Questions and Answers
Why is Jimmy Valentine in prison?
For safe cracking
Why is Jimmy Valentine pardoned by the governor?
Governor grants Valentine clemency because he has many friends on the outside.
When out of prison, how does Valentine support himself?
He resumes his life of crime as a safe cracker.
Why does Ben Price start looking for Jimmy Valentine again?
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At what point does Valentine become another man?
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What caused Jimmy Valentine to change?
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Why does Jimmy Valentine use his old talents once again?
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Name three details that support the idea that Jimmy Valentine has changed.
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Why does Ben Price pretend to not know Jimmy?
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Explain the meaning of the story's title.
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List and define the characters.
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Name the setting.
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What point of view is the story told in?
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Name the internal conflict.
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Name the external conflict.
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State the major theme of the story.
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State the climax of the story.
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What is Henry's real name?
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What is verbal irony?
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What is situational irony?
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What is allusion?
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What is the prison warden's attitude toward J.V's future?
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Explain the irony of Jimmy having his tools with him when Agatha gets locked in the safe.
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What was the new acquisition of Elmore Bank?
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Why do you think Ralph Spencer asked for the rose Annabel was wearing?
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Study Notes
Jimmy Valentine and His Background
- Jimmy Valentine, a skilled safe-cracker, serves ten months of a four-year sentence for robbery before being pardoned by the governor.
- He resumes his life of crime upon release, indicating a lack of rehabilitation and intent to continue his previous lifestyle.
Characters and Their Roles
- Jimmy Valentine: Protagonist, a thief who transforms into Ralph D. Spencer, a shoe salesman, after falling in love with Annabel Adams.
- Ben Price: Antagonist and detective with a history with Jimmy, determined to bring him to justice after noticing a pattern in recent robberies.
- Annabel Adams: Jimmy’s love interest, daughter of the Elmore Bank owner, whose affection sparks Jimmy’s transformation.
- Mr. Adams: The wealth owner of the Elmore Bank and Annabel's father.
- Mike Dolan: Jimmy's supportive friend, involved in organized crime and instrumental in securing Jimmy's clemency.
- Agatha: Annabel’s niece, whose accidental entrapment in the bank vault ignites the story’s climax.
Themes and Conflicts
- Major theme: The capacity for personal change and reform is explored, emphasizing that people can evolve for the better.
- Internal conflict revolves around Jimmy's struggle between reverting to his criminal ways to save Agatha or preserving his new identity and life with Annabel.
- External conflict emerges as Detective Ben Price tracks Jimmy after his parole, leading to a confrontation.
Plot Developments
- Jimmy experiences a life-altering moment when he falls in love, prompting his reformation and the adoption of a new identity, Ralph D. Spencer.
- Climax occurs when Jimmy must choose between breaking into the vault to save Agatha or maintaining his reformed identity.
Irony and Literary Devices
- Verbal Irony: Occurs when expressions contrast with their intended meaning.
- Situational Irony: Actions yield outcomes opposite to what was intended or expected, illustrated by Jimmy's chance to use his tools for saving Agatha instead of giving them away.
- Allusion: References to notable concepts or figures without explicit explanation strengthen the narrative.
Setting and Perspective
- Story set in 1903 in Elmore, Arkansas, and Springfield, Illinois, with trains as the primary mode of transportation.
- Narrated in third person, allowing a comprehensive view of characters' thoughts and motivations.
Significant Moments and Symbols
- Jimmy's efforts to abandon crime, such as planning to open a shoe store and maintaining a correspondence that highlights his transformation.
- Ben Price’s decision to let Jimmy maintain his new identity signifies acceptance of change and the power of redemption.
- The new vault at Elmore Bank symbolizes temptation and the potential for regression into criminal behavior.
Additional Insights
- The prison warden’s sentiment towards Jimmy underscores the dual nature of his character; despite criminal past, he possesses goodness.
- Jimmy's request for a rose from Annabel symbolizes his desire to hold onto the love that inspires his transformation amidst uncertainty regarding his future.
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Description
This quiz explores the characters and themes in the story of Jimmy Valentine, a talented safe-cracker turned shoe salesman. After being pardoned, his struggle between his past life of crime and love for Annabel Adams unfolds. Understand the roles and transformations of key characters in this tale of redemption and deception.
