A Departmental Case (Henry): Difference between revisions

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A Departmental Case

1903

Summary of the Short Story

Microsummary: A Texan commissioner helps the daughter of his old friend who is in an abusive marriage, and later defends himself against her violent husband.

In this story, set in Texas, Luke Coonrod Standifer is appointed as the Commissioner of Insurance, Statistics, and History. He is a Texan through and through, having served the state in various capacities. However, he is unsure of his ability to fulfill his new role.

👨🏻‍🦳

Luke Coonrod Standifer — Commissioner of Insurance, Statistics, and History; Texan, experienced, rugged, kind-hearted.

The department he heads is not very important, mainly dealing with regulating insurance companies and compiling statistics. One day, a woman named Amanda Sharp comes to Standifer's office seeking help. She is the daughter of Amos Colvin, a friend of Standifer's who helped build up the state.

👩🏻‍🦳

Amanda Sharp — Amos Colvin's daughter; married to Benton Sharp; abused, impoverished, seeking help.

Amanda is married to Benton Sharp, a notorious bully and gambler who has mistreated her.

🥴

Benton Sharp — Amanda's husband; notorious outlaw, gambler, and bully; violent, abusive.

Standifer decides to take matters into his own hands and confronts Sharp in a restaurant. In a quick draw, Standifer shoots and kills Sharp in self-defense. Standifer then helps Amanda claim her husband's life insurance policy. Despite the limitations of his department, Standifer is able to provide assistance to those in need.

The Department of Insurance, Statistics, and History, ma'am, has done the best it could with your case. 'Twas a case hard to cover according to red tape. Statistics failed, and History missed fire, but, if I may be permitted to say it, we came out particularly strong on Insurance.

I had to do it, ma'am, or get it myself. Mr. Kauffman, please look up the records of the Security Life Insurance Company and see if they are all right.

The San Antonio Express of the following morning contained this sensational piece of news: Benton Sharp Meets His Match...

@@ Line 4: / Line 4: @@
 | Title = A Departmental Case
 | Author = O. Henry
-| Cycle = [[Roads_of_Destiny_(short_story_collection,_Henry)|Roads of Destiny]]
 | Literary form = short story
-| Year of publication =
+| Year of publication = 1903
-| Microsummary = A woman sought help from a government official, who happened to be her father's old friend, to escape her abusive husband and regain her lost property. The official took matters into his own hands.
+| Microsummary = A Texan commissioner helps the daughter of his old friend who is in an abusive marriage, and later defends himself against her violent husband.
 }}
 {{Start of text}}
-Luke Coonrod Standifer, a former Indian fighter, soldier, ranger, and legislator, was appointed as the Commissioner of Insurance, Statistics, and History of the State of Texas. One day, a woman named Amanda, the daughter of Standifer's old friend Amos Colvin, visited his office seeking help.
+In this story, set in Texas, Luke Coonrod Standifer is appointed as the Commissioner of Insurance, Statistics, and History. He is a Texan through and through, having served the state in various capacities. However, he is unsure of his ability to fulfill his new role.
 {{Character
 | Name = Luke Coonrod Standifer
-| Description = Commissioner of Insurance, Statistics, and History; middle-aged, kind, and sympathetic; old friend of the woman's father
+| Description = Commissioner of Insurance, Statistics, and History; Texan, experienced, rugged, kind-hearted
-| Emoji = 👨🏻‍💻
+| Emoji = 👨🏻‍🦳
 }}
+The department he heads is not very important, mainly dealing with regulating insurance companies and compiling statistics. One day, a woman named Amanda Sharp comes to Standifer's office seeking help. She is the daughter of Amos Colvin, a friend of Standifer's who helped build up the state.
 {{Character
-| Name = Mrs. Sharp
+| Name = Amanda Sharp
-| Description = daughter of Amos Colvin; married to a brutal man; gentle, sad, and in need of help
+| Description = Amos Colvin's daughter; married to Benton Sharp; abused, impoverished, seeking help
-| Emoji =
+| Emoji = 👩🏻‍🦳
 }}
-Mrs. Sharp is talking to Standifer about her father, Amos Colvin, and how he always spoke fondly of their adventures together. This conversation takes place in Standifer's office.
+Amanda is married to Benton Sharp, a notorious bully and gambler who has mistreated her.
-{{Quote
+{{Character
-| Text = It seems to me that I don't remember hearing him talk about much else. Every day there was some story he had to tell about what he and you had done.
+| Name = Benton Sharp
-| Context = Mrs. Sharp is talking to Standifer about her father, Amos Colvin, and how he always spoke fondly of their adventures together. This conversation takes place in Standifer's office.
+| Description = Amanda's husband; notorious outlaw, gambler, and bully; violent, abusive
+| Emoji = 🥴
 }}
-She was married to Benton Sharp, a notorious outlaw, who had abused her and left her in poverty. Amanda hoped that the state might provide her with some relief, as her father had been an early settler and had never received any compensation for his contributions.
+Standifer decides to take matters into his own hands and confronts Sharp in a restaurant. In a quick draw, Standifer shoots and kills Sharp in self-defense. Standifer then helps Amanda claim her husband's life insurance policy. Despite the limitations of his department, Standifer is able to provide assistance to those in need.
-Standifer, moved by Amanda's plight, tried to secure financial assistance for her from the state treasury, but was unsuccessful due to bureaucratic red tape. Standifer expresses his frustration with the bureaucratic process when trying to help Mrs. Sharp. This quote occurs during a conversation with the state treasurer.
+{{Quote
+| Text = The Department of Insurance, Statistics, and History, ma'am, has done the best it could with your case. 'Twas a case hard to cover according to red tape. Statistics failed, and History missed fire, but, if I may be permitted to say it, we came out particularly strong on Insurance.
+| Context = The commissioner assures Amanda that his department will help her, despite the limitations of its jurisdiction.
+}}
 {{Quote
-| Text = To the devil with the legislature. It's a long trail to follow, trying to get back dues from the government.
+| Text = I had to do it, ma'am, or get it myself. Mr. Kauffman, please look up the records of the Security Life Insurance Company and see if they are all right.
-| Context = Standifer expresses his frustration with the bureaucratic process when trying to help Mrs. Sharp. This quote occurs during a conversation with the state treasurer.
+| Context = The commissioner justifies his actions to Amanda after killing her abusive husband in self-defense.
 }}
-He then advised Amanda to return to his office in two days, promising to find a solution to her problem. In the meantime, Standifer traveled to San Antonio, where Amanda's husband was living.
+The San Antonio Express of the following morning contained this sensational piece of news: Benton Sharp Meets His Match...
-The next day, the San Antonio Express reported a sensational piece of news: Benton Sharp, the notorious outlaw, had been shot dead in a saloon. The identity of the shooter was unknown, but it was speculated that it might have been someone seeking revenge for Sharp's past crimes. With her husband's life insurance policy, Amanda was able to regain her financial stability and live in peace.
 {{End of text}}