Ben Price Character Analysis

An “eminent” police detective and the antagonist of “A Retrieved Reformation.” Price is portrayed as the epitome of morality and hard work, and he serves as a foil to Jimmy Valentine’s criminal lifestyle. Jimmy and Ben Price have a long and established history; Jimmy was sent to prison after Price arrested him for an obscure crime in Springfield, and Jimmy again lands on Price’s radar not long after he is released. His dedication to detective work and his familiarity with Jimmy’s handiwork makes “other people with burglar-proof safes to feel more at ease,” and he vows to make Jimmy pay for his crimes. Price is so determined to bring Jimmy to justice that he pursues him for an entire year, finally finding him living in the town of Elmore under the guise of Ralph D. Spencer. However, Price’s traditional ethics and dedication to the law are put into question when he pretends not to know Jimmy after witnessing his redemption. Price watches quietly from the back of The Elmore Bank as Jimmy saves Agatha, the niece of his fiancé, Annabel Adams, when she inadvertently becomes locked in a safe. Jimmy’s hidden skillset means that he can easily free Agatha, but doing so is an admission that he isn’t who he pretends to be—an honest and law-abiding man—and Price appreciates this sacrifice. Jimmy saves Agatha even though it may very well end his relationship with Annabel, and Price considers this selfless act evidence of Jimmy’s reformation. When Jimmy surrenders to Price after his display of heroism, Price responds, “Guess you’re mistaken, Mr. Spencer. Don’t believe I recognize you.” Price lets Jimmy go, effectively breaking the law by letting him get away with his past crimes. O. Henry’s portrayal of Detective Ben Price complicates traditional notions of ethics, morality, and hard work.