Humanism in Sydney Potter

K. NAGA RAJA RAO
Jawahar Bharati, Kavali

There may be many who do not know that Sydney Potter and O. Henry are one and the same, but no one conversant with the short story in English, ever denies a place of pride for Sydney Potter. Having worked for sometime in a drug store and later as a teller in the bank and owing to errors in calculations, either intentional or accidental, Henry had been out of the job. He spent his prison-term at Ohio. It was there, that the name of prison guard, Ovin Henry, appealed to Potter, who thenceforth adopted the pen-name O. Henry.

If one were to hit the nail on the head, it would be foolish to brush aside Henry’s short stories, bearing close resemblance to life, as no more than stories with twists. Henry brought to bear in all his stories, pity and kindness for humanity, especially for the underdog and the castaway.

“A Gift for Christmas” may, for the superficial observer, be a story with an unexpected ending. Jim and Della, the husband and wife, do away with their most valuable possessions, the watch and the curly hair. Each one wants to surprise the other. Jim buys a set of silver combs by disposing of his watch, Della buys a watch-chain, by selling her locks of hair, But no sooner does Jim arrive at home to present the combs, then he finds Della too has an unexpected present for him.

Christmas is a festival, connected with Jesus, symbol of love and sacrifice. There can be no greater satisfaction for the husband and wife, than to learn to their heart’s content that each has sacrificed the most valuable possession, to make the other happy. One should lead a life not exclusively for his own, but at least for the others, may be for the life-partner. Thus the spirit of sacrifice one of the cherished traditions, underlines the story.

“The Last Leaf” is another short story, dealing with human psychology and at the same time, indirectly hinting at the sacrifice one should make towards others and they require not merely material possessions as in “A Gift for Christmas” but the most valuable possession, the life itself.

Kosie’s is an abnormal psychological case; she is under an illusion that her life force is connected with the falling of the leaves from the branches of a tree nearby. Thanks to the untiring efforts of the painter, it appears as if the last leaf clings for ever, to the bough. It creates hope in the patient longing for life. Berham, the painter, has withstood the heavy rain all through the night, to make use of his art and create an impression that the last leaf near falls. The happy news of Rosie’s safe recovery and survival, is followed by the sad news of the death of the painter, owing to a fit of pneumonia. Henry seems to suggest that the be-all and the end-all of art is nothing but human happiness. Art devoid of human happiness is nothing.

“Twenty years after” is another short story, deserving special mention. Jims and Bob had been very intimate friends. Twenty years ago they left each other, promising to meet at a particular place, twenty years after. A policeman enquires Bob and learns that he is waiting for his friend. Later, a man in overcoat comes and handing over a letter to Bob, asks him to march to the police station. The letter is from Jim, who has come on time, but as Bob has lighted his cigar, Jim observes that it is the face wanted by the Chicago Police. As the friend cannot do this he sends a plain-clothes-man, to do the job.

Friendship, as Clutton Brock writes, is divine. One should continue to love one’s friend, whatever be the other qualities of the friend. O. Henry lays stress on supreme loyalty. Like Brutus, sacrificing Caesar for the sake of the country, the friend hands over Bob to the police, in the interests of law and order. There should be no mincing of matters and duty-first-principle takes the upper hand.

In another story “Make the Whole World Kin”, Henry shows that a thief also at his bottom of heart, is a human being with tender feelings of pity and kindness. Though he is a thief by profession, there are occasions when the mask falls off. A thief breaks into the house of a man, but finds the man suffering from rheumatic gun and unable to move his hand. The thief, also a victim of the similar disease in the past, advised him to try winter green oil, Chiselum’s pills and the like. The thief asks the man to purchase an excellent medicine at a particular shop. The patient follows the thief, turns and says he has forgotten to bring money to purchase the medicine. The thief tells him that he has money with him and the patient need not worry about it. Thus the portrait of a thief, who forgets the darker side of his life, on seeing a companion in distress, is delineated with great skill. The humanistic element in the robber comes to light, as he himself offers money to purchase the cure, let alone his changed intention not to resort to stealing.

Still in another story, Henry points out to the machine age and how it kills the individual instinct in man, Man is and should be, “more of an individual and less of a machine.” A business magnate spends all his time in calculations and business. Towards the concluding part of the story the businessman goes to his personal steno Miss Leslie, and tells her that he has loved her and wants to marry her. He adds that he does not find time to tell her that he loves her. The steno addresses him affectionately and in a mild and admonishing tone that the business has eaten the brain in his head. She reminds him of the fact that he and she were married at the church at eight o’clock the previous night.

A human being should not become too busily absorbed in business, to allow his individuality to shine. Man may be a multimillionaire or a prince. But if his concern is only for business and earning, and if he does not have time to think even for a moment that he is essentially an individual, life loses all its charm. “What is this life, if full of care, we have no time to stand and stare?”–so writes W. H. Davies.

“The Cap and the Anthem” speaks of the bitter life, the have-nots and the outcasts have to lead. In times of utter helpless­ness, it is not unusual for people to think of welcoming “the father-in-law’s house”, where food, clothing and shelter is provided. Soapy makes a number of breaches of law, but the hand of law fails to catch him. Unfortunately and tragically, Soapy is caught, when he wants to end his vagrant life and decides to open a new chapter in his life. Soapy’s case is similar to that of many individualists, who find it insulting to accept charity from philan­throphic institutions, which amounts to sell personal dignity or honour. Such men would rather prefer to be caught red-handed and sent to prison, than to be at the receiving end of the alms. One might laugh at Soapy’s efforts to get caught, but only when one thinks of the curses of poverty, Soapy’s case does not appear to be uncommon.

We find in real world, those committing graver offences are allowed to go scot-free, whereas men for the little mistakes they commit are punished severely. “Friends in San Rosario” is autobiographical in character, in that the punishment meted out to the banker is “out of all proportion to the importance of the original lapse.”

Humanism occupies the pivotal position and human being is always at the centre in Potter’s short stories.