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CBSE Class 7 English★ 4-6 marks in Class 7 English assessments; comprehension, irony, and character (supplementary reader)

'The Cop and the Anthem — O. Henry'

'O. Henry\'s classic story of Soapy, a homeless man who tries to get arrested to escape the winter cold. But when he finally decides to change his life, fate has a cruel twist in store.'

⏱ 13 min readMedium difficulty✓ Free · NCERT-aligned

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By the end of this chapter you'll be able to…

1Summarise the plot and Soapy's attempts to get arrested
2Explain the situational irony and twist ending
3Describe the character of Soapy
4Identify themes of irony, fate, and society's indifference
5Recognise O. Henry's signature storytelling style

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Why this chapter matters

'The Cop and the Anthem' by O. Henry is a classic story of situational irony and a famous twist ending. Following Soapy, a homeless man who tries to get arrested, it builds reading comprehension, an understanding of irony and satire, and awareness of society's treatment of the poor.

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Class 6 English: Reading short stories

Plot, character, and identifying the message of a story

The Cop and the Anthem — O. Henry

Introduction

'The Cop and the Anthem' is a short story by O. Henry (1862–1910), famous for his surprising twist endings. The story follows Soapy, a homeless man in New York City. As winter approaches, he wants to get arrested so he can spend the cold months in the warmth of a prison cell. He tries everything to attract the attention of the police — but nothing works. When he finally decides to reform his life, he is arrested. The ending is a classic O. Henry twist.

'O. Henry's stories end where you least expect. Soapy wanted prison but could not get it. When he no longer wanted it, it came to him.'

2. About the Author

Detail	Information
Name	William Sydney Porter (O. Henry)
Born	11 September 1862
Died	5 June 1910
Nationality	American
Famous for	Short stories with twist endings
Famous works	The Gift of the Magi, The Last Leaf

3. Summary of the Story

Soapy's Problem

Soapy is a homeless man in New York. Winter is coming, and he needs a warm place to stay. His plan: get arrested so he can spend three months in jail on Blackwell's Island, where he will have food, warmth, and shelter.

Soapy's Failed Attempts

Attempt	What Soapy Did	Result
1	Tried to eat at an expensive restaurant without paying	Bouncer threw him out
2	Threw a stone through a shop window	Policeman did not believe he did it
3	Tried to steal a man's umbrella	The man refused to call the police
4	Pretended to be drunk and disorderly	Police ignored him
5	Tried to harass a woman	The woman laughed at him

The Change

Soapy gives up. He stops near a church and hears an anthem (a religious song). The music inspires him. He decides to reform his life — find a job, become a respectable citizen, and turn over a new leaf.

The Irony

Just as Soapy resolves to change his life, a policeman taps him on the shoulder. He is arrested for loitering (standing around with no apparent purpose). The next day, he is sentenced to three months in prison — exactly what he had wanted but no longer needed.

'When Soapy wanted prison, society refused to give it to him. When he wanted a better life, society gave him prison. The irony is devastating.'

4. Characters

Character	Role	Traits
Soapy	Homeless man	Resourceful, desperate, capable of change
Policemen	Authority figures	Indifferent, unpredictable

5. Themes

Theme	Explanation
Irony	Soapy gets arrested when he least wants it
Fate and chance	Life is unpredictable; we do not control our destiny
Society's indifference	The system fails Soapy both when he wants help and when he wants reform
Poverty and survival	The desperation of homeless life
Redemption	Soapy's genuine desire to change — but society does not give him a chance

6. Literary Devices

Device	Example
Irony (situational)	Soapy gets arrested when he no longer wants to be
Twist ending	The unexpected arrest at the very end
Symbolism	The anthem represents hope and redemption
Satire	Criticising how society treats the poor
Contrast	Soapy's attempts to get arrested vs his decision to reform

7. Key Vocabulary

Word	Meaning
Anthem	A religious or patriotic song
Reform	To change for the better
Loiter	To stand around without purpose
Sentence	The punishment given by a court
Island (Blackwell's Island)	The prison where Soapy wants to go
Twist ending	An unexpected conclusion to a story

8. Exam Focus

2-Mark Questions

Who wrote 'The Cop and the Anthem'?
Why did Soapy want to get arrested?
What made Soapy decide to change his life?
Why was Soapy finally arrested?

5-Mark Questions

Describe the various attempts Soapy made to get arrested.
What is the significance of the anthem in the story?
Explain the irony at the end of the story.
What is O. Henry's style of storytelling? Give examples from the story.

9. Self-Test

Q1. Where did Soapy want to spend the winter? A1. In prison on Blackwell's Island.

Q2. Why did Soapy throw a stone through a shop window? A2. He wanted to be arrested for breaking the window.

Q3. What did Soapy try to steal? A3. A man's umbrella.

Q4. What inspired Soapy to reform his life? A4. The anthem he heard from a church.

Q5. What was Soapy sentenced to? A5. Three months in prison.

Summary

Soapy is a homeless man who wants to get arrested to survive the winter in jail.
He tries several methods — none of them work.
He hears an anthem from a church and decides to reform his life.
Just then, a policeman arrests him for loitering.
He is sentenced to three months in prison.
The story is a classic example of O. Henry's ironic twist endings.
It critiques society's treatment of the poor and the unpredictability of fate.

