Class 7 English Notes Chapter 4 (The Cop and the Anthem) – An allienhand Hand Supplymentry Reader Book

Alright class, let's focus on Chapter 4, 'The Cop and the Anthem' from your 'An Alien Hand' book. This story by O. Henry is quite poignant and carries a strong message, often relevant for comprehension sections in various exams. Pay close attention to the details, character motivations, and especially the irony.

Chapter 4: The Cop and the Anthem - Detailed Notes

Author: O. Henry (William Sydney Porter) - Known for his short stories with witty narration and surprise twist endings.

Setting: New York City, beginning of winter.

Main Character:

• Soapy: A homeless, jobless man. He is not inherently bad but is a victim of circumstances, particularly the harsh winter. His primary goal at the start is to find warmth and shelter.

Central Problem: Winter is approaching, and Soapy needs a warm place to stay. He doesn't want charity; he wants the security and basic provisions (food, bed) offered by prison.

Soapy's Goal: To get arrested and be sentenced to three months in the prison on Blackwell's Island (now Roosevelt Island). He considers this a preferable 'winter resort'.

Soapy's Attempts to Get Arrested (and their failures):

1. The Luxurious Cafe:

   • Plan: To eat an expensive meal and then declare he has no money, hoping the management would call a cop.
   • Outcome: The head waiter notices his shabby trousers and worn shoes and prevents him from even entering. Failure Reason: Appearance betrayed him before the act.

2. The Shop Window:

   • Plan: To smash a large plate glass window with a stone and wait for the police.
   • Outcome: He throws the stone, breaks the window, and stands still, hands in pockets, smiling. A policeman arrives but sees another man running away and chases him instead. The cop doesn't believe someone who committed the crime would wait patiently to be caught. Failure Reason: His behaviour was too calm and contrary to a typical culprit's.

3. The Modest Restaurant:

   • Plan: To eat a meal at a less pretentious restaurant (where his appearance wouldn't be an immediate barrier) and then refuse to pay.
   • Outcome: He eats the meal, declares he has no money and tells them to call a cop. Instead of calling the police, two strong waiters simply throw him out onto the pavement. Failure Reason: The restaurant staff dealt with him directly, avoiding police involvement.

4. Disorderly Conduct:

   • Plan: To pretend to be drunk, yell, dance, howl, and generally disturb the peace.
   • Outcome: A policeman nearby observes him but assumes he's just a celebrating Yale college student ('They have orders to let them shout'). The cop tells another passerby that it's harmless fun. Failure Reason: Mistaken identity/assumption by the cop.

5. Stealing an Umbrella:

   • Plan: To openly take an umbrella belonging to a man standing outside a cigar store.
   • Outcome: Soapy takes the umbrella. The man follows. Soapy tells him to call the cop standing nearby. The man hesitates and then reveals that he himself had found the umbrella that morning. He implies Soapy might be the original owner. Disgusted, Soapy throws the umbrella down. Failure Reason: The 'victim' wasn't the legitimate owner and didn't want to involve the police.

The Turning Point - The Anthem:

• Location: Soapy stops near a quiet street, in front of an old church.
• Trigger: Soft music (an anthem) drifts from the church organ. Soapy recognizes it from his past life when he had a mother, ambitions, friends, and cleaner thoughts.
• Effect: The music causes a sudden and profound change in Soapy. He reflects on his degraded state – the wasted days, wrong desires, dead hopes, and lost faculties of his mind.
• Resolution: He decides, right then, to change his life. He resolves to find work the next day, rejoin the world, and become 'somebody' again. He feels a renewed sense of purpose and hope.

The Climax and Irony:

• The Arrest: Just as Soapy is filled with this new resolve to lead a respectable life, a policeman places a hand on his arm.
• The Charge: The cop asks what he is doing there (loitering/vagrancy). Soapy's newfound dreams are irrelevant to the cop.
• The Outcome: The next morning, the magistrate sentences Soapy to "Three months on the Island."
• The Irony: Soapy achieves his original goal (going to Blackwell's Island for the winter) precisely at the moment he no longer wants it and has decided to reform his life. His attempts to get arrested when he wanted to failed, but he gets arrested when he decides to become a good citizen. This is a classic example of situational irony.

