A Brief Comment on O Henrys Short Stories欧亨利短篇小说述评.docx

1、A Brief Comment on O Henrys Short Stories 欧亨利短篇小说述评欧亨利短篇小说述评 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

2、Comment on O Henrys Short Stories 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 classic

3、al works are notable. This thesis mainly analyses O. Henrys 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. Henrys works.Key Words: artistic styles; virtues; defects; human ch

4、aracter Contents1. IntroductionO. 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, a

5、t its best, a valuable critical awareness of life and society tellingly expressed through humor. Therefore, some critics call 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 toget

6、her constitute a true panorama of American life. This thesis mainly emphasizes O. Henrys 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 givin

7、g 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. He

8、nry shows people clearly in his works.2. Unique artistic styleO. Henrys 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 reverse

9、d. 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 clos

10、e 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 Servi

11、ce 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 a

12、ppearances in consequence of the prolonged and incessant cultivation 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 the very close of the story. O. Henry del

13、iberately designs the little tricks with words, for he is a master of language and not its slave.The typical feature of O. Henrys stories is a twist of plot. His ultimate achievement is to create the twist ending by the plot making and compact structure. He arranges a story moving in one direction,

14、and just when the reader is going to be convinced of the general direction of the narrative, which he takes for granted, the story is completely reversed.For example, in “The Ransom of Red Chief”, two kidnappers, Sam and Bill make off with the little son of a prominent man. According to the general

15、expectation, readers may assume that they will either obtain the ransom from the boys father or kill the boy in the end. But the plot is totally different. The boy is such a nuisance that they agree to pay the boys father to take him back because they cant stand him anymore. Although the plot far ex

16、ceeds expectations, readers appreciate the cleverness of plot situation and ending a great deal while enjoying the delight of reading.In O. Henrys works, the events of some short stories are arranged in the specific order which exceed readers normal expectation to the arrangement of those events in

17、his works, make the ending unpredictable and strange. O. Henry deliberately designs the little tricks with words, for he is a master of language and not its slave.The suspense in the story is usually employed in the plot. It is the seemingly insignificant characters that finally become the notable f

18、igures that rouse readers ponder. In “The Last Leaf”, Mr.Behrman who is only mentioned in only a short paragraph in the middle of the story to show who he is, and two paragraph tell the reader his rage about Sue s fully thought. The main theme of the story is that Sue takes the last fallen ivy leaf

19、as the end of her life. Before they know the end, readers will no doubt ask some questions. How does Sues illness? Why does the leaf stick against the wall? Does the leaf fall down? Does Sue die? Why does the author mention Mr.Behrman? The last paragraph reveals. All suspense dissolves. The leave is

20、 painted by Behrman, while Sue lives. But the old painter died in hopeless pain by Pneumonia, or rather, to rescue Sue. He has to withstand tough wind and heavy shower and the life-long masterpiece paid off by his life. When we find the plausibility of ending in the previous passage, when Mr. Pneumo

21、nia wais called in, the Johsey scarcely moves, only looking through the small Dutch windowpanes at the blank side of the next brick house, the “blank side” of brick later provides the location for Mr.Behrmans masterpiece, the description of Mr.Behrman. He is past 60 and has a Micheal Angeos Moses be

22、ard curling down from the head of a satyr along the body of an imp. “Micheal Angeos Moses” leaves readers an impression of artistic potential. “Imp” can explain why he was so weak to fight against disease.The compact structure is O. Henrys outstanding writing technique. Events in the story are close

23、ly connected as chains of rings, which make readers eagerly interested in the ending of the story. As soon as the high light of the reverse of plots, the story ends without any redundant explanations. In “The Last Leaf”, the description of Mr.Behrman, the true hero, only takes up 500 words in more t

24、han 5000 words. Meanwhile, the story dismisses a part, rousing us readers a great deal of imagination: How can old man, above 60 years old stand on the ladder, drawing a leaf on the wall in the dreadfully storming night, while his “shoes and clothing were wet through and icy cold.”? Therefore, the m

25、ain stream of O. Henrys works is easily perceived: the suspense in addition to wry humor ending is his main rhetoric method.2.2 Surprising but logical endingThe ending of an article has long been considered as a conclusion or just a summary of the whole passage. However, O. Henry illustrates a new w

26、ay, the so-called twist ending or sometimes the O. Henrys ending. It means that at the end of an article the mental status or the fate of the character has changed greatly. But the whole passage is suddenly endowed with a great charm because of the ending. The author has your nerves all a quiver unt

27、il the last sentence. The surprise comes quickly and the story is finished. O. Henry is such a master of the unexpected ending that one must admire his skills.In the story The Cop and the Anthem, Soapy, a homeless tramp, deciding to be sent to the prison on the Island which he called his winter quar

28、ter against the rigor and the hunger, attempted to practice several illegal activities for the purpose of “wooing capture”;(O, Henry 2004: 09) but the cop, who stood nearby when Soapy was trying to attract his attention by his anti-law behavior, paid no special attention to Soapy every time, even “s

29、eemed to regard him as a king who could do no wrong”. (O, Henry 2004: 09) Developing up here, the story must give the reader the conclusion that Soapy had to go back disappointedly to his homea park bench. On his way, the sweet music of anthem from the church played by the organist and the beautiful

30、 moonlight scenery “wrought a sudden and wonderful change in his soul”, (O, Henry 2004: 10) he made up his mind to “pull himself out of the mire” (O, Henry 2004: 10)and “make a man of himself again”. (O, Henry 2004: 10) Moving like this, the plot is not completely understandable at once. When the re

31、ader is puzzled about the use and meaning of growing plot, and just while Soapy was planning his tomorrows action for being “somebody in the world”, (O, Henry 2004: 11) an unforeseen plot, and just while abruptly: he was arrested because a policeman thought him doubtful, and the next day he was sent

32、ence to “three months on the Island”. (O, Henry 2004: 11) The story stops here suddenly in spite of the readers not immediate understanding. But after a moment of consideration, the readers surprise turns into admiration for his astonishing contrivance of tricky ending which reveals rigorously the r

33、eal facts of reversal between truth and falsehood in capitalist society which confuses right and wrong.2.3 Humorous and witty toneO. Henry, a great designer, is skillful enough to dye some color of pink in a tragedy, or kind of sadness in comedy. O. Henrys stories are humorous encyclopedia of American life.