Which short story features a homeless man who tries to get arrested?

Prepare effectively for the Abeka American Literature Exam. Use interactive quizzes and detailed explanations to enhance your understanding and performance. Ace your test with confidence!

This tests your ability to recognize a plot setup where a character intentionally seeks arrest to gain warmth, food, and shelter, a distinctive ironic premise found in this particular story. In The Cop and the Anthem, a homeless man named Soapy hatches plans to get picked up by the police so he can spend the winter in jail. He tests several schemes to provoke an arrest, and the humor comes from how his efforts collide with reality and the social world around him, culminating in an ironic twist that comments on urban life and kindness. The other stories present very different plots: a tale about vanity and a missing necklace, a Christmas-time tale of redemption, and a legendary ghost story, none of which involve a homeless man plotting to be jailed. So, the scenario described fits this story’s specific setup and tone.