# Identified explained — Short Fiction

> Chapter companion for Short Fiction by O. Henry.

## What happens

A stranger attempts to cash a draft at a Houston bank but is repeatedly asked for identification. After presenting letters, business cards, and even his monogrammed shirt, the cashier remains unsatisfied. Finally, the stranger reveals a mustard plaster on his chest, claiming it proves he is Henry B. Saunders, and the cashier reluctantly pays him.

## Themes in this chapter

### Deception and Appearance vs. Reality

The stranger's use of a mustard plaster as 'proof' of identity plays on the tension between appearance and reality, as the cashier ultimately accepts a superficial sign.

### Humor and Irony

The absurdity of using a mustard plaster as identification, and the cashier's lingering doubt, create a humorous and ironic twist.

## Character check-ins

### Unknown Narrator

The narrator describes the scene at the bank.

### Henry B. Saunders

The stranger who presents the draft and uses a mustard plaster as identification.

## Key lines

> You will have to be identified by someone who knows your name to be Henry B. Saunders.

The cashier insists that the stranger must be recognized by someone who can confirm his identity.

_Establishes the bank's strict identification policy._

> That plaster might be somebody else’s after all, but no doubt it’s all right.

The cashier wonders if the plaster could belong to someone else, but decides to accept it.

_Highlights the cashier's lingering uncertainty and the story's ironic conclusion._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_41_se/chapters/identified
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_41_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_41_se/chapters