欧亨利短篇小说的主题思想和语言特点_英文_

1、大 众 文 艺大58day forward, Buck lived for that man. After being with this man for quite some time, Buck started to hear a call from far away. He started paying more and more attention to this call. He went out for days at a time searching for its source. This call was the call of the wild. He had a will

2、 to go off and be with other dogs. He felt the urge to be free from man and catch his own food. One day, Buck finally left for good. He was excepted by a pack of wolves who treated him like a wolf himself. And so the transformation was complete. Buck had changed from a dog, to a beast of nature.Bibl

3、iographies1 London Jack. The Call of the Wild. MNew York: Airmont Publishing Co. Inc, 1964.2 Pizer, Donald. American Realism and Naturalism. MShanghai: Shanghai Foreign Language Education Press, 2000.3The New Encyclopaedia Britannica, 15th ed.1993.4蒋承勇(主编. 欧美自然主义文学的现代阐释.M上海:复旦大学出版社,20025柳鸣九.自然主义大师佐拉

4、.M上海:上海文艺出版社,1989作者简介孙海晶(1983年-,女,满族,河北省遵化市人,北京第二外国语院,英语专业OHenry, one of the three most famous short-story writers in the world, enjoys equal status with Chekhov and Maupassant. His short stories are famous for its unexpected ending, as well as their exquisite conception. OHenrys sympathy for the po

5、or social underdogs, his eulogy of human virtues and exposure of human evils are highlighted as the keynote of his works. Humanity endows his works with perpetual artistic charm. His short stories are typically American, portraying various types of people in the United States.1 The Main Theme of OHe

6、nrys Works1.1Human VirtuesIn his works, OHenry presents the panorama of the American people to readers with ironic and humorous tone. OHenry is sympathetic with the poor; he praises the human virtues and denounces human defeats. Humanity, as the eternal theme of OHenrys works, endows his works with

7、perpetual artistic charm. Human being has many virtues from ancient times to the present. They are kind, brave, honest, hard-working, polite, thrifty, generous, and hospitable and so on. Some people pay a great deal in order to maintain these virtues, they sacrifice their own happiness even life for

8、 the lofty love and friendship; they help others without asking for rewards and regard it as a pleasure; they give up their own treasure and chance to others etc. Such people bring love and fine things to the world; they are the ones who endow the world with light and hope.1.2 Human EvilsHuman being

9、s have many defects, too. Sometimes they are lazy, rapacious, gluttonous, officious, vain, arrogant, shameless, cowardly, impetuous etc. They benefit themselves at the expense of others, they never show mercy and sympathy to the poor in order to make money, they realize their own aims by hook or by

10、crook etc. Their evil deeds make the world vicious. By exposing the human defects and the dark sides of the world, OHenry wants to awaken peoples conscience and deepest desire for all good things, so thatpeople can use their efforts to save and cleanse the whole world.2 Features of Language of OHenr

11、ys Works2.1 Figure of Speech 2.1.1 MetaphorIn OHenrys writings, metaphor is another feature which is worth mention. “A symbol differs from a metaphor in that its application is left open as an unstated suggestion, whereas the metaphor ties a concrete image to an identifiable abstract quality.” The i

12、mage in metaphor represents specific meaning. But the symbolic image remains indeterminate in its possible meanings; it is usually a substantial image in its own right, around which further significances may gather according to differing interpretations.The metaphor under discussion here does not me

13、an that as a rhetorical device or figure of speech, though the metaphorical sentences as wonderful as the one “Manhattan, the night-blooming cereus, was beginning to unfold its dead-white, heavy-odored petals” teem in OHenrys short stories. What is to be probed is the metaphor exploited as a skill i

14、n story-writing.In the third branch of Roads of Destiny, the hero David Mig not is a shepherd, but he is too indulged in writing poems to take enough care of his sheep. The flock steadily grows smaller and his wife keeps on complaining. Then one of his friends introduces him to a learned man called

15、Georges Bril, David asks Monsieur Bril to read his poems, because he wants to know if he shall write more or give his attention to his sheep. When Monsieur Bril has read all the verses, he concludes that David has no talent for poem-writing. In order to tell the harsh truth in a mild way, he asks Da

16、vid to look at the crow in the tree. Instead of commenting on the poems directly, Monsleur Bril praises the crow that is content with his lot. In this metaphorical way he advises David tactfully not to try to write poems any more. David sees the point and feels discouraged. He goes back home and thr

17、usts his poems into the stove. Hearing the rustle of the欧亨利短篇小说的主题思想和语言特点张明洋1 刘映雪2(1.长安大学 人文学院 西安 710064 2.沈阳师范大学 旅游管理学院 沈阳 110034【摘 要】欧亨利是美国二十世纪初期最著名的短篇小说家之一。他的作品有趣而又意味深长,反映了当时美国的社会现实。并且他的作品因其奇巧的艺术构思,出其不意的结尾而著称。他的作品散发人性美与人情美的芳香。本论文将分析欧亨利作品的主题思想以及从修辞层面和写作技巧方面分析他的作品的语言特点。【关键词】欧亨利;短篇小说;主题思想;语言特点【Abstr

