Following are the questions (Objective, Short Notes and Essay Type) based on the short Story, ‘The Romance of a busy Broker’.
A. Fill in the Blanks (5)
Harvey Maxwell was a busy broker working in __________ Street.
Miss Leslie worked as a __________ in Maxwell’s office.
The story takes place in the __________ office.
Harvey Maxwell was very busy because of the __________ market.
At the end, Miss Leslie reveals that she and Maxwell were married the __________ day.
✅ Answers:
Wall
stenographer
broker’s
stock
previous
B. Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs) – 5
What was Harvey Maxwell’s profession?
a) Lawyer
b) Doctor
c) Stock broker
d) Banker
Answer: c) Stock broker
Why did Maxwell not notice Miss Leslie properly?
a) He was angry
b) He was tired
c) He was very busy with work
d) He was unwell
Answer: c) He was very busy with work
What was Miss Leslie’s role in the office?
a) Clerk
b) Manager
c) Secretary
d) Stenographer
Answer: d) Stenographer
When did Miss Leslie resign from her job?
a) After marriage
b) Before marriage
c) On the same day
d) One week later
Answer: b) Before marriage
What is the main theme of the story?
a) Love and war
b) Office politics
c) Romance and busy life
d) Wealth and power
Answer: c) Romance and busy life
C. Short Notes (5)
1) Harvey Maxwell
Harvey Maxwell is the main and central character of the short story Romance of a Busy Broker by O. Henry. Maxwell is a successful and extremely busy stock broker working on Wall Street. His life is full of tension, noise, and continuous business calls. He is so deeply involved in his professional work that he hardly pays attention to people around him.
Maxwell is sincere, hardworking, and ambitious, but his busy nature makes him careless about personal relationships. Even on the day of his marriage, he remains completely busy in his office work. He fails to recognize his own wife when she comes to his office as a stenographer. Through Maxwell’s character, the writer highlights how modern professional life can make a person emotionally blind and disconnected from real life.
2) Miss Leslie
Miss Leslie is another important character in the story. She works as a stenographer in Harvey Maxwell’s office. She is intelligent, efficient, calm, and well-mannered. She performs her duties sincerely and maintains a professional attitude in the office. Despite working very close to Maxwell, she does not receive personal attention from him.
Miss Leslie represents patience and emotional maturity. She resigns from her job before marriage for to maintain dignity and professionalism. At the end of the story, she surprises Maxwell by revealing that she is already his wife. Her character shows quiet love, understanding, and the contrast between emotional sensitivity and mechanical office life.
3) Title of the Story
The title the story Romance of a Busy Broker is very appropriate and meaningful. First, the title sounds strange and eccentric because a busy stock broker does not seem to have time for romance. However, the story proves that romance can happen even in a highly mechanical and stressful professional life.
Harvey Maxwell is so busy with his work that he is unaware of his own love story. His romance happens quietly without any emotional expression or attention. The irony of the title lies in the fact that the broker is married but does not even realize it during work hours. Thus, the title highlights both romance and irony and perfectly reflects the theme of the story.
4) Setting of the Story
The story is set primarily in a stock broker’s office on Wall Street in New York. The office is full of noise, telephones, clerks, messengers, and continuous business activity. This busy atmosphere creates pressure and tension throughout the story.
The setting plays an important role in showing the busy, mechanical, and stressful life of people working in the financial world. It also explains why Harvey Maxwell becomes emotionally inactive and fails to notice personal events. The setting strongly supports the theme of the story.
5) Theme of the Story
The primary theme of the story is the conflict between professional life and personal relationships. O. Henry shows how excessive involvement in work can make a person careless about emotions and human connections.
Another important theme is irony, as Maxwell does not recognize his own wife due to work pressure. The story also highlights the dehumanizing effect of modern business life. Through simple language and humour, O. Henry conveys a serious message about the importance of balancing work and personal life.