O.Henry and His Writing Style.doc
欧亨利和他的写作风格O.Henry and His Writing StyleContentsAbstract.1Key words.1I. Introduction.2II. O.Henry, Mouthpiece of the Lower People.21. Sympathy for the poor people.22. Reflection on the ordinary people .3III. The Characteristics of His Writing51. Surprising ending.52. The vividness of details.63. Coincidence.74. Humor and irony.85. Brilliant use of language.9IV. Short Critical Comments on O.Henry's Writing Style.9V. Conclusion.10References.11O.Henry and His Writing StyleAbstract: O.Henry was a distinguished American storywriter. He wrote more than 300 short stories in his life, and all of his stories were ingeniously conceived, with the endings always contrary to reader's expectations, yet not beyond reason, for both ways conform well to the logic of life. Actually, his style had a great influence on modern American fiction, especially stories printed in magazines. Therefore, some critics called 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 put together constitute a true panorama of American life, or as someone said, "the encyclopedia of American life." Key words: short story ; writing style摘 要：欧·亨利原名威廉·西德尼·波特（William Sydney Porter），是美国最著名的短篇小说家之一，他一生中写了三百多部小说，曾被评论界誉为曼哈顿桂冠散文作家和美国现代短篇小说之父。他善于描写美国社会尤其是纽约百姓的生活。从艺术手法上看，欧.亨利善于捕捉生活中令人啼笑皆非而富于哲理的戏剧性场景，用漫画般的笔触勾勒出人物的特点。作品情节的发展较快，在结尾时突然出现一个意料不到的结局，使读者惊愕之余，不能不承认故事合情合理，进而赞叹作者构思的巧妙，被誉为“美国生活的百科全书”。 关键词：短篇小说; 写作风格 I. IntroductionO.Henry originally named William Sydney Porter is a dynamic author and individual who established himself among significant American authors by emerging from a troubled past, creating a vast unique collection of short stories, and through the lasting popularity that he earned. Most of his 200 short stories followed a "pattern of character, plot, structure, and setting," often culminating with an O.Henry twist. This continuity allowed him to garner considerable fame, added to by the persistent use of idealistic and romanticized themes. William Saroyan stated, "The people of America love O.Henry.He was a nobody, but he was a nobody who was also a somebody, everybody's somebody". Underestimating the importance of Porter's background would be doing injustice to his work and the true nature of the author. Current-Garcia supports this view in saying, "The landscapes of his stories were vastly enriched by his unique life experiences, both as a convicted criminal who learned to write short stories while in jail and, later, as a literary celebrity in New York City". William Sydney Porter has deservingly merited his stature among the greatest American authors. Stephen Leacock epitomizes this point in saying that "the whole English-speaking world will recognize in one of his greatest masters of modern literature".II. O.Henry, Mouthpiece of the Lower People1. Sympathy for the poor peopleO.Henry wrote about the life of ordinary people in New York City. He is mouthpiece of the lower people. Many of his stories show sympathy for the lower people, such as The Voice of the City and The Four Million. These works sympathize with the young poor couple, with the down and outer, the drifter, or the alien, with his sympathy as the main feature of his works and is a projection of his personal loneliness. O.Henrys original feeling for the poor people has a great deal to do with his own experience full of frustration.O.Henry had a sad experience in his early years. His mother died when he was three years old, then he was brought up by his aunt, and virtually became an orphan. He worked in his uncles drugstore with little schooling. In 1887, O.Henry fell in love with a girl called Athol Estes, but her family didnt agree to the marriage of the young couple. As a result, the two young people had no choice but to run away together. In 1897, O.Henry was charged with embezzlement of funds from the Austin, Texas bank. To avoid being arrested, he fled to New Orleans and Honduras. His wife became ill during his absence, so he had to come back secretly. One trouble followed another. He was heart-broken with grief for his wifes death. Finally he was arrested and sentenced to five years in the Ohio Pentitentiary. In prison he thought of his own misery and humiliation, also the lower peoples lives around him. He was determined to write diligently with his pen as a mouthpiece of the poor people.As his experience shows, the majority people meet in his daily life are those in the lower class of the society such as clerks, policemen, and waitresses. He opens The Four Million by observing that "Some one invented the assertion that there were only 'Four Hundred' people in New York City who were really worth noticing. But a wiser man has arisenthe census takerand his larger estimate of human interest has been preferred in marking out the