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Story Analysis: After Twenty Years By Jimmy Wells

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In “After Twenty Years” a police officer comes across a man named Bob standing around waiting. He approaches Bob and discovers that he is waiting for his friend Jimmy Wells because they had agreed to meet there on that date 20 years prior. Bob tells the officer how Jimmy was his best friend and continues explaining how he moved all around the West and became successful. The officer then leaves to most likely continue his duties and a man shows up claiming to be Jimmy Wells but then arrests him. The reader then discovers that Bob was wanted in Chicago and that the first officer was Jimmy Wells but he didn’t want to be the one to arrest him.

The tone of the story is dark and suspenseful. “The time was barely 10 o’clock at night, but chilly …show more content…

Throughout the story, readers can see how much the characters have changed in those 20 years apart. The changes between the two main characters are ironic, as one became a criminal and the other became a police officer. Even their old familiar surroundings had changed. The restaurant they had planned to meet at had closed 5 years ago and became a cigar …show more content…

Bob assumes Jimmy’s loyalty lies with him and their friendship although he is a criminal when in reality, Jimmy’s loyalty lies in his career. Bob still has faith that Jimmy is still the loyal person he used to be. He is sure Jimmy will meet him as long as he is still alive. He is even lenient on the time to meet him, as he believes Jimmy will show up within the proper time slot they agreed on twenty years prior. “When you struck the match to light your cigar I saw it was the face of the man wanted in Chicago. Somehow I couldn’t do it myself, so I went around and got a plain clothes man to do the job” (pg. 266) shows the internal conflict Jimmy had with himself when he realized that Bob was the man wanted in Chicago but he knew he should do the right thing and turn him in. I presume Jimmy was more committed to his career rather than his best friend because Jimmy and Bob lost contact due to Bob moving around all the

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