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Annabel Adams
The man in charge of the prison where Jimmy Valentine serves time after his arrest in Springfield. As Jimmy is released from prison, the warden advises him to “brace up” and “make a man of himself,” claiming that Jimmy is “not a bad fellow at heart.” His advice to Jimmy implies that the ticket to the straight life is an honest profession, and through this O. Henry draws a direct parallel between morality and work. The warden is pleasant and jokes easily with Jimmy during his release; however, the crooked nature of Jimmy’s pardon and his expected short stay in his prison makes the warden implicit in the obvious corruption that surrounds Jimmy’s sham punishment.
The Warden Quotes in A Retrieved Reformation
The A Retrieved Reformation quotes below are all either spoken by The Warden or refer to The Warden. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
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A Retrieved Reformation Quotes
[T]he warden handed Jimmy his pardon, which had been signed that morning by the governor. Jimmy took it in a tired kind of way. He had served nearly ten months of a four-year sentence. He had expected to stay only about three months, at the longest. When a man with as many friends on the outside as Jimmy Valentine had is received in the “stir” it is hardly worth while to cut his hair.
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This quote occurs at the beginning of “A Retrieved Reformation” as safecracker and thief Jimmy Valentine is serving a prison sentence for an obscure crime. Jimmy is a highly connected career criminal and his pardon is proof of this. Additionally, the pardon, signed by the governor, implies political corruption reaching to the very top of the Arkansas state government. Both Jimmy and the prison are aware that these connections will ensure a short sentence, although Jimmy is surprised that it has taken so long for him to be released. He takes the pardon in a “tired kind of way” because Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventore in. Eligendi atque placeat. Molestiae earum eum. Libero sit beatae. At a deserunt. Sint aperiam consequatur. Minima porro perferendis. Sit neque odit. Tenetur qui dignissimos. Qu
“Now, Valentine,” said the warden, “you’ll go out in the morning. Brace up, and make a man of yourself. You’re not a bad fellow at heart. Stop cracking safes, and live straight.”
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In this quote, the warden counsels Jimmy on how to live a straight life once he is released from prison. In doing so, the story draws a direct parallel between hard work and morality, and according to the warden, if Jimmy is to be a good person, he must also work an honest job. The warden’s words imply that Jimmy is not a good man because of his profession, yet he acknowledges that Jimmy is not all bad. In fact, Jimmy’s job is virtually his only bad quality. He is undeniably kind, loyal, and humorous; however, his profession as a Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventore in. Eligendi atque placeat. Molestiae earum eum. Libero sit beatae. At a deserunt. Sint aperiam
“How was it you happened to get sent up on that Springfield job? Was it because you wouldn’t prove an alibi for fear of compromising somebody in extremely high-toned society?”
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Here, the warden plays along as Jimmy comically denies ever having cracked a safe. The warden jokes that men like Jimmy are usually innocent, due either to a biased jury or their refusal to give up a fellow criminal. This is the first mention of the crime that resulted in Jimmy’s prison stay, and while vague, it does offer important insight into Jimmy’s criminal connections. The warden’s reference to “high-toned society” implies that Jimmy’s contacts are powerful and public—and stand to fall if exposed. The warden’s joke speaks to the level of corruption implicated by Jimmy’s pardon from the governor. Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventore in. Eligendi atque placeat. Molestiae earum eum. Libero sit beatae
The clerk handed him a railroad ticket and the five-dollar bill with which the law expected him to rehabilitate himself into good citizenship and prosperity. The warden gave him a cigar, and shook hands. Valentine, 9762, was chronicled on the books “Pardoned by the Governor,” and Mr. James Valentine walked out into the sunshine.
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This passage occurs as Jimmy is released from prison. The prison system, traditionally intended to be more than simply punishment for someone who breaks the law, is meant as a means of rehabilitation and reform as well; however, the prison fails to offer Jimmy any meaningful rehabilitation. He has been locked up for nearly ten months and presumably has no money to speak of, yet he is given only a measly five dollars. Even with the railroad ticket, it is unlikely that Jimmy will get very far. He must secure food and shelter, and find good, honest work—all of which Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventore in. Eligendi atque placeat. Moles
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The Warden Character Timeline in A Retrieved Reformation
The timeline below shows where the character The Warden appears in A Retrieved Reformation. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
A Retrieved Reformation
...hard at work in the prison shoe-shop when a guard comes to escort him to the warden ’s office. Jimmy has been pardoned by the governor, and instead of celebrating, he accepts...
(full context)
The warden advises Jimmy to stop cracking safes and live straight, reminding him that he’s “not a...
(full context)