Key formulas & results

Everything you need to memorise, in one card. Screenshot this for revision.

Situational irony

Soapy fails to get arrested when he wants to, but is arrested the moment he decides to reform.

The opposite of what is expected happens.

Twist ending

An unexpected conclusion -- O. Henry's signature device.

Soapy is sentenced to exactly the three months he had wanted, but no longer needs.

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Common mistakes & fixes

These are the exact errors that cost students marks in board exams. Read them once, save yourself the trouble.

WATCH OUT

✗ Thinking Soapy succeeds in his early attempts

✓ All five of Soapy's attempts to get arrested FAIL -- this builds up to the ironic ending.

WATCH OUT

✗ Missing the role of the anthem

✓ The anthem from the church inspires Soapy to reform his life -- it symbolises hope and redemption.

WATCH OUT

✗ Explaining the irony incorrectly

✓ The irony is that Soapy is arrested only after he decides to change, not while he is trying to get caught.

WATCH OUT

✗ Ignoring O. Henry's style

✓ For style questions, mention the twist ending and situational irony with examples from the story.

NCERT exercises (with solutions)

Every NCERT exercise from this chapter — what it covers and how many questions to expect.

Comprehension Check

Short questions on Soapy's plan and attempts

Questions

Working with the Text

Soapy's attempts, the anthem, and the irony

Questions

Practice problems

Try each one yourself before tapping "Show solution". Active recall > rereading.

Q1MEDIUM· Describe

Describe the various attempts Soapy made to get arrested.

▶ Show solution

Soapy tried to eat at an expensive restaurant without paying (he was thrown out), threw a stone through a shop window (the policeman did not believe he did it), tried to steal a man's umbrella (the man refused to call the police), pretended to be drunk and disorderly (the police ignored him), and tried to harass a woman (she laughed at him). Every attempt failed.

Q2MEDIUM· Explain

Explain the irony at the end of the story.

▶ Show solution

Throughout the story Soapy desperately tries to get arrested so he can spend the winter in jail, but fails every time. The moment he hears an anthem, is inspired to reform his life, and decides to find honest work, a policeman arrests him for loitering and he is sentenced to three months in prison -- exactly what he had wanted but no longer needed.

Q3EASY· Recall

Why did Soapy want to get arrested?

▶ Show solution

Winter was approaching and Soapy, who was homeless, wanted to spend the cold months in the warmth of a prison cell on Blackwell's Island, where he would have food and shelter.

Q4MEDIUM· Style

What is O. Henry's style of storytelling? Give examples.

▶ Show solution

O. Henry is famous for surprise twist endings and situational irony. In this story, the twist is that Soapy is arrested just as he decides to reform, and the irony is that society refuses him jail when he wants it but gives it to him when he no longer does.

5-minute revision

The whole chapter, distilled. Read this the night before the exam.

•'The Cop and the Anthem' is by O. Henry (1862-1910), famous for twist endings.
•Soapy, a homeless man, wants to be arrested to survive the winter in jail.
•His five attempts to get arrested all fail.
•An anthem from a church inspires him to reform his life.
•Just then he is arrested for loitering and sentenced to three months.
•Themes: situational irony, fate, society's indifference, poverty, redemption.
•It is a classic example of O. Henry's ironic twist endings and social satire.

CBSE marks blueprint

Where the marks come from in this chapter — so you can plan your prep.

Typical chapter weightage: 4-6 marks, depending on school paper design

Question type	Marks each	Typical count	What it tests
Comprehension / Very Short	1-2	1-2	Plot, Soapy's plan and attempts
Short / Long Answer	3-5	1	Attempts, irony, O. Henry's style
Value / Theme	3	0-1	Society's treatment of the poor; fate

Prep strategy

List Soapy's five failed attempts in order
Be able to explain the situational irony clearly
Note the symbolism of the anthem
Learn O. Henry's twist-ending style with examples

Where this shows up in the real world

This chapter isn't just an exam topic — it lives in the world around you.

Understanding irony

Recognising situational irony sharpens critical reading of stories, films, and real-life events.

Social awareness

The story builds empathy for homeless and poor people and questions how society treats them.

Appreciating storytelling

O. Henry's twist endings teach how structure and surprise create memorable stories.

Exam strategy

Battle-tested tips from teachers and toppers for this chapter.

List Soapy's attempts as clear points
Explain the irony in terms of expectation versus outcome
Mention the anthem's symbolism in theme answers
Use the twist ending as an example of O. Henry's style

Going beyond the textbook

For olympiad aspirants and curious learners — topics that build on this chapter.

Compare the twist ending of this story with O. Henry's 'The Gift of the Magi'.
Explore how situational irony is used in other famous short stories and films.

Where else this chapter is tested

CBSE board isn't the only one — other exams test this chapter too.

CBSE Class 7 School ExamHigh

Olympiad / reading comprehension testsMedium

Literary appreciation and creative writingMedium

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Questions students ask

The real ones — pulled from the Q&A community and tutor sessions.

The anthem Soapy hears from the church awakens his conscience and inspires him to change his life and become respectable. It symbolises hope and redemption, making the ironic ending -- his arrest just afterwards -- all the more powerful.

The story satirises how society treats the poor: it refuses Soapy the shelter of jail when he desperately seeks it, then punishes him just as he wants to reform. It shows the system failing him both when he needs help and when he wants to improve.

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