Congratulations for reaching Year 4 of your American English studies. This year we will read numerous American short stories to build American English listening and reading comprehension skills. Please pay close attention to each American short story assigned here and share your insights and what you’ve learned in the comments section below.
Directions: Listen and read each short story and then share what you learned in the comments section below.
4.11.4: Lesson 11- American short stories.
” The Green Door” written by O. Henry
The theme of the story is an adventure. Adventure is to try out something daring in this story we meet a man who loves adventure, but the idea of fate is brought to his attention in a way he cannot deny.
A young man named Rudolf Steiner is young attractive man, works in a music shop during the daytime. He has been arrested, lost his money, and even had his property stolen. However, Rudolf always wants to know what is happening around the next corner, at night he explores the city of Newyork, one evening he walks by a man passing out pieces of paper to people passing by. He is
given a piece of paper with three words written on it. The three words are, ” The Green Door”. Other people also receive bits of paper but throw theirs away. He notices that a large black man is handing out that pieces of paper near a doctor office. Rudolf takes the paper twice. Rudolf is particularly fascinated by these two papers or cards, because all the other cards, the man is Distibuting contain advertisement for a dentist. He feels not once but twice he has been chosen by the, ” the arch sprite adventure” and Rudolf is a person who seeks adventure, wherever he can find it. He moves forward
and find a green door and his knock is answered by a girl living in extreme poverty and he helps her when she faints from hunger. He runs out to buy food and milk for her. before leaving he promises to see her again. he is convinced that it could only be his destiny to meet the girl in this strange way.