soon changed his name to Ralph D. Spencer. William Sydney Porter as well changed his name to O’ Henry and moved New York City. At Elmore Jimmy met a girl named Annabel Lee who had associations to a bank. When O’ Henry was at Texas he met Athol Estes whom also had associations at a bank. Athol Estes soon married O’ Henry, as well as Jimmy, married Annabel Lee. The character and the author both wanted to change their life and become a new