Question

a retrieved reformation
o. henry
1 a guard came to the prison shoe - shop, where jimmy valentine was monotonously stitching uppers, and escorted him to the front office. there the warden handed jimmy his pardon, which had been signed that morning by the governor. jimmy took it in a bored kind of way. he had served nearly ten months of a four - year sentence. he had expected to stay only about three months, at the longest. when a man with as many friends on the outside as jimmy valentine had is received in the “stir” it is hardly worth while to cut his hair.
“now, valentine,” said the warden, “you’ll go out in the morning. brace up, and make a man of yourself. you’re not a bad fellow at heart. stop cracking safes, and live straight.”
“me?” said jimmy, in surprise. “why, i never cracked a safe in my life.”
“oh, no,” laughed the warden. “of course not. let’s see, now. how was it you happened to get sent up on that springfield job? was it because you wouldn’t prove an alibi for fear of compromising somebody in extremely high - toned society? or was it simply a case of a mean old jury that had it in for you? it’s always one or the other with you innocent victims.”
“me?” said jimmy, still blankly virtuous. “why, warden, i never was in springfield in my life!”
choose the correct answer
why do you think authors include symbols in their writings?
authors include symbols to add depth, meaning, and interest to their writings.
authors include symbols to make their stories longer.
authors include symbols to confuse their readers.

Explanation:

In literary analysis (a subfield of Arts - Literature), symbols are used by authors to enhance the text. Making stories longer is not the purpose of symbols, and confusing readers is also incorrect. Symbols add depth, meaning, and interest by representing abstract ideas or themes, helping to engage readers and convey more complex concepts.

Answer:

Authors include symbols to add depth, meaning, and interest to their writings.