Jimmy Valentine DQ
A Retrieved Reformation
Alias Jimmy Valentine
Jimmy Valentine – O’ Henry [1862-1910]
Descriptive Questions : 5 /6 Marks
Previous Years’ Question Papers
1. “I never was in Springfield in my life!” Who is the speaker? Who is he speaking to? How was Springfield associated to his life? What was the context of this remark? [1+1+1+2] / [1+1+1+3] [WBCHSE Class-XI Annual Examination 2023]
👉In O’ Henry’s short-story, “Jimmy Valentine” Jimmy Valentine is the speaker of the above mentioned line.
Jimmy is speaking to the warden who handed Jimmy his pardon signed by the governor that morning.
Springfield was associated to Jimmy’s life because it was the case of Springfield for which he was arrested by Ben Price from his room and was sentenced for four years.
In his front office when the warden handed Jimmy his pardon letter signed by the governor that morning, he informed Jimmy that he would be released in the next morning from the prison. After that the warden advised Jimmy to make a man of himself because he had been not a bad fellow at heart. He also advised him to stop cracking safes and live straight. Hearing this Jimmy instantly ignored the warden’s advice by asserting that he had never cracked a safe in his life. He also emphasised that he had never been to Springfield in his life.
2. What did Jimmy Valentine do from the time he got out of jail till he met Mike Dolan? [5] / [6] [WBCHSE Class-XI Annual Examination 2017]
👉After being released from jail, disregarding the song of the birds, the waving green trees, and the smell of the flowers, Jimmy headed straight for a restaurant where he tasted the first taste of sweet joys of liberty in the shape of a broiled chicken and a bottle of white wine–followed by a cigar a great better than the one the warden had given him. From there he proceeded leisurely to the depot. He tossed a quarter into the hat of a blind man sitting by the door, and boarded his train. After three hours of train journey he reached the town where his friend Mike Dolan had his cafe.
Related Questions
[I] Retrace Jimmy Valentine’s course of action from the moment he is granted parole to the time he reaches his room. [5] / [6]
[II] What did Jimmy Valentine do after his release from jail before reaching Mike Dolan? [5] / [6]
[III] How did Jimmy react after his release from jail? [5] / [6]
[IV] What did Jimmy Valentine do from the time he got out of jail till he met Mike Dolan? [5] / [6]
[V] What did Jimmy disregard after his release? How did he taste the joys of liberty? Summarise his course of actions till he reached his room. [1+2+2] / [1+2+3]
👉After being released from jail, disregarding the song of the birds, the waving green trees, and the smell of the flowers, Jimmy headed straight for a restaurant where he tasted the first taste of sweet joys of liberty in the shape of a broiled chicken and a bottle of white wine–followed by a cigar a great better than the one the warden had given him. From there he proceeded leisurely to the depot. He tossed a quarter into the hat of a blind man sitting by the door, and boarded his train. After three hours of train journey he reached the town where his friend Mike Dolan had his cafe. Mike asked his pardon for being late in making him free from jail and stated that the delay was caused owing to a protest from Springfield, and the governor nearly had balked out. Then Jimmy asked for the key of his room and went upstairs.
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3. “That’s Dandy Jim Valentine’s autograph.” Who said this and why? How did he come to such a conclusion? [1+2+2] / [1+2+3] [WBCHSE Class-XI Annual Examination 2022]
👉In O’ Henry’s short-story ‘Jimmy Valentine’ Ben Price, an eminent detective who worked on Jimmy’s cases, said this as he was sure that those three consecutive burglaries–the first one in Richmond, Indiana, the second one in Logansport, and the third one in Jefferson City were done by Jimmy himself. Ben Price was sure because he came to know about Jimmy’s habits while working on the Springfield case.
After visiting the scenes of burglary, by comparing the notes, Ben Price noticed a remarkable similarity in the methods of the burglaries, and then he assessed that those were Dandy Jimmy Valentine’s works. Jimmy had resumed his business. Ben Price also commented on the manner of burglary resembled Jimmy’s neat, clean and easy style of safe-cracking.
