04: Hearts And Hands By O’ Henry : Icse-x-english

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04: Hearts and Hands by O’ Henry

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Qstn #2
How did glum-faced man take the excuse to go away from that coach?
Ans : After some conversation, the glum-faced man wished to have a drink as he had not even smoked all through the day. He further added that they had talked too much; he now wanted to go to the smoker. He was dying for a pipe. To this Easton replied that he couldn't deny a petition for tobacco.

Qstn #3
What reason did the other man give for his going for a smoke and why did he do so?
Ans : Miss Fairchild kept on talking to Mr Easton but her constant attention was towards the handcuffs. In order to ease the tense situation, the glum-faced man asked Easton to take him to the smoker's room as he was half-dead for a pipe. In addition, he was also worried that Easton might reveal something about himself that should not be told to the young woman. So he intervened and requested him to be taken to the smoker room.

Qstn #4
Which remark made by one of the two passengers sitting nearby creates suspicion in our mind?
Ans : When Miss Fairchild was talking to the two men, two other passengers in the same coach were listening to them and keenly observing everything. One of them remarked that Mr Easton appeared to be too young to hold the position of a Marshal. This arises doubt in reader's mind and when the other one exclaimed saying that Easton couldn't be the Marshal as no officer would handcuff his own right hand with the criminal's left hand, the truth is revealed.

Qstn #4
How do we come to know that Mr Easton was the real convict?

Qstn #5
The final twist in the story may not be expected by the readers. What is it?
Ans : There is a series of conflict in O Henry's story "Heart and Hands". Miss Fairchild when saw Mr Easton on the train, she recognizes him immediately. Easton was handcuffed to the other rough-looking man. He didn't want Miss Fairchild to notice him. But when she was sure that Easton acknowledged her, she asked him if it was their custom not to recognize the old friends in the West. The other man understood the situation and came to protect him from it. He told the young lady that Easton was the Marshal who was taking him to Leavenworth prison for seven years imprisonment for counterfeiting.
But the actual twist comes in the end when the two other co-passengers who had overheard the conversation noticed that a marshal would never handcuff a criminal to his right hand.

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Section : IV
Compound Questions and Answers

#1-a
The main theme of the story is kindness. Elucidate.

Ans :
Kindness plays an important role in the story. The glum-faced, rough-looking, real Marshall is a kind man who saves Mr Easton as well as Miss Fairchild from some embarrassment with no ulterior motives. He does not stand to gain anything out of this and yet wants to help. He makes sure Miss Fairchild comes to believe that Mr Easton is the Marshall so that she does not get a shock seeing the handcuffs on him.
Later, when Miss Fairchild seems to be hinting at being interested in Mr Easton, he decides that the lie has gone too far, and cuts it short. He saves Miss Fairchild from any further embarrassment and future heartbreak by taking the other man under the pretext of wanting to smoke. In doing so, he removes Mr Easton from her presence, so that the truth would not come out and break her illusions. His other intention is to save the young woman and the man from embarrassment.

#1-b
Attempt a character sketch of Miss Fairchild.

Ans :
Miss Fairchild is a rich woman who has class and style. In the train, she looks and speaks how a noble class person should be. She has a full, sweet, and deliberate voice that shows that she expects to be heard. Her sweet manners also reveal she has feelings for Mr Easton. At first, she is disinterested but soon her countenance brightens and a tender pink tinges her round cheeks on recognizing Mr Easton.
Miss Fairchild is an interesting character with many different personality traits. She seems to be smart, and rich. She comes from the east coast and is adventurous enough to take a train out to Colorado during these violent western times. Like all young women of her times and status, she has marriage in mind and expresses it to the young man indirectly, "I love the West, the air agrees with me here." She wants to convey that she is romantically interested in Mr Easton and does not mind staying with him in the West. Her girlish romantic heart is happy to see the young man as a hero in the garb of a Marshall.
That she is gullible, is revealed in her instantly trusting the words of the Marshall. She becomes a victim of mistaken identity and is not shrewd enough to understand that a Marshall never ties himself to the criminal by his right hand.

