The Skylight Room is a fascinating short story that promotes themes of hope and patience. The story’s plot is about a woman who lived in poverty but never left dreaming high. She remains optimistic in harsh moments.
Overview
This article will discuss the following terms:
- Author
- Characters
- The Skylight Room Short Summary
- Analysis
- Themes
- Conclusion
Author
It’s a short storybook by William Sydney Porter or O. Henry. He is famous because of the unexpected endings of his stories. We shared blogs of O. Henry’s stories on our site. Some works are:
Characters
Here is the list of characters in The Skylight Room:
- Mrs. Parker: A woman who owned a boarding house
- Miss Elsie Leeson: She stayed at the boarding house
- Billy Jackson: The star
- Mr. Hoover: The man who proposed to Elsie
- Clara: Mrs. Parker’s maid
- William Jackson: The doctor who saved Elsie’s life
The Skylight Room Summary
The setting of the story happens in New York. The narrator narrates an event by giving a brief introduction to Mrs. Parker. She seems the greedy woman who owned a boarding house. She treats her wealthy guests well. One day, a young woman named Miss Elsie Lesson came up for getting a room. She wasn’t rich at all. She worked as a typewriter but had high hopes.
Clara, a maid showed her room. It was a low-quality room. Elsie lived in the company of other boarders. They were amazed because she was optimistic. She named a star ”Billy Jackson’‘. She talked to the star every night.
One day, Elsie hadn’t eaten food and slept in hunger. In the morning, Clara checked her and found her unconscious. They call an ambulance. A doctor named William Jackson saved Elsie’s life. The story ends with a newspaper headline that the women had recovered from hunger issues.
The Skylight Room Analysis
In this story, the writer focused on poverty and its impact. This story is also for those who are struggling. Miss Elsie lived in poverty. She lived in an inferior kind of boarding room. She hadn’t eaten food for days. Despite hardships, she never stopped dreaming.
The life of Elsie can provide lessons of persistence, dreaming, and hope. The skylight is a symbol of Miss Elsie’s aspirations and her longing for things in life.
The Skylight Room Themes
Dreams
The story emphasizes the human urge to escape hardships and acquire higher goals.
Isolation and Loneliness
The reason Miss Elsie developed a connection with the star was because of her loneliness. It’s human nature that we become friends with things that are outside of the world.
Power Of Perception
One can learn how imagination and perception bring hope and courage.
Resilience
Although Miss Elsie faced hardships she stood firm. She had solace in her skylight room beauty. It shows the human courage in times of adversity.
Conclusion: The Skylight Room Summary And Analysis
In this blog, we provided an overview of The Skylight Room by O. Henry. The story was all about a woman who lived in extreme poverty but she never felt hopeless. She always dreamed high in her life. Readers can learn many valuable lessons from this story including courage, resilience, and imagination. Overall, it was a great storybook by O. Henry.
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FAQS
Who is the author of The Skylight Room?
The Skylight Room is a short storybook written by O. Henry.
What are the main themes in The Skylight Room by O. Henry?
The story explores themes of imagination, hope, and patience.
Who proposed Miss Elsie in The Skylight Room by O. Henry?
Mr. Hoover, another boarder in Mrs. Parker’s boarding apartment proposed to Miss Elsie.