The Furnished Room

Throughout the story, O. Henry incorporates supernatural imagery to foreshadow the narrative’s ending. In the opening paragraph of the text, the population of the Lower West Side is described as “flit[ting] from furnished room to furnished room, transients forever,” a description reminiscent of ghosts or spirits (Paragraph 1). O. Henry continues to hint at the presence of otherworldly spirits by noting that a “ghost or two” might be found in the midst of all of these tenants (Paragraph 2). This aside foreshadows the young man’s later encounter with the spirit of Eloise while renting the room. Afterward, as the young man rushes to inquire whether Eloise stayed there, he is described as running “from the haunted room” (Paragraph 26), further cementing the idea that Eloise’s spirit is present. The diction relating to ghosts and haunting hints at the final revelation of both characters’ deaths.

Writers in the realist genre would often attempt to recreate natural dialect. By using colloquialisms, or informal language, authors can evoke a particular region, educational level, and social status of a character.

In “The Furnished Room,” the dialogue of both Mrs. Purdy and her friend Mrs. McCool is notable for grammatical errors, suggesting their lack of education and lower social status. This is primarily seen in Mrs. Purdy and Mrs. McCool’s conversation at the end of the text. O. Henry incorporates phonetic spellings of words, such as “rale” (real) and “rayjict” (reject) into Mrs. McCool’s speech to indicate her Irish accent. The colloquialisms of the women’s language contrast with the more formal language of the young man, as well as the narrator’s advanced vocabulary throughout the text. This juxtaposition of formality and colloquialisms highlights the class divide between the female characters and the protagonist. O. Henry infers that members of the lower classes, such as the two housekeepers, exploit the human misery caused by rapid urbanization.