This book provides a close look at the character types and plot patterns found in the urban stories of William Sydney Potter (known as O. Henry), analyzing how these elements structure his tales and contribute to his popular formulas. Karen Charmaine Blansfield examines Porter's adventurous but troubled background - as a ranch hand, cowboy, bank teller, journalist, prisoner, fugitive, and more - to see how his experiences shaped these aspects of his fiction. She considers how the turbulent conditions of New York City at the turn of the century helped to launch O. Henry's meteoric career.