Related Questions
[I] “He’s resumed his business.” Who made the remark? When did he make this remark? How could he detect it to be Valentine’s? [1+1+3] / [1+2+3]
[II] “That’s Dandy Jim Valentine’s autograph.” Who is the speaker? When does the speaker make this remark? Which features are in Jim Valentine’s autograph? [1+1+3] / [1+2+3]
👉Here Ben Price, the famous detective in O’ Henry’s short-story, “Jimmy Valentine” is the speaker of the above mentioned line.
After visiting the scenes of burglary, by comparing the notes, Ben Price noticed a remarkable similarity in the methods of the burglaries, and then he assessed that those were Dandy Jimmy Valentine’s works. Jimmy had resumed his business. Ben Price also commented on the manner of burglary resembled Jimmy’s neat, clean and easy style of safe-cracking.
Ben Price came to know about Jimmy’s habits while working on the Springfield case. Jimmy’s habits as observed by Ben Price were long jumps, quick get-aways, no confederates, and a taste for good society–these ways had helped Mr Valentine to become noted as a successful dodger of retribution.
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4. “Ben Price investigated the scenes of the robberies, and was heard to remark…..” Who was Ben Price? What did he say? What did he know of Jimmy’s habits? [1+1+3] / [1+2+3] [WBCHSE Class-XI Annual Examination 2020]
👉In O’ Henry’s short-story ‘Jimmy Valentine’ Ben Price was an eminent detective who worked on Jimmy’s cases.
After visiting the scenes of burglary, by comparing the notes, Ben Price noticed a remarkable similarity in the methods of the burglaries, and then he assessed that those were Dandy Jimmy Valentine’s works. Jimmy had resumed his business. Ben Price also commented on the manner of burglary resembled Jimmy’s neat, clean and easy style of safe-cracking.
Ben Price came to know about Jimmy’s habits while working on the Springfield case. Jimmy’s habits as observed by Ben Price were long jumps, quick get-aways, no confederates, and a taste for good society –these ways had helped Mr Valentine to become noted as a successful dodger of retribution.
Related Question
“Ben Price knew Jimmy’s habits.” Who was Ben Price? Who was Jimmy? What did Ben Price know about Jimmy’s habits? [1+1+3] / [1+2+3]
👉In O’ Henry’s short-story ‘Jimmy Valentine’ Ben Price was an eminent detective who worked on Jimmy’s cases.
In the story ‘Alias Jimmy Valentine’ by O’ Henry Jimmy Valentine, the hero of the story, was a young highly skilled safe-cracker.
Ben Price came to know about Jimmy’s habits while working on the Springfield case. Jimmy’s habits as observed by Ben Price were long jumps, quick get-aways, no confederates, and a taste for good society –these ways had helped Mr Valentine to become noted as a successful dodger of retribution.
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5. “Mr. Ralph D. Spencer, the phoenix that arose from Jimmy Valentine’s ashes………” Who is Ralph D. Spencer? What is phoenix? Why has the comparison been made? [1+2+2] / [1+2+3] [WBCHSE Class-XI Annual Examination 2019]
👉In O’ Henry’s short-story, “Jimmy Valentine” after falling in love with Annabel, Jimmy assumed a new name at Elmore which is Ralph D. Spencer.
Phoenix is a mythological bird that burns itself on a funeral pyre and rises from the ashes with renewed youth to live through another life-cycle.
Here is a beautiful comparison between Jimmy and the mythological bird phoenix. Jimmy, a professional burglar, came to Elmore to burgle the Elmore Bank. But Jimmy at the very first sight fell in love with Annabel, the younger daughter of Mr. Adams, the owner of the Elmore Bank. In his eyes, Annabel was the most beautiful girl on earth. He completely changed himself. He decided to give up safe-cracking and burglary. He forgot the past and became Ralph D. Spencer. He started to make an honest living. He opened a shoe-store that flourished soon. Jimmy seemed to have a new birth like the phoenix. Hence is the comparison.
Related Question
“Mr. Ralph D. Spencer, the phoenix that arose from Jimmy Valentine’s ashes………” When did this transformation take place? Why is Jimmy’s transformation compared to that of a phoenix? [2+3] / [3+3]
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6. What new name did Jimmy Valentine assume at Elmore? What business did he open there? How did Jimmy fare at Elmore? [1+1+3] / [1+2+3] [WBCHSE Class-XI Annual Examination 2016]
👉In O’ Henry’s short-story, “Jimmy Valentine” after falling in love with Annabel, Jimmy assumed a new name at Elmore which was Ralph D. Spencer.
