The Cop and the Anthem

“The Cop and the Anthem” is often categorized as a work of “humor” due to its lighthearted tone and ironic, unexpected twist ending. Below the surface, however, is an indictment of Social Class and the Cycle of Poverty and Crime, as well as of the very notion of “Freedom” and the American Dream.

Notably, the story takes place in New York City, a place associated with optimism and opportunity. At the turn of the 20th century, immigrants, business owners, artists, and factory workers flocked to the city en masse, hanging their hopes on the promise of “making it big” or at least achieving a steady income, a stable home, and the ability to provide for one’s family. For Soapy, however, even the latter, more modest goal seems wholly out of reach. As an unhoused man, his aspirations do not extend beyond basic necessities—principally food and shelter. The approach of winter makes the need to secure these necessities more urgent, and O. Henry implies that Soapy has learned to work the era’s excessively punitive penal system to his advantage. Every year, Soapy apparently gets himself arrested for a minor offense like public intoxication or petty theft, which ensures he will have a warm home for the winter.