field of these little stories of the Four Million". But just because his observation for the poor and the ordinary people made him the most famous author in his times and this is why his twist ending can gain the sympathy and the tears of so many readers. They are the stories of four million people, but not the stories of four hundred people.In short, without O.Henrys miserable experience, there would not be his deep sympathy for the lower people in his stories and he would not form his own writing style.2. Reflection on the ordinary peopleIn many of O.Henrys short stories, he wrote about the lives of the ordinary people in New York, as well as in the other places. O.Henry was very familiar with common people's life style. He drifted through several occupations: a bookkeeper, a drugstore clerk, a Texas Ranger, an accountant, a draftsman, a bank teller and a newspaper columnist. He himself had experienced many failures and frustrations, such as his wife's death, some financial failures in early literary ventures and the failure of his own humorous weekly The Rolling Stone. He was even indicted on a charge of embezzling funds and was thrown into prison. He could turn out many stories based on his own life, and he himself might be the prototype of many of his characters. In addition, O.Henry used to wander about New York City, drifting into conversations with strangers on the streets or in the parks, observing with an acute eye and ear, sights and sounds, nuances of sounds, nuances of day or on Wall Street. He knew ordinary people so well and the way he represents them in his stories gives the readers the impression that they meet these characters everyday. They have not any striking characteristics, not would they be easy to find in a large multitude of people. In fact, every one of them was as ordinary as a grain of sand, and the only word that could be used to describe them is "common".O.Henry's stories were written to help people escape from their everyday problems. The author had been a skilled storyteller since he was a teenager. He used to entertain people in his uncle's drugstore and on the Texas ranch where he lived as a young man. He wanted his stories to be entertaining and enjoyable. To achieve this, he uses lively dialogue, vivid and quickly drawn descriptions, humor, irony, chance happenings, and surprise endings.In 1908 critic Henry James Forman wrote that "No talent could be more original or more delightful. The combination of technical excellence with whimsical, sparkling wit, abundant humor and a fertile invention is so rare that the reader is content without comparisons."E. Hudson Long who writes the book O.Henry, the Man and His Work once said "Poverty is so terrible and so common, we should all do more than we do-much more-to relieve it." There can be no doubt about O.Henrys sincere sympathy for those who needed help, but were unable to help themselves. Stories like Brickdust Row and An Unfinished Story caused Theodore Roosevelt to say, "It was O.Henry who started me on my campaign for office girls." Because of this interest in the unfortunate, especially the victims of environment, the stories of O.Henry take on sociological import. He presented the shopgirl, the derelict, the woman of the street, the gangster, against the background that produced them. He knew that environment could cause tragedy, and he realized the injustice of a system which would permit an employer to pay a clerk only six dollars a week. Brickdust Row depicts the damaging effects on the lives of those whose surroundings are inadequate and squalid. The Guilty Party attempts to show that slum children, forced to play in the streets, are defeated in life before they start.It was on behalf of the shopgirl, however, that O.Henry finally dipped his pen in acid. An Unfinished Story ends with the author, at the bar of judgment, being asked if he belongs with a certain group: "Who are they?" a journalist asked. "Why," said he, "they are the men who hired working-girls, and paid me five or six dollars a week to live on. Are you one of the bunch?" "Not on your immortality," said journalist. "I'm only the fellow that set fire to an orphan asylum, and murdered a blind man for his pennies".So O.Henry has been recognized among the greatest American authors. Not only because of his remarkable life story but also his good attitude towards life.III. The Characteristics of His WritingO.Henry's stories had many recognizable elements, some of which became distinctly his own. Some of these were "poor, working-class characters, a humorous tone, realistic detail, and a surprise ending". He was so adapt and skilled in utilizing the unexpected ending, it became know as the O.Henry twist. This became the signature ending to his