# Cupid's Exile Number Two explained — Short Fiction

> Chapter companion for Short Fiction by O. Henry.

## What happens

Johnny Atwood, a young Southerner from Dalesburg, Alabama, becomes the new U.S. consul in Coralio after being rejected by Rosine Hemstetter. He befriends Billy Keogh and settles into the leisurely life of the consulate. One evening, they witness a sloop playing 'Home, Sweet Home' on a phonograph, belonging to H.P. Mellinger, a former secretary to the late president of Anchuria. Keogh hints at a story behind Mellinger's graft.

## Themes in this chapter

### Love and Romance

Johnny's exile is driven by unrequited love for Rosine Hemstetter, who rejects him for a farmer.

### Humor and Irony

Johnny's lazy attitude toward his consular duties and the absurdity of his 'grief' are treated with comic irony.

### Ambition and Failure

Johnny's romantic failure leads him to a political appointment, but he shows no ambition to work, only to escape.

## Character check-ins

### Johnny Atwood

Newly appointed U.S. consul to Coralio, fleeing a broken heart from Dalesburg. He is lazy, charming, and befriends Keogh.

### Billy Keogh

A cheerful tintypist and friend to Johnny, who introduces him to Coralio society and later tells him about Mellinger's graft.

### Willard Geddie

The resigned consul who briefs Johnny on the duties of the office.

### Unknown Narrator

The third-person narrator who describes the events and characters with a wry, observant tone.

## Key lines

> It was while playing the part of Cupid's exile that Johnny added his handiwork to the long list of casualties along the Spanish Main by his famous manipulation of the shoe market, and his unparalleled feat of elevating the most despised and useless weed in his own country from obscurity to be a valuable product in international commerce.

During his self-imposed exile, Johnny became known for his clever schemes, including manipulating the shoe market and turning a worthless American weed into a valuable export.

_Foreshadows Johnny's later commercial exploits in Coralio._

> The trouble began, as trouble often begins instead of ending, with a romance.

The story's conflict started with a romantic disappointment, as is often the case.

_Sets up the romantic motivation for Johnny's exile._

> I didn't take this job with any intention of working. I wanted to go somewhere in the world where they didn't talk about farms.

Johnny admits he took the consulship not to work, but to escape the farming talk of Dalesburg.

_Highlights Johnny's lazy, escapist attitude._

> The authority of the sea and the tropics, the mystery that attends unknown sails, and the prestige of drifting music on moonlit waters gave it an anodynous charm.

The scene of the sloop and music under the moonlight created a soothing, dreamlike atmosphere.

_Describes the romantic, exotic setting of Coralio._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_41_se/chapters/cupid-s-exile-number-two
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_41_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_41_se/chapters