The twist ending and the humanity of characters in O. Henry’s short stories 英语毕业论文.doc

The twist ending and the humanity of characters in O. Henry’s short stories Abstract O. Henry, one of the three most famous short-story writers in the world, enjoys equal status with Chekhov and Maupassant. Some critics called him “the founder of American stories.” 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 the twist ending and the humanity of characters in O. Henry’s short stories. With his humorous, ironical and comic writing style, O. Henry reveals the humanity from the twist ending. Part one is on the humanity of characters reflected from the twist ending. O. Henry shows sympathy for the poor social underdogs, upgrades human virtues as well as exposes human defeats. However, the previous human nature elicits the sudden twist ending. It not only gives the readers sudden fall but also makes us think plausibly. Part two is on the effect of twist ending writing devices on the humanity of characters. It mainly contains the writing background of ending which lights up the humanity of characters and the plot making technique of twist ending. In a capitalist society, the specific characters are the special society. They also foretell the fate ending. Furthermore, the cultivation of the plot and the surprise ending gives us a new open sight. Part three is about some comments on the twist ending. Some critics considered wry humor as “Smile with Tears,” or “Tears with Smile.” This part elevates the charm of the theme. In a word, the twist ending directs readers to think about the humanity. Meanwhile, the humanity elevates the artistic twist ending. This thesis on O. Henry’s short stories will improve literary learning. More than that it will attract more people to pay attention to O. Henry’s works. Key words: Twist ending; Humanity; Wry humor; Smile with tear 中文摘要 作为世界三大小说家之一,欧·亨利与契诃夫和莫泊桑齐名。他是美国艺术构思、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,