In this lesson we will learn about Miss Elsie Leeson, a hopeful, driven young woman in the short story, 'The Skylight Room' by O. Henry, and discuss how her story is used to demonstrate idealism, deliverance, and other similar themes.
Summary
Hope is important. It is the thing that allows us to feel excitement and joy. It is the thing that allows us to move beyond the present moment. Read on to learn about a young woman in the short story, ''The Skylight Room'' by O. Henry, that uses hope to light up the darkness in her life.

The Skylight Room
The story begins in second person, the narrator speaking to you as if giving advice about talking to Mrs. Parker, a woman that owns a boarding house. The narrator takes you through the systematic way Mrs. Parker would show her rooms by price, and how she would get angrier and more judgmental if you could not afford an expensive room.

On the tour, the skylight room was shown last, but not by Mrs. Parker. Instead, her colored maid was left with the task. The room was very small with storeroom closets. The room had the bare necessities and was $0 to rent, but it had a small skylight that showed ''a square of blue infinity.''