Certain writers have a way of telling their stories and bring them to an unexpected ending. O. Henry, born William Sydney Porter (1862-1910), is such a writer. His vivid descriptions engage the reader, so they see the colors, the clothes, and whatever it is he’s describing. Instead of telling, he shows. This aspect is one of the most important writing skills. In “The Purple Dress”, O. Henry begins with a background of why purple is such a special color.
Two single women are clerks in a small store which sells accessories, the Bee-Hive. They discuss the merits of red and purple and why each likes them. Maida loves purple. She is having a tailor sew a dress in that color. Grace, the other clerk, has a passion for red and bought a ready-made dress. The occasion for which the women want special dresses is the annual Bee-Hive Store’s Thanksgiving dinner for its employees, given by the owner, Mr. Bachman. One single man works at the shop, Mr. Ramsay, the head clerk, and all the females pine over him being attracted to them.
“The Purple Dress” has several of twists of fate; otherwise the story’s ending would not make sense. Yet, the author never gives readers a clear forewarning, unlike many modern writers.
Themes revolve around friendship, sacrifice, and loyalty. One friend comes to the other with a desperate need; the other friend is willing to help, even if it means sacrificing something very special to her. Grace and Maida have been friends for many years. They work together, live in the same place, and in all likelihood share some of their deepest feelings. When one friend has a need, the other one is willing to help, not without mentioning what the sacrifice costs. The cost is great, because it means that personal desires must be put aside. It becomes a silent secret from one loving friend to another, because the happiness of the friend means more than having a material desire filled. Loyalty and sacrifice intertwine as one fabric between the two friends. One other character worth mentioning, since he fits into the above themes, is Mr. Schlegel, the tailor. He is an older gentleman, possibly German and he has a heart of gold. He, too, is willing to make sacrifices.
The story is more character-driven than plot-driven. The author describes no specific setting. The story could be set in any city, any state, and any country, although O. Henry lived in the south most of his life. For the most part, readers are left to imagine where the story takes place. Although the time of “The Purple Dress” is not in the 20th or the 21st century, rather possibly takes place in the early 19th century, as shown by the expressions used by the characters.
O. Henry’s story “The Purple Dress” is the kind of story that readers would like to have happen in their lives. It takes readers out of a modern society of progress and greed, into another century of what the world might be like if people actually cared about each other.
Many figures in literature have different images of happiness. For Charlie Brown it’s a baseball card of Joe Shlabotnik, for Garfield the cat it’s a pan of lasagna, and for author O. Henry it’s a girl in a purple dress. “The Purple Dress” by O. Henry is the story of a girl named Maida who has painstakingly scrimped and saved to have a dress made for a party. However, the way she must pay is a far cry from what she had expected.
As the story begins, Maida and her friend Grace are discussing the upcoming Thanksgiving party for the shop they work in. They reach the subject of their dresses and debate colors. Maida of course favors purple, but Grace likes red. As the debate furthers, they reveal by accident that they are both intending to capture the attention of their soon-to-be boss, Mr. Ramsay. Maida’s friend chides her for her daydreams of the purple dress, but she holds her ground, thinking ahead to the satisfaction of finally making it her own. When the two girls return to their apartment, Maida happily goes into her room and retrieves the payment for the dressmaker. When she emerges, she finds her friend in tears. The landlady is threatening Grace’s expulsion unless she can pay her rent: the exact amount of money Maida has in her hand. Sadly, she hands over her precious dress money to help her friend. The night of the party, Maida goes instead to see the dressmaker and explains why she cannot pay. But he gives the dress to her anyway! He urges her only to pay when she can. Overjoyed, she changes into her purple dress right away and starts home when at the corner, who does she see but Mr. Ramsay?
The story of the purple dress is told in the characteristic style of O. Henry—striking, yet sentimental. It is also in his style that a sacrifice is depicted between two protagonists with a strong bond of trust. In “The Lady or the Tiger?” the sacrifice is life. In “Gift of the Magi,” the sacrifices are the couple’s most prized possessions. In this story, the sacrifice is a mere four dollars, but it is a symbol of the two girls’ friendship. After teasing Maida about the purple dress, Grace shows true compassion and kindness towards her when she carries out this selfless act. Also, like other O. Henry tales, the ending is bittersweet… never completely happy, but the feeling at the end is warm. The theme is universal, the language is simple, the characters are likeable, and the ending is non-predictable. That makes four boxes checked for a good reading experience to be had by all.
“The Purple Dress” by O. Henry is a story about friendship, wishes, sacrifice, and that pinch of luck that always shows up when you least expect it. This tale is sure to delight readers of all ages as they smile, frown, then smile again throughout. In a phrase, it is a story of real magic, and a reminder that small miracles happen every day.
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