18、act】OHenry is one of the greatest American short story writers of the 20th century. His short stories, depicting American society of his time, are both interesting and thought-provoking. And his short stories are famous for its unexpected ending, as well as their exquisite conception. His works was

19、full of the beauty of human nature and the human interest. This thesis intends to analyze the main themes and features of OHenrys works from rhetoric aspect and writing techniques.【Keywords】 OHenry;short story;main theme;features of language 文艺评论大 众 文 艺59burning paper, David moans that it is “the so

20、ng of the crow”, and he commits suicide in frustration.In the story,the shepherd is compared metaphorically to a crow. The metaphor is not only embodied in one or two sentences, but it is also part of the plot. The crow looks ugly and caws harshly, which implies that Davids poems are poor to read; t

21、he crow is usually regarded as an omen of misfortune, which corresponds with Davids tragic end of suicide.2.1.2 SimileOHenry pays more attention to the simile. OHenry uses simile not only in the frequency of usage but also in other aspects. Of all kinds of figures, colorful and varied in scenery, co

22、mmon things and phenomenon in daily life which always having simile only can enter the story world of OHenry. This article focus on his various and ubiquitous simile throughout his stories in order to analyze the conditions and functions of his usage of figure of speech, to ascertain his artful styl

23、e and achievement.Simile includes essence, comparison and conductive words in structure; its perfect point depends on the relative ingenuity between essence and comparison. This article is discussed from three categories based on t he relationship between essence and comparison and connected by the

24、characteristic which the writer absorbs the examples and uses simile.“As Caesar had his Brutus, every bed of charity must have its toll of a bath, every loaf of bread its compensation of a private and personal inquisition.” In Soapys eyes, these entire philanthropist in these organizations looks lik

25、e Brutus who became the murderer. He lost his honor and freedom because of them.2.1.3 IronyOHenry uses Soapy as the typical figure in the novel The Cop and the Anthem and takes American New York as an example reflects truly the poor peoples hard life at that time and uses ironic manner to criticize

26、the unfair of society and shows the strong contrast between material civilization and spiritual civilization and political civilization.“Soapy had confidence in himself from the lowest button of his vest upward.” This sentence seems an obverse description, but as a matter of fact, it is a contrast f

27、or Soapy. Because a man who lives a happy and comfortable life, he is unable to dress like that.“He set his face down toward Madison Square, for the housing instinct survives even when the home is a park bench.” Home should be a place where is a comfortable place and a shelter. But Soapys home is a

28、bench in a park instead. If we suppose it is his home, then the irony is this part is very vividly and visually.2.2 HumourHumour originates from the famous poet laureate Ben Jasons “Four Humors” theory, which is used to describe some comical warp role in “Comedy of Humors” in Elizabeths era in Engla

29、nd. Now, this terminology indicates some comical conversation and some ridiculous exterior or behavioral mode. Hyperbole means “excess” in Greece and exaggerates the fact obviously or excessively. Its purpose is to obtain the serious or joking effect. In OHenrys short story “The Cop and the Anthem”,

30、 he makes use of the vocabulary mistake and hyperbole not only endowing figures with fresh image but also obtaining definite humorous effect. Its a concrete display of the comedic writing style and at the same time it hints at the tragic fate of the protagonist.There is such a paragraph in the artic

31、le:But as Soapy set foot inside the restaurant door the head waiters eye fell upon his frayed trousers and decadent shoes. Strong and ready hands turned him about and conveyed him in silence and haste to the sidewalk andaverted the ignoble fate of the menaced mallard.Soapys first “long for being arr

32、ested” plan is to eat extravagantly in a luxurious restaurant“a roast duck is almost enough!” But as he sets foot inside the restaurant door, the head waiters eye falls upon his “decadent shoes”. Decadent is always used to describe life style or consciousness concept. The author uses it to describe

33、Soapys broken shoes and exaggerates the actuality of that broken shoe to a laughable extent. Then the author also uses the humorous remarks “turn round that roast ducks nearly being killed fate “to indicate Soapys hope “to eat gratis is vanished.”ConclusionOHenry,as a great master of the art of fict

34、ion, has been popular mainly for his short stories. They are typically American, portraying various types of people in the United States. His stories usually deal with some self-sacrificing members of a family who is undergoing hardship to help a close relative. Although his plot is full of coincide

35、nce, the surprise ending is his specialty and appeals very much to the reader. His stories illustrate Henrys style in various aspects: original conception exaggeration, simile and metaphor, humor, and surprise ending. His stories characteristically expressed the effect of coincidence on characters through humor, grim or irony, and often had surprise endings, a device that would become identified with his name. Wit, irony, cleverness, individuality and local color are also traditional earmarks of the typical OHenry stor