#1-c
Explain the significance of 'hands' and 'hearts' in the story.

Ans :
At the beginning of the story, we see two people, Mr Easton and a glum-faced man hand-cuffed together. It is the handcuffing that points at the 'Hands' part of the title. In fact, the way that the hands are handcuffed reveals the true identities of the two men. Miss Fairchild is misled by the unnamed man about the identity of Mr Easton as he wants to save Mr Easton from an embarrassing situation by pretending that he is not her friend, is a convict and is being taken by him to the prison. It is an observation by a passenger in the coach that reveals a Marshal will not handcuff his own right hand with that of a convict.
It is the 'hearts' part of the title that unravels the theme of the story. It is because of having a compassionate heart that the Marshall tells a lie to Miss Fairchild. In spite of the rough looks, he has a golden heart. He lies to save the young man and the girl from embarrassment and humiliation. He does not want to expose Mr Easton as a convict in front of an old friend. He tells Miss Fairchild that Mr Easton is the Marshall and he is the convict who is being taken to the prison. He wants the young woman to retain her romantic illusion. At least she will think of the young man as a daring hero, instead of having to think of him as a fraudster and counterfeiter of notes.

#2-a
Attempt a character sketch of Mr Easton.

Ans :
Mr Easton is described as a handsome young man with a bold and frank countenance and manner. He is preoccupied with some thoughts and does not notice Miss Fairchild at first. When he recognises her, he is embarrassed but is quick to cover up. We are utterly shocked to know at the end, that he is a criminal and is being taken to prison by the Marshall. The lady is unaware of this fact and is led to believe otherwise. The real Marshall covers up the situation to save both the young people from embarrassment.
Mr Easton is an opportunist. He doesn't exactly lie but plays along with the Marshall. All his words have a double meaning. He does not confess that he is accused of counterfeiting and has to serve seven years in prison. Instead, he says, "money has a way of taking wings unto itself", and he requires money to keep step with the well-to-do in Washington. The opening in West', he mentions, is actually counterfeiting but the lady takes it as the job of the Marshall. Thus, he cleverly lays out an explanation as to why he has moved to the West and why he won't be able to see her in the future. He even picks up on the hint from the Marshall when he asks to go to the smoke room quickly.

#2-b
How are the two men a foil to each other?

Ans :
Both the men are opposite to each other in appearance, behaviour and character. Mr Easton is dressed like a gentleman having good breeding and manners. The other person handcuffed to him is glum-faced, roughly dressed and heavily-built.
Easton is a criminal while the other one is a Marshall. Easton is suave in manners and is quick to cover up his crime and save his face in front of Fairchild. The other man, on the other hand, takes up the crime on himself to save the lady from embarrassment and shock. One can say, that Easton is a wolf in sheep's coat, whereas the real Marshall is gentle and caring, beneath the rough exterior.
The 'heart' part of the title is dedicated to the Marshall because of the kindness he showed. The 'hard' part is about Mr Easton, the hand that counterfeits money; the hand that is handcuffed and is on his way to prison.

#2-c
'Appearances are deceptive', goes the saying. How is it applicable in the story?

Ans :
The story, 'Hearts and Hands' has two main male characters. The men enter the train handcuffed to each other. One is a young-looking man, well-dressed like a gentleman. He has a bold, frank countenance and manner. The other man is described as "ruffled, glum-faced, heavily built and roughly dressed". At one glance, one would take the handsome man as the Marshall and the other one as a criminal.
When the real Marshall takes the blame on himself and says that he is on his way to Leavenworth prison for counterfeiting, Miss Fairchild believes it completely, as she cannot connect the man she is acquainted with as a criminal; but she can equate the other one as a criminal due to his rough exterior and abrupt behaviour and manner of talking.
That a criminal is lurking inside the elegant attire and suave manners of Mr Easton, is unbelievable. That a heart of gold is hidden inside the rugged, unpolished exterior of the shrewd-eyed Marshall is also unbelievable. The gentleman turns out to be a criminal and the uncultured, unpolished ruffian turns out to be a police officer. One cannot definitely go by appearance.