About Divided Loyalties - Discussion on “After Twenty Years”

The short story, “After Twenty Years”, written by O. Henry, talks about a man, Bob, who tries to meet his friend, Jimmy Well, at a specific location after twenty years of being apart. Bob and Jimmy were two boys who lived like brothers when they were young, but eventually fell out of contact. As the story unfolds, a policeman meets Bob who is waiting on the street outside a darkened hardware store, where Bob and Jimmy agreed to meet. The policeman enquires him about his successful ventures, and he brags about how he had made success in the West, and got him rich. He then leaves him. A few minutes later, a man approaches Bob claiming that he is Jimmy Wells and talking with him. They are walking and talking until they are at the corner under the drugstore, where the lights illuminate their faces. Bob then realizes that the man is not the real Jimmy. The man is an undercover policeman coming to arrest Bob for crimes committed in Chicago. Actually Jimmy is the policeman who shows up earlier. He couldn’t bring himself to arrest his old friend, so he sends another officer to do the police job. Let’s talk about the loyalty between Bob and Jimmy in terms of three aspects: Friendship and Loyalty, Time and Changes, and the Diverging Paths of Success.

Loyalty in friendship is crucial, as it demonstrates a dedication to maintain the bond even when circumstances change. The loyalty would deepen and enhance their friendship because loyalty helps friends feel valued, no matter where they are or how much they have changed. Bob and Jimmy, who grew up together like brothers in New York, had an agreement to reunite at Big Joe Brady’s restaurant exactly twenty years later, no matter the circumstances. Bob travels over 1000 miles to meet Jimmy who is a policeman, despite knowing himself is a criminal and the risks involved. Two men set an appointment twenty years later. The waiting man, Bob, is trying to realize the meeting. He came a thousand miles that night. This shows that it is not only friendship. It is more than friendship. It is loyalty. Not many people could still keep the promise in twenty years and travel so far just to meet an old friend. Bob, obviously, is a loyal friend to Jimmy. Bob came from the west. a thousand miles, which could be at risk during the trip especially knowing he was a criminal, could be in danger, But Bob still comes. Jimmy, on the other side, is a person who is still loyal to Bob, even when he is a police officer. For one, Jimmy doesn't betray him outright and arrest him. He tells somebody else to arrest him. For another, Jimmy could have arrested him by himself when he saw Bob; instead, Jimmy had a conversation with Bob and left without making Bob raise suspicion, which signifies that he still has some degree of loyalty to Bob. Loyalty in friendship often involves being there for each other, even when circumstances change, and their planned reunion reflects that loyalty. Loyalty and friendship are closely intertwined. Loyalty could strengthen friendship, but friendships could also inspire loyalty. 

Time can change a person’s morals and identity, potentially shifting him from good to bad, due to experiences, environments, or personal choices. Time affects who we are and the choices we make. Some remain virtuous while others toward negativity. As time passes, experiences and circumstances transform people, resulting in diverse lives and identities. The friends successfully meet after 20 years, only to discover that one, Jimmy, is a policeman while the other, Bob, is a criminal. They are now different people and can no longer be friends morally. Over time, people’s positive value or goodness might be challenged in certain situations, which would tempt them to make decisions that deviate from their original principles. For instance, a person who pursues fortune or power may engage in unethical behavior, just like what Bob did in the West being a criminal. Indeed, time is a major effect in changing a person’s identity and moral paths, just like the author mentioned "It (time) sometimes changes a good man into a bad one" However, it is also important to note that change is not always negative. People could grow and evolve positively over time, like what Jimmy did in New York being a policeman. Whether time changes a person’s morals and identity for better or worse, such changes often depend on a person’s own choice and their willingness. Bob and Jimmy no longer shared the same values, which weakened their loyalty to one another. Bob and Jimmy once shared a youthful friendship, but with the time goes by, their adult lives and careers pulled them apart, breaking their loyalty and friendship. Time could alter a person’s traits and experiences, along with circumstances, shaping their distinct destinies and identities. 

The diverging paths of success could break loyalty between friends due to different priorities and values, mismatch in ethical standards, or one’s job duty. The diverging Paths of Success refers to the way two people who start from similar backgrounds but end up in completely different situations, especially in terms of values, achievements, and lifestyle. After not seeing each other for 20 years, Jimmy and Bob have pursued vastly different life paths. Jimmy, who has spent his entire life in New York, has become a responsible and respected police officer. Meanwhile, Bob has turned to crime but has found success, as shown by his diamond-adorned scarf pin and elegant watch. Bob measures his success by his financial and material gains achieved in the West, but those gains came through wrong means, which marks him as a criminal. Bob’s success, built on an unethical foundation, is questionable. Conversely, Jimmy finds himself successful as a respected policeman in New York. His achievements are rooted in integrity and duty, adhering to the laws and serving his community. Jimmy’s success id=s defined by his commitment to his role and the morals the job demands. As Bob and Jimmy’s paths diverge, so do their values. Bob’s criminal success contrasts with Jimmy’s legal and moral success. These conflicting values would fracture the loyalty as maintaining loyalty to someone whose actions oppose your own principles becomes challenging. Moreover, Jimmy’s duty as a policeman demands him to execute the law enforcement, even if it means to arrest his old friend, Bob. This professional duty makes Jimmy against his personal friendship he feels toward Bob. His choice to have another officer arrest Bob reflects the difficulty he confronts, which divides the loyalty he has toward Bob. When two people’s paths diverge to the extent that values no longer align, their loyalty in friendship could be compromised or weakened as they choose to follow their own moral standards or professional duty.  

The short story “After Twenty Years” engages readers to think about the idea about divided loyalty. Three aspects could be discussed and analyzed, including Friendship and Loyalty, Time and Changes, and the Diverging Paths of Success. While Bob decides to move out West to pursue his fortune becoming a hustler and a criminal and making his fortune, Jimmy instead chooses to remain in New York, eventually becoming a police officer. It is the loyalty in friendship to inspire Bob to willingly take the risk to travel this far to meet his old friend Jimmy after twenty years. But twenty years could transform people and circumstances because time changes people’s characteristics, experiences, with the circumstances, and makes them have different destiny and identities. The twenty years make Jimmy and Bob have different paths of success, which creates different values that might break their loyalty to each other. Jimmy’s decision to prioritize duty over loyalty shows the difficult choices people must make and the sacrifices—or perhaps compromises—they must make to serve the greater good.