short stories, compiled with repeating themes and structures. Many of his stories were exceedingly allegoric, expressing themes of love, compassion, and poverty. Harold Bloom said, " people find themselves in his stories, not more truly and more strange, but rather as they were and are", This sentimental idealism explains his continuous popularity, even through "the subsequent decline of his reputation among literary critics". Many critics still view O.Henry in positive light, highlighting the trademarks, which became synonymous with his name.1. Surprising endingO.Henry stories are famous for their surprise endings. He was called the American Guy De Maupassant. Both authors wrote twist endings, but O.Henry stories were much more playful and optimistic. A surprise at the end of the story can bring an enormous amount of pleasure to readers. The key to a surprise ending-and it is one that O.Henry mastered early on-is that it has to be believable. The characteristics of O.Henrys writings are popular with the people. His surprise ending is especially liked by readers and makes all readers think of it long after.The Gift of the Magi, O.Henry used the most famous trick ending. The story tells readers about how a poor young husband and wife buy each other a Christmas present, though they are both nearly penniless. They make up their minds to get a suitable Christmas gift for the other side for sincere love. The wife has her beautiful hair cut off and sells the tresses to buy the husband a gold watch chain. He sells his watch to get a set of combs. When he and she finally know what the matter is, both of them feel very surprised and at the same time, they feel much disappointed, for the presents that they have bought have no use at this time.The conception of this is really ingenious clever. When the story is over, the readers become intoxicated in the minute arrangement of the writer, and meanwhile are deeply moved by this young affectionate couple.In The Cop and the Anthem, a vagrant tries to be arrested by the police and put into prison in order to get a shelter in the winter. He has a meal in a restaurant without paying, breaks the glass of the window, takes liberties with a young pretty woman and robs a man of his umbrella, etc. But all the evil deeds dont get him arrested. At last Soapy is moved by the music coming from a small church. When he is determined to correct his errors and make a fresh start, he is caught by a policeman. The sad denouncement of the story surprises every reader. When Soapy does bad things and wants to be arrested, he cant be arrested. When he doesnt do bad things and wants to turn over a new leaf, he is done wrong to become a prisoner. As every reader can see, O.Henry shows ingenuity and affords food for thought in this story.2. The vividness of detailsO.Henry often observes the people and things around him, so he always gives a description of vivid details in his short stories. He does his best to make his portrayal exact and exquisite. The very style of the stories is absorbing. Such detailed description makes every reader indulge him in the plots of the story. The more people read such writings, the more they are interested in the characters and plots in the stories.In The Gift of Magi, Della wants to buy Jim a Christmas present. She sells her beautiful hair because she has only one dollar and eighty-seven cents. As soon as she buys a platinum fob chain, she comes back home. When Della reaches home, O.Henry has a detailed description:“When Della reached home, her intoxication gave away a little to prudence and reason. She got out her curling irons and lights the gas and went to work repairing the ravages made by generosity added to love. That is always a tremendous task, dear friends - a mammoth task. Within forty minutes her head was covered with tiny, close-lying curls that made her look wonderfully like a truant schoolboy. She looked at her reflection in the mirror long, carefully and criticallyDella doubled the fob chain in her hand and sat on the corner of the table near the door that he always entered. Then she heard his step on the stair away down on the first flight, and she turned white for just a momentand now she whispered Please God, make him think I am still pretty”Through the detailed description of this paragraph, O.Henry fully reveals Dellas cordial love towards Jim. It is for Jim that she cuts off her beautiful hair, but she thinks how he will like her when he sees she has lost her long hair. Therefore, she has been embellishing her own head for about forty minutes before the mirror. She wants to try her best to have Jim cheerful when he sees her. O.Henry praised love which leading character chaste good heart and helped one another in difficult time. De
