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Paired Texts > After Twenty Years

by O. Henry 1905

We've identified these texts as great options for text pairings based on similar themes, literary devices, topic, or writing style. Supplement your lesson with one or more of these options and challenge students to compare and contrast the texts. To assign a paired text, click on the text to go to its page and click the "Assign Text" button there.

The Guilty Party
The Guilty Party
O. Henry

William Sydney Porter (1862-1910), better known by his pen name, O. Henry, was an American writer. His short story, "The Guilty Party," published in 1909, is a tragic story about a girl named Liz who is engaged to be married, overcome with jealousy, and then driven to violence.

Pair “After Twenty Years” with “The Guilty Party” and ask students to compare these two texts by the same author. Do they share any similar themes, characters, styles, or literary devices? How would you describe O. Henry’s voice, based on these two stories?

11th Grade Short Story 980L