William Sydney Porter Research Paper

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The early life of William Sydney Porter is highlighted in this biographical work. In 1862, William Sydney was born on September 11th to Dr. Algernon Sidney and Mary Jane Porter in Greensboro, North Carolina. Years after his birth, his mother passed away, which led to William’s family relocating to a shared home with his aunt and grandmother. His aunt had been employed as a private primary school teacher, and under her care, William’s fondness of writing, literature, and art began to develop. When he wasn’t reading, William often spent time working in his uncle’s drugstore as a pharmacist, which led to him being a licensed pharmacist by a Pharmaceutical Association in 1881. Subsequently, William took a sudden offer of a trip to Texas, where …show more content…
The interview began with Porter deciding to address any untrue rumors written about him, and admits to not having a college education. He said that he only obtained a brief schooling, and reading helped in preparing him for his career. He went into detail about the time he spent in Texas, following with his job at the Houston Post. He mentioned that at the age of twenty-one he had been aware that he wanted to write, and that most of the stories he had written for a weekly paper were filled with humor. After writing for the weekly paper, Porter followed a friend, who had been going on a business trip, to Central America. There he had found a reputable brand of rum, hinting at using drinking as a pastime during the trip. After leaving Central America, he went back to Texas for a brief job in a drug store, and after, Porter went to New Orleans. From there he sent stories to newspapers and magazines all over the country. Many of them had been rejected, until it was “The Emancipation of Billy” that finally landed. Without mentioning the topic of his jail time, Porter stated that while living in New Orleans, he decided to adopt the pen name of O. Henry. Porter, who was unsure if his stories would be successful, used the pen name. With the help of a friend, he picked the name from a newspaper, where he found the name Henry. He then used an initial letter from his friend’s …show more content…
To be able to write and publish his stories from his cell, Porter adopted the name O. Henry. According to the article, the pen name possibly derived from a prison guard name Orrin Henry. Despite the alias, it was until the investigations of C. Alphonso Smith, a professor at the University of Virginia, that his secret had been found out. After the secret had been unveiled, the reaction of the public was more of fascination rather than shock. As a result, this led to the public’s deep interest in Porter’s previously hidden personal life. Rather than being penalized for being in jail, O. Henry awarded by the public. In honor of Porter, a museum was built in his hometown of Greensboro, North Carolina, and there are museums dedicated to him in Austin and San Antonio. Following his release, Porter relocated to New York, where he continued to write. Some of the short stories he penned were inspired by the inmates and his life in jail. Porter continued to write until his death by cirrhosis, possibly due to alcoholism in 1910. Despite his embarrassment of being jailed, his life as an inmate seemed to inspire his career in
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