Refer to Explorations in Literature for a complete version of this story.

Read this excerpt from "After Twenty Years."

There was now a fine, cold drizzle falling, and the wind had risen from its uncertain puffs into a steady blow.

Which statement best explains O. Henry’s choice to set the story on a cold, dark, rainy night?

It explains why Bob does not recognize his friend Jimmy when he talks to the policeman.

It shows that Bob and Jimmy might not be able to meet because of inclement weather.

It emphasizes how the weather patterns in New York City can affect peoples’ lives.

It demonstrates O. Henry’s deep understanding of what life is like in New York City.

In the story, Bob walks along with the man who claims to be Jimmy for a while, and they even start to share experiences, before he realizes that man is not actually Jimmy. Bob only notices it when they step into an area that has better light and that allows him to examine the stranger's face more carefully.

The weather also has a secondary purpose, which is that of setting a sad, bleak tone to the story, foreshadowing a tragic ending.