Themes:

• Irony of Fate: Life often works in unpredictable and contrary ways.
• Hope and Redemption: Even in desperate situations, a small trigger (like music) can inspire hope and a desire for change.
• Society and the Underprivileged: The story subtly critiques societal indifference and how the law sometimes catches people at the wrong moment or for the wrong reasons.
• Appearance vs. Reality: Soapy's appearance prevents him entering the cafe; the cop misjudges him based on assumptions (college boy); the final arrest happens when his inner self has changed, but his outer situation (loitering) condemns him.

Key Vocabulary:

• Blackwell's Island: The location of the prison Soapy aimed for.
• Anthem: A solemn song, often religious; in the story, it triggers Soapy's change of heart.
• Coveted: Greatly desired. (Soapy coveted the prison sentence initially).
• Buoyant: Cheerful and optimistic. (Soapy's feeling after deciding to change).
• Strolling: Walking in a slow, relaxed manner.
• Impunity: Exemption from punishment. (Soapy failed to get punished despite his attempts).
• Prophetic: Accurately predicting the future. (The dead leaves falling were like a prophetic sign of winter).
• Vagrancy: The state of living as a vagrant; homelessness, loitering. (The likely official charge for Soapy's arrest).

Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs):

1. What was Soapy's primary motivation at the beginning of the story?
   a) To find a job
   b) To get arrested and sent to prison
   c) To meet old friends
   d) To listen to church music

2. Why did Soapy want to go to Blackwell's Island?
   a) He had family there.
   b) He wanted to learn a new skill.
   c) To get food and shelter during the winter months.
   d) He was ordered by the court to go there.

3. Why was Soapy not allowed into the luxurious cafe?
   a) He was too loud.
   b) He had no reservation.
   c) The head waiter noticed his shabby clothes.
   d) He tried to steal food.

4. What happened when Soapy broke the shop window?
   a) He was immediately arrested.
   b) The shop owner chased him.
   c) The policeman chased another man who was running.
   d) He ran away before the police arrived.

5. Why did the policeman not arrest Soapy when he pretended to be drunk and shouted?
   a) The policeman was off duty.
   b) Soapy ran away too quickly.
   c) The policeman thought he was a harmless college student celebrating.
   d) There were no policemen nearby.

6. What happened when Soapy tried to steal the umbrella?
   a) The owner fought back violently.
   b) The owner accused Soapy and called the cop.
   c) The owner admitted he had also found the umbrella.
   d) Soapy successfully stole the umbrella and escaped.

7. What caused Soapy to suddenly decide to change his life?
   a) Seeing a wealthy man
   b) Hearing an anthem from a church
   c) Being thrown out of the second restaurant
   d) Finding a lost wallet

8. What was Soapy's resolution after hearing the music?
   a) To try getting arrested one more time
   b) To leave New York City forever
   c) To find the man who owned the umbrella
   d) To find work and become a respectable person

9. What is the main irony in the story's ending?
   a) Soapy finds money just as he decides to work.
   b) The winter turns out to be very mild.
   c) Soapy gets arrested just when he decides to reform his life.
   d) The cop who arrests him is the same one who ignored him earlier.

10. The final charge leading to Soapy's sentence was essentially for:
    a) Breaking a window
    b) Stealing an umbrella
    c) Disturbing the peace
    d) Loitering or vagrancy

Answer Key:

1. b
2. c
3. c
4. c
5. c
6. c
7. b
8. d
9. c
10. d

Make sure you understand the sequence of events, Soapy's changing motivations, and especially the twist at the end. O. Henry is famous for that final ironic turn. Good luck with your preparation!