# The Girl and the Habit explained — Short Fiction

> Chapter companion for Short Fiction by O. Henry.

## What happens

Miss Merriam, a cashier at Hinkle's restaurant, is adored by male patrons for her beauty and wit. She is adopted by a wealthy elderly banker, Mr. McRamsey, and his wife, becoming Miss Rosa McRamsey. Despite her new social status, her old cashier habits resurface at a charity bazaar when she instinctively responds to an earl's compliment with cashier-like banter, causing her to faint from the shock.

## Themes in this chapter

### Deception and Appearance vs. Reality

Miss Merriam's transformation into Rosa McRamsey involves adopting a new identity, but her old cashier habits betray her true nature at the bazaar.

### Social Class and Wealth

The story contrasts the working-class cashier's world with the wealthy McRamsey household and the earl's aristocratic circle.

### Humor and Irony

The irony of Miss Merriam's ingrained cashier habits causing a social faux pas with an earl is a central humorous element.

## Character check-ins

### Unknown Narrator

The narrator introduces the story with a meta-commentary on literary inspiration and then describes Miss Merriam's life at Hinkle's.

### Annie Williams

Miss Merriam is the cashier at Hinkle's, later adopted and renamed Rosa McRamsey. She is the central character.

### Simmons

Mentioned in Miss Merriam's banter as a companion to see a play.

### The General

Not directly present; the excerpt does not feature this character.

### Mr. Morley

Not directly present; the excerpt does not feature this character.

## Key lines

> Miss Merriam was lovely and capable. She could take 45 cents out of a $2 bill and refuse an offer of marriage before you could—Next!—lost your chance—please don’t shove.

Miss Merriam was both attractive and efficient, handling transactions and rejecting marriage proposals with equal speed.

_Highlights her multitasking skills and charm._

> Beauty is only skin-deep, but the nerves lie very near to the skin.

Outer beauty is superficial, but one's ingrained habits and reactions are deeply rooted.

_Foreshadows Miss Merriam's instinctive cashier response._

> Cut that joshing out, she said, coolly and briskly. Who do you think you are talking to? Your check, please. Oh, Lordy!—

She told the earl to stop joking, demanded his check, then realized her mistake and fainted.

_Shows her automatic cashier behavior overriding her new social role._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_41_se/chapters/the-girl-and-the-habit
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_41_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_41_se/chapters