Introduction   On Racism   Epigraphs   A History of the Pulps   A   B   C   D   E   F   G   H   I   J   K   L   M   N   O   P   Q   R   S   T   U   V   W   X   Y   Z   

Glossary and Character Taxonomy  Breakdown by Country of Origin   Bibliography   Table of Contents    The Best of the Encyclopedia

O’Wynn, Winnie. Winnie O’Wynn was created by Bertram Atkey (Smiler Bunn, Dragour, Easy Street Experts, Prosper Fair, Hobart Honey, George H. Jay, Mesmer Milann) and appeared in nineteen stories and two short story collections from 1920 to 1925, beginning with “Winnie and the Wolves” (Saturday Evening Post, Oct. 23, 1920).

Winnie O’Wynn is a Con Man. She is a British woman in her late teens or early twenties. She was abandoned by her father and forced to rely on her own devices to make her way in the world. Fortunately for O’Wynn, she has two advantages over other people: a “clear-cut cool, quiet courage that rendered her impervious to any kind of fear: and “the possession of plenty of brains and few scruples.” She is “extraordinarily pretty” and looks sweet and dainty, and she plays up the naïf/ingénue appearance for all it’s worth. She moves to London and becomes a superb swindler and con-woman, separating men (including George H. Jay) from their money with the greatest of ease, all the while tut-tutting to herself that all men are wolves and that a young girl alone in the world must do what she can to protect herself.

* I'm including the Winnie O'Wynn stories in the Best of the Encyclopedia list because they are so charming and so much fun. The stories are charming and fun largely due to Winnie O'Wynn herself, whose naïf/ingénue act is so thorough and convincing that the readers finds themselves hoping she's protected and then hoping for her victory over the various criminals and stuffed shirts who are trying to exploit her. The stories are light-hearted and quite enjoyable--I think Bertram Atkey was at his best in his lighter material--and the sly, tricksy O'Wynn is so, so charming as a protagonist. 

Table of Contents / Annotations / Blog / Books / Patreon / Twitter / Contact me