Red is often associated with evil, violence, and hell, and the idea that people with red hair are feisty or meanspirited is a cliché. In “The Ransom of Red Chief,” Johnny is described as having “red hair” that is “the colour of the magazine you buy at the news-stand when you want to catch a train” (71). Johnny’s red hair, which Sam notes before the kidnapping, serves as a warning signal that foreshadows Johnny’s violent tendencies. It becomes a symbol of Johnny’s aggressive behavior, and it supports the theme of Cruelty and Violence.

The symbol of the red hair is also encompassed in the self-assumed title of “Red Chief” that Johnny uses while first playing with his kidnappers. He calls himself Red Chief, in part, because of his red hair. It is when he is pretending that he is Red Chief that he conducts the worst of his violent acts against Bill.

O. Henry’s use of red hair as a symbol of evil or corruption extends beyond “The Ransom of Red Chief” and into other stories, such as “The Guilty Party.”