Dénouement: Judge Priest declares that the Court is advised as to O’Day’s sanity; the youngsters applaud; the elders join in the applause; O’Day is, according to the Judge, “the sanest man in this entire jurisdiction.” Court is adjourned. The Judge lingers to make a suggestion to the sheriff.
Anti-Climax, and Close of the Narrative: Peep brings to Judge Priest a present of all-day suckers.
Characterization. Judge Priest, who appears in many of Mr. Cobb’s stories, is one of numerous types the author knew when he was a Paducah reporter. The student should study him as an example destined to literary permanence. In the opinion of the present critic he is the most representative figure in all the current literature about the South. No Southerner can fail to recognize the gentleman.
In this particular story how is the Judge described by the author? How does his mail help to characterize him? How does his behavior reveal him? For what qualities do you like him at first? For what throughout? (See especially pages 95, 117, 126.) For what, finally?
Study the description of O’Day. Study page 94 for the way Mr. Cobb makes O’Day appeal to the reader’s sympathy. What in his past history has contributory value to the present picture and present plot? What in his environment? What do the townspeople think of him? What exceptions are there? What is his attitude to others? Study his behavior in connection with the reception of news about his fortune, his subsequent acts, and his speech in the court-room. Why is his story of his early life of particular worth here? Note all the reasons for which you sympathize with him. Wherein, in brief, lies the human appeal of the story?
How are the minor characters hit off as individuals? How are they repressed so as not to usurp too much of the reader’s attention?
Details. Study the easy way in which the locality is kept before the reader. For example, the business about the water-melons is essentially Southern.
From reading “The Great Auk” what would you judge to have been one of Mr. Cobb’s chief interests? What from reading “Boys Will Be Boys”?
Point out examples of this author’s humor.
What value has the fact (page 87) that the Court of Appeals had affirmed a decision of the Judge?