The following lines are taken from Ebenezer Dorset's reply to the kidnappers in O. Henry's "The Ransom of Red Chief." What do these lines indicate about Johnny and his neighbors?

You had better come at night, for the neighbours believe he is lost, and I couldn't be responsible for what they would do to anybody they saw bringing him back.

A.

The neighbors would be angry if they met the kidnappers who had taken Johnny.

B.

The neighbors would make a big fuss because they would be relieved at Johnny's return.

C.

The neighbors were glad that Johnny was missing because he was a nuisance.

D.

The neighbors would probably contact the local sheriff if they saw the kidnappers.

Question

English

Devan Wright

7 May, 14:17

The following lines are taken from Ebenezer Dorset's reply to the kidnappers in O. Henry's "The Ransom of Red Chief." What do these lines indicate about Johnny and his neighbors?

You had better come at night, for the neighbours believe he is lost, and I couldn't be responsible for what they would do to anybody they saw bringing him back.

A.

The neighbors would be angry if they met the kidnappers who had taken Johnny.

B.

The neighbors would make a big fuss because they would be relieved at Johnny's return.

C.

The neighbors were glad that Johnny was missing because he was a nuisance.

D.

The neighbors would probably contact the local sheriff if they saw the kidnappers.

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Answers (1)

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Oscar Wallace · Answer 1

The answer is option C: The neighbors were glad that Johnny was missing because he was a nuisance.

In the short story "The Ransom of Red Chief," by O. Henry, two criminals kidnap ten year-old Johnny. After a few days with the terribly naughty, intolerable red-haired Johnny, the kidnappers agree to pay Ebenezer Dorset, the boy's father, to get rid of the boy. Mr Dorset, who knows how mischievous his son is, asks the kidnappers to bring him at night, since the neighbors have been glad that he is away and would probably react in a harmful way against anyone who brings him back.