"The Cop and the Anthem" is a December 1904 short story by the United States author
O. Henry. It includes several of the classic elements of an O. Henry story, including a setting in New York City, an
empathetic
Empathy is the capacity to understand or feel what another person is experiencing from within their frame of reference, that is, the capacity to place oneself in another's position. Definitions of empathy encompass a broad range of social, cog ...
look at the state of mind of a member of an
underprivileged class, and an
ironic
Irony (), in its broadest sense, is the juxtaposition of what on the surface appears to be the case and what is actually the case or to be expected; it is an important rhetorical device and literary technique.
Irony can be categorized into ...
ending.
Plot summary
"The Cop and the Anthem" has only one character who is given a name, the protagonist "Soapy." It is made clear that Soapy is
homeless, one of the
underclass
The underclass is the segment of the population that occupies the lowest possible position in a class hierarchy, below the core body of the working class.
The general idea that a class system includes a population ''under'' the working class has ...
men and women who flocked to New York City during the earliest years of the twentieth century.
The short story's narrative is set in an unstated day in late fall. Soapy faces the urgent necessity of finding some sort of shelter for the winter. He is psychologically experienced in thinking of
Blackwell's Island
Roosevelt Island is an island in New York City's East River, within the borough of Manhattan. It lies between Manhattan Island to the west, and the borough of Queens, on Long Island, to the east. Running from the equivalent of East 46th to 85 ...
, the local jail, as a ''de facto'' winter
homeless shelter, and the narrative shows him developing a series of tactics intended to encourage the police to classify him as a criminal and arrest him.
Soapy's ploys include swindling a restaurant into serving him an expensive meal,
vandalizing the plate-glass window of a luxury shop, repeating his eatery exploit at a humble
diner,
sexually harassing a young woman, pretending to be publicly
intoxicated, and stealing another man's
umbrella
An umbrella or parasol is a folding canopy supported by wooden or metal ribs that is usually mounted on a wooden, metal, or plastic pole. It is designed to protect a person against rain or sunlight. The term ''umbrella'' is traditionally use ...
.
However, all of these attempts are quickly exposed as failures. The upper-class restaurant looks at Soapy's threadbare clothes and refuses to serve him. A police officer responds to the broken window but decides to pursue an innocent bystander. The diner refuses to have Soapy arrested, and instead has two servers throw Soapy out onto a concrete
pavement.
Soapy's failures to earn his desired arrest continue. The young woman, far from feeling harassed, proves to be more than ready for action. Another police officer observes Soapy impersonating a drunk and disorderly man, but assumes that the exhibitionistic conduct is that of a
Yale
Yale University is a private research university in New Haven, Connecticut. Established in 1701 as the Collegiate School, it is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and among the most prestigious in the wor ...
student celebrating a victory over "Hartford College" in
football. Finally, the victim of the umbrella theft relinquishes the item without a struggle.
Based on these events, Soapy despairs of his goal of getting arrested and
imprisoned
Imprisonment is the restraint of a person's liberty, for any cause whatsoever, whether by authority of the government, or by a person acting without such authority. In the latter case it is "false imprisonment". Imprisonment does not necessari ...
. With the autumn sun gone and night having fallen, Soapy lingers by a small Christian church, considering his plight.
As O. Henry describes events, the small church has a working
organ and a practicing organist. As Soapy listens to the church organ play an
anthem, he experiences a spiritual
epiphany
Epiphany may refer to:
* Epiphany (feeling), an experience of sudden and striking insight
Religion
* Epiphany (holiday), a Christian holiday celebrating the revelation of God the Son as a human being in Jesus Christ
** Epiphany season, or Epiph ...
in which he resolves to cease to be homeless, end his life as a
tramp
A tramp is a long-term homeless person who travels from place to place as a vagrant, traditionally walking all year round.
Etymology
Tramp is derived from a Middle English verb meaning to "walk with heavy footsteps" (''cf.'' modern English ''t ...
afflicted with unemployment, and regain his
self-respect
Self-esteem is confidence in one's own worth or abilities. Self-esteem encompasses beliefs about oneself (for example, "I am loved", "I am worthy") as well as emotional states, such as triumph, despair, pride, and shame. Smith and Mackie (2007) d ...