After getting positive information from the clerk of the Planters’ Hotel, Jimmy opened shoe business there and had a nice store. He secured a good run of trade.
After falling in love with Annabel, Jimmy became an honest man and started an honest living in Elmore. There he started shoe-business with a nice store and prospered quite well as there was no exclusive shoe-store in the city. Jimmy was very fare at Elmore. At first the clerk of the Planters’ Hotel was impressed by Jimmy’s clothes and manner. As the clerk had said Jimmy, after starting his business, found the town pleasant and the people very sociable. He made many friends in Elmore. At the end of a year Jimmy had won the respect of the community, his shoe-store was flourishing, and he and Annabel were engaged to be married in two weeks.
Related Question
How did Jimmy succeed in Elmore? [5] / [6]
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7. *What did Jimmy write to his old friend in St. Louis? Why did he write so? [3+2] / [3+3] [WBCHSE Class-XI Annual Examination 2015, 2018]
👉In O’ Henry’s short-story, “Jimmy Valentine” Jimmy, after starting an honest living in Elmore, wanted to wind up all old scores on him. So, one day on the Monday night he sat down in his room and wrote a letter to one of his friends in St. Louis.
At the very beginning of his letter Jimmy told his friend to meet him at Sullivan’s place in Little Rock on the next Wednesday night at nine o’clock because Jimmy wanted to wind up some little matters with his help. He wrote that he wanted to give him his precious kit of tools as a present which his friend could not duplicate the lot for a thousand dollars. Jimmy informed his old friend Billy that he quitted his old business a year ago and had a nice store. He was making an honest living and was going to marry the finest girl on earth within two weeks.
Jimmy seriously told his friend that it was the only life, the straight one. Jimmy was so serious that he even informed his friend that he would never touch a dollar illegally for a million. Jimmy also wrote after getting married, he would sell out his property and go West where would not be so much dangers of having old scores brought up against him. And then Jimmy described Annabel as an angel who believed in him, and he would not do another crooked thing for the whole world. At the end of his letter Jimmy reminded his old friend Billy to come must at Sullivan’s place in Little Rock on the scheduled day and time. Jimmy also reminded him of his bringing his kit of tools to give him as a present.
Related Questions
[I] What did Jimmy write in his letter to his old friend? What made him write the letter? [3+2] / [3+3]
[II] What did Jimmy Valentine write to his old pal in the letter? [5] / [6]
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8. *“That child — she can’t stand it long in there.” Who is referred to here? Why was she in danger? How was she saved? [1+2+2] / [1+3+2] [WBCHSE Class-XI Annual Examination 2014, 2022]
👉The ‘child’ referred to here in the line is Agatha, the younger daughter of Annabel’s married sister.
The family of Adams along with Ralph D. Spencer went to visit the new vault and safe in Elmore Bank. There while all were busy in their talks, unperceived by the elders, May, the nine-year old girl, in a spirit of play, had shut Agatha in the vault. She was in danger because the door of the vault could not be opened by Mr Adams. According to Mr Adams, even no man near Little Rock could open the door because the clock had not been wound nor the combination set. Mr. Adams feared that the little child could not stand long in the dark vault as there was not enough air. Besides, Mr Adams feared that she would die going into convulsions from fright. So, the child was in great danger in the dark vault.
At this hour of crisis Annabel with her large eyes full of anguish, but not yet despairing turned to Ralph to do something. Ralph could not deny the request of his ladylove. Though he knew his action would reveal his true identity as a safe-cracker, he took up his instruments and broke the lock of the door within ten minutes to save the child.
