欧亨利短篇小说简评

欧亨利短篇小说述评

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指导教师:

摘要:作为世界三大小说家之一，欧亨利与契诃夫和莫泊桑齐名。他的作品因奇巧的艺术构思，出其不意的结尾而著称。其中歌颂人性的小说是欧亨利文学创作的主流，并且许多作品已经成为了脍炙人口的名篇佳作。同时也涌现了许多感人至深的经典人物。表现了欧亨利对人性理想的执着追求。本文主要分析了欧亨利的写作手法，包括精巧的情节设计，出人意料但符合逻辑的结局和幽默智慧的语言三方面，并在这基础上深刻探讨了欧亨利作品中表现出来的人性的善与恶。

关键词: 写作技巧；善；恶；人性

A Brief Comment on O’ Henry’s Short Stories

Undergraduate:

Supervisor:

Abstract: O. Henry, one of the three most famous short-story writers in the world, enjoys equal status with Chekhov and Maupassant. Exquisite plot, wry humor and twist ending dominate his works. The main stream of his works is eulogy of humanity and his many classical works are notable. This thesis mainly analyses O. Henry’s writing style including technique plot making, surprising but logical ending and humorous and witty tone, then deeply analyses the human virtues and defects reflected in O. Henry’s works.

Key Words: artistic styles; virtues; defects; human character

Contents

1. Introduction (1)

2. Unique artistic style (1)

2.1 Technique plot making (1)

2.2 Surprising but logical ending (3)

2.3 Humorous and witty tone (4)

3. The humanity of character (4)

4. Conclusion (7)

Bibliography (9)

Acknowledgment (10)

1. Introduction

O. Henry, originally named William Sydney Porter, is a distinguished American storywriter. He wrote more than 300 short stories in his life. His stories are full of colorful characters. He creates an original, typically American democratic form of short stories with, at its best, a valuable critical awareness of life and society tellingly expressed through humor. Therefore, some critics c all him “the founder of American stories”. Being gifted with humor and a keen awareness of details, he objectively shows us what America looks like. All his stories putting together constitute a true panorama of American life.

This thesis mainly emphasizes O. Henry’s unique artistic styles and the human characters. It includes two main aspects. Part one is on the unique artistic styles. O. Henry is a good plot maker, he shows readers the real life of American people by giving people a surprising but logical ending through a plausible plot making using humor and witty tone which gives readers a new open sight. Part two stresses on the human nature that contains the virtues and defects sides. In a capitalist society, the specific characters are the special society. O. Henry shows people clearly in his works.

2. Unique artistic style

O. Henry's trademark is the surprising ending that each of his stories contains. He sets a story moving in one direction, and just when the reader is convinced of the general direction of the narrative, the story will be completely reversed. And if we look back to the total story, the ending seems logical and plausible. As a “plot-maker”, and designer of incident, he is an amazing genius. No one can do better than him to holds the reader in “suspense”. More than that, the reader scarcely knows that he is suspended until the very close of the story. Just as turns on the lights and the whole tale is revealed in its entirety. He uses this device of dramatic and humorous effect in the short story collection The Four Million which including “The Ransom of Red Chief ”, “The Gift of the Magi ”, and“The Cop and the Anthem”, “the Service of Love”, “The last Leaf.” He uses compact and vivid language to set a plot and portray the plot through humorous and witty tone.

2.1 Technique plot making

The short story is the one fundamental and self-contained genre in American prose fiction, and the stories of O. Henry certainly makes their appearances in consequence of the prolonged and incessant cult ivation of the genre. As a “plot maker”, he is an amazing genius. No one can better him in holding the reader in “suspense”. More than that, the reader scarcely knows that he is suspended, until at