Characters of the story

The main character of the analyzed story is Trysdale, a young man, not married yet. Now he is present at the wedding of his beloved, whom he had lost in so a stupid manner.
O. Henry depicts him as being in despair. Trysdale is deeply in thoughts about his life, love affair. The man can not believe how all his life may be recollected in his mind during one minute while he is removing his gloves. One more thing that forced him to these thought is a singular-looking green plant standing by a table. This cactus is considered to be the reason of sufferings of the protagonist of the story.

The image of the main character is created primarily through indirect characterization:

-      “…Trysdale, standing by a table in his bachelor apartments”;

-      “ It seemed that in his nostrils was still the scent of the flowers that had been banked in odorous masses about the church, and in his ears the lowpitched hum of a thousand well-bred voices, the rustle of crisp garments, and, most insistently recurring, the drawling words of the minister irrevocably binding her to another.”

Another character is Trysdale's friend, the brother of the bride. From the story we can admit that he is quite opposite to Trysdale. His image is created through both direct and indirect characterization.

Direct:

-      “Both men were in evening dress. White favors like stars upon their coats shone through the gloom of the apartment.”

Indirect:

-      “"I say, Trysdale, what the deuce is the matter with you? You look unhappy as if you yourself had been married instead of having acted merely as an accomplice. Look at me, another accessory, come two thousand miles on a garlicky, cockroachy banana steamer all the way from South America to connive at the sacrifice — please to observe how lightly my guilt rests upon my shoulders. Only little sister I had, too, and now she's gone. Come now! take something to ease your conscience."

And finally about Trysdale's beloved. From the very beginning of the story we can say that she is beautiful, self-assured lady, clever, who has high position in society.Today is her wedding-day.

Her image is also created through both direct and indirect characterization.

Indirect:

-      “She had always insisted upon placing him upon a pedestal, and he had accepted her homage with royal grandeur”.

-      With womanly swiftness she took her cue from his manner, and turned to snow and ice. 

Direct:

-      “How glad, how shy, how tremulous she was!”