Related Questions
[I] “That child — she can’t stand it long in there.” Who is referred to here as ‘that child’? Why was she in danger? How was she saved? [1+2+2] / [1+3+2]
[II] “………she can’t stand it long in there.” Who is referred to here? Why can’t she stand for long? How was she saved? [1+2+2] / [1+3+2]
[III] How was Agatha saved? [5] / [6]
[IV] “That child — she can’t stand it long in there.” Who is the ‘child’? What is ‘it’ referred to here? How was the child saved? [1+1+3] / [1+2+3]
[V] Briefly narrate the incident that occurred at the Elmore Bank. [5] / [6]
[VI] Write a short note on the Elmore Bank episode. [5] / [6]
👉The family of Adams along with Ralph D. Spencer went to visit the new vault and safe in Elmore Bank. There while all were busy in their talks, unperceived by the elders, May, the nine-year old girl, in a spirit of play, had shut Agatha in the vault. She was in danger because the door of the vault could not be opened by Mr Adams. According to Mr Adams, even no man near Little Rock could open the door because the clock had not been wound nor the combination set. Mr. Adams feared that the little child could not stand long in the dark vault as there was not enough air. Besides, Mr Adams feared that she would die going into convulsions from fright. So, the child was in great danger in the dark vault.
At this hour of crisis Annabel with her large eyes full of anguish, but not yet despairing turned to Ralph to do something. Ralph could not deny the request of his ladylove. Though he knew his action would reveal his true identity as a safe-cracker, he took up his instruments and broke the lock of the door within ten minutes to save the child.
[VII] How did Agatha get locked in the vault? How did the people present there react when this was discovered? [2+3] / [2+4]
👉The family of Adams along with Ralph D. Spencer went to visit the new vault and safe in Elmore Bank. There while all were busy in their talks, unperceived by the elders, May, the nine-year old girl, in a spirit of play, had shut Agatha in the vault. She had then shot the bolts and turned the knob of the combination as she had seen her grandfather, Mr Adams, do.
Suddenly there was a scream or two from the women, and a commotion. The shrieking voice of the child in the dark vault made everyone panicky. Mr Adams sprang to the handle and tugged at it for a moment, but he could not open the door. According to Mr Adams, even no man near Little Rock could open the door because the clock had not been wound nor the combination set. Hearing this, Agatha’s mother screamed again hysterically and wailed that her child would die of fright. Mr. Adams feared that the little child could not stand long in the dark vault as there was not enough air. Besides, Mr Adams feared that she would die going into convulsions from fright. Then Agatha’s mother became frantic and started to beat the door of the vault with her hands. Somebody present there widely suggested to charge dynamite to break it open. At this hour of criss Annabel begged the help of Ralph D. Spencer.
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9. *“The frightened child, unharmed, fell into her mother’s arms.” Who was the child referred to here? Why was the child frightened? How did the child fall into her mother’s arms unharmed? [1+1+3] / [1+2+3] [WBCHSE Class-XI Annual Examination 2028]
👉The ‘child’ referred to here in the line was Agatha, the younger daughter of Annabel’s married sister.
The child was frightened because she was shut in the vault unwillingly by her elder sister May. She was about to die in the dark vault in a panic of terror.
At this hour of crisis Annabel with her large eyes full of anguish, but not yet despairing turned to Ralph to do something. Ralph could not deny the request of his ladylove. Though he knew his action would reveal his true identity as a safe-cracker, he took up his instruments and broke the lock of the door within ten minutes to save the child. Agatha, almost collapsed, but safe and unharmed, was gathered into her mother’s arms.
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MORE IMPORTANT QUESTIONS
1. What was the warden’s advice to Jimmy at the time of discharge from the jail? What was Jimmy’s reply? [4+2] / [3+2]
👉In his front office when the warden handed Jimmy his pardon letter signed by the governor that morning, he informed Jimmy that he would be released in the next morning from the prison. After that the warden advised Jimmy to make a man of himself because he had been not a bad fellow at heart. He also advised him to stop cracking safes and live straight. Then, their conversation followed a humorous tone as Jimmy denied the allegation of safe-cracking and told that he had not cracked a safe in his life. The next morning just before his before his release from jail the warden reminded Jimmy his advice for his betterment.
Jimmy, after listening the warden’s advice, instantly ignored it by asserting that he had never cracked a safe in his life. He also emphasised that he had never been to Springfield in his life.
Related Question
Briefly narrate in your own words the conversation between Jimmy and the Warden inside the jail. Did Jimmy follow the advice of the Warden? [3+3] [WBCHSE Sample Question]
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2. “Better think of my advice, Valentine.” Who is the speaker and what was his advice? Who was Valentine? When and why did the speaker give the advice? [2+1+3] / [2+1+2]
👉Here the warden of the prison is the speaker of the above mentioned line.