. Soapy recalls that a successful businessman had once offered him a job. Lost in a reverie, Soapy decides that on the very next day he will seek out this potential mentor and apply for employment.
As Soapy stands on the street and considers this plan for his future, however, a "cop" (policeman) taps him on the shoulder and asks him what he is doing. When Soapy answers "Nothing," his fate is sealed: he has been arrested for
loitering
Loitering is the act of remaining in a particular public place for a prolonged amount of time without any apparent purpose.
While the laws regarding loitering have been challenged and changed over time, loitering is still illegal in various j ...
. In the magistrate's court on the following day, he is convicted of a
misdemeanor and is sentenced to three months in Blackwell's Island, the New York City jail.
Cultural references
In February 1909, less than five years after the story's initial publication, O. Henry's work was adapted to the film ''
Trying to Get Arrested
''Trying to Get Arrested'' is a 1909 American comedy short film directed by D. W. Griffith, produced by the Biograph Company of New York City, and starring John R. Cumpson. Filmed in two days in early 1909 at Palisades Park, New Jersey, it was ...
'', which was directed by
D. W. Griffith, produced by the
Biograph Company
The Biograph Company, also known as the American Mutoscope and Biograph Company, was a motion picture company founded in 1895 and active until 1916. It was the first company in the United States devoted entirely to film production and exhibition, ...
of New York, and released on April 5, 1909.
["Trying to Get Arrested"](_blank)
''D. W. Griffith and the Biograph Company''. Metuchen, New Jersey and London: The Scarecrow Press, 1985, pp. 49-50. Internet Archive
The Internet Archive is an American digital library with the stated mission of "universal access to all knowledge". It provides free public access to collections of digitized materials, including websites, software applications/games, music, ...
(IA), San Francisco, California. Retrieved 2 April 2021. A short film released by
Vitagraph Studios
Vitagraph Studios, also known as the Vitagraph Company of America, was a United States motion picture studio. It was founded by J. Stuart Blackton and Albert E. Smith in 1897 in Brooklyn, New York, as the American Vitagraph Company. By 1907, ...
in 1917 titled ''The Cop and the Anthem'' was directed by and starred
Thomas R. Mills. The story was also adapted as a segment in the 1952
anthology film ''
O. Henry's Full House
''O. Henry's Full House'' is a 1952 American anthology film made by 20th Century Fox, consisting of five films, each based on a story by O. Henry.
The film was produced by André Hakim and directed by five directors from five screenplays with di ...
'' directed by
Henry Koster
Henry Koster (born Hermann Kosterlitz, May 1, 1905 – September 21, 1988) was a German-born film director. He was the husband of actress Peggy Moran.
Early life
Koster was born to Jewish parents in Berlin, Germany. He was introduced to ci ...
, from a screenplay by
Lamar Trotti, and starring
Charles Laughton,
Marilyn Monroe
Marilyn Monroe (; born Norma Jeane Mortenson; 1 June 1926 4 August 1962) was an American actress. Famous for playing comedic " blonde bombshell" characters, she became one of the most popular sex symbols of the 1950s and early 1960s, as wel ...
, and
David Wayne
David Wayne (born Wayne James McMeekan, January 30, 1914 – February 9, 1995) was an American stage and screen actor with a career spanning over 50 years.
Early life and career
Wayne was born in Traverse City, Michigan, the son of Helen M ...
.
"The Cop and the Anthem" inspired an episode of ''
The Red Skelton Show
''The Red Skelton Show'' is an American television comedy/variety show that aired from 1951 to 1971. In the decade prior to hosting the show, Richard "Red" Skelton had a successful career as a radio and motion pictures star. Although his televi ...
'' on December 21, 1954, with Skelton's "Freddie the Freeloader" character as the protagonist.
Skelton also did another enactment of this story for his holiday program of December 23, 1958. The 1978 animated special ''
The Pink Panther in: A Pink Christmas'' also borrows part of its plot from the story.
Notes
External links
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Cop And The Anthem
1904 short stories
Short stories by O. Henry
Works originally published in the New York World
Short stories set in New York City
Short stories adapted into films