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1、Analysis of O. Henrys The Last LeafAbstract:O. Henry was the pen name of American writer William Sydney Porter (September 11, 1862June 5, 1910), whose clever use of twist endings in his stories popularized the term O. Henry Ending. His middle name at birth was Sidney, not Sydney; he later changed th
2、e spelling of his middle name when he first began writing as a journalist in the 1880s. O. Henrys stories are mainly about the insignificant persons from the bottom of the society. His works are written in vivid and lively language. He was good at creating humorous plots by the use of puns, homonyms
3、, quotations etc.The Last Leaf is one of O. Henrys representative works, a classic of short stories. It has been very popular since published. At the end of this story, he brings to light the theme of the story and infuses a great power into the readers hearts. The theme of this story is definitely
4、self-sacrifice. Mr. Behrman sacrificed his own health for johnsy. Sometimes you should never judge someone by what they appear to be, but by their actions. Behrman acts fierce and aggressive, but his actions show how much he cares about Johnsy. Body:1. Introduction The Last Leaf is one of O. Henrys
5、representative works. It tells the story happened among the young girls Johnsy, Sue and the old painter Behrman. Johnsy is afflicted with pneumonia. Her only hope for living is on the ivy leaves on the brick wall of the opposite house. The leaves are fighting against the strong wind and the heavy ra
6、in, just like sick Johnsy. To save Johnsy from the horrible illness, Sue tries hard to take care of her and encourages her. However, with more leaves falling down, Johnsy was getting worse. Death will definitely ruin her when the last leaf falls off the ivy vine. In order to help Johnsy survive, the
7、 old painter Behrman who lives downstairs paints a leaf on the wall, and finally it becomes the last leaf. Thanks to that leaf, Johnsy defeats the illness and soon recovers. Nevertheless, old Behrman got pneumonia from a cold when he was painting the leaf. In the story The Last Leaf, O. Henry fully
8、shows his intelligence and talent. He creates very vivid characters in his own way of writing. With his description, the scenes in the story seem to play in front of the readers eyes. Using contradictions, he arouses the readers interests and curiosity with very attractive plots. The unexpected endi
9、ng leads the readers to suddenly realize the profound significance of this work. 2. Literature review O. Henry was an ordinary person from an ordinary American family. What make him so unique are his life experiences. The relationship between O. Henrys life experiences and his writing style has attr
10、acted a lot of people to explore. With their persistent efforts, O. Henrys life experiences are not mysteries anymore. His life was full of unpleasant things, whereas due to which he achieved outstanding intelligence and talents. His experience was the foundation of his future development in writing
11、, and also the source of his creation. O. Henrys works are usually fresh and unique. To write such successful works, he had his own way. Contrast is one of his weapons to create vivid characters; another weapon to express the feelings is his brief and clear wording.The Last Leaf, a representative wo
12、rk of the famous short-story writer O. Henry, has been studied from different aspects. It tells the story among two young girls Johnsy, Sue and an old painter Behrman. It glorifies true love in the world by the narration of old Behrmans and Sues love, care and help for Johnsy. By the portrayal of th
13、e living environment and living status of the three main characters, it reveals that American people were in “The Gilded Age”. And by contrast it shows the love and care between the poor. The ending of this work is unexpected but reasonable. It guides the readers to suddenly realize what happen and
14、then get the theme of the story. The “O. Henry ending” makes the substance of the work even more significant, it leaves a pleasant aftertaste for readers. “The famous American short-story writer O. Henry creates