The warden advised Jimmy to make a man of himself because he had been not a bad fellow at heart. He also advised him to stop cracking safes and live straight.
In the story ‘Alias Jimmy Valentine’ by O’ Henry Jimmy Valentine, the hero of the story, was a young highly skilled safe-cracker who was a convict sentenced for four years to jail for a safe cracking case in Springfield.
In his front office when the warden handed Jimmy his pardon letter signed by the governor that morning, the warden advised him to make a man of himself. He also advised him to stop cracking safes and live straight. The warden advised Jimmy thus because the warden had perhaps seen some good in Jimmy’s manners and thought he was not a bad fellow at heart.
3. “Valentine walked out into the sunshine.” What exactly happened before Valentine walked out into the sunshine? [6] / [5]
👉At the very beginning of the story ‘Jimmy Valentine’ by O Henry Jimmy was assiduously stitching uppers at the prison shoe-shop. Then the prison guard Cronin escorted him to the warden’s office. In his front office when the warden handed Jimmy his pardon letter signed by the governor that morning, he informed Jimmy that he would be released in the next morning from the prison. After that the warden advised Jimmy to make a man of himself because he had been not a bad fellow at heart. He also advised him to stop cracking safes and live straight.
Hearing this Jimmy instantly ignored the warden’s advice by asserting that he had never cracked a safe in his life. He also emphasised that he had never been to Springfield in his life. Then as per the order of the warden at a quarter past seven on the next morning Jimmy was presented to the ‘bull pen’ and received a railroad ticket and a five-dollar bill from the prison clerk to rehabilitate himself into good citizenship and prosperity. The warden offered him a cigar and shook hands and Valentine, 9762, was set free to walk out into the sunshine.
4. “There on the floor was still Ben Price’s collar-button…” Who was Ben Price? When and by whom was the button found? How did the button come there? [1+2+3] / [1+2+2]
👉In O’ Henry’s short-story ‘Jimmy Valentine’ Ben Price was an eminent detective who worked on Jimmy’s cases.
As Jimmy unlocked the door of his room, he found everything had been just as he had left it. There on the floor was still the collar-button of the eminent detective Ben Price.
The collar-button of the shirt-band belonged to the the detective Ben Price. The button was torn from the shirt-band of the detective when the eminent detective Ben Price along with his men stormed into Jimmy’s room, overpowered to arrest him. While arresting Jimmy there must have been a great scuffle in between Jimmy and Ben Price along with his men and the collar-button of the famous detective Ben Price was torn from his shirt-band and fallen on the floor which still remained as a token of the struggle.
5. “He opened and gazed fondly….” What was opened? What did the person gaze fondly at? Why did he gaze at fondly? [1+2+3] / [1+2+2]
👉Jimmy Valentine opened his dust-covered suitcase.
After opening his suitcase, Jimmy gazed fondly at the finest set of burglar’s tools in the East which included the latest designs in drills, punches, braces and bits, Jimmies, clamps, and augurs etc.
Jimmy gazed at his finest complete set of burglar’s tools fondly because they were great meant to him. All tools were made of tempered steel which had costed over nine hundred dollars. Jimmy took pride in them. After Jimmy’s ten months separation from the suitcase, he was fortunate to meet his dear tools. So, he gazed fondly at his valuable possessions.
6. Who was Ben Price? Why did he ignore to recognise Jimmy at the end of the story? [1+5] [WBCHSE Sample Question]
👉In O’ Henry’s short-story ‘Jimmy Valentine’ Ben Price was an eminent detective who worked on Jimmy’s cases.
At the end of the story Ben Price acted rather strangely. He ignored to recognise Jimmy. After his entry in Elmore, Ben Price observed Jimmy’s habits for a long time, and finally realised that Jimmy was reformed now and he was making an honest living. Ben Price was convinced that Jimmy had given up his criminal career. A genuine love helped him to bury his criminal past. Ben was impressed when Jimmy saved a child at the risk of revealing his criminal past. Besides at the end of the story when Jimmy willingly surrendered to Ben Price, he [Ben Price] realised Jimmy’s sense of humanity. He realised his inherent goodness. Therefore, Ben Price ignored to recognise Jimmy because he wanted to give him a chance to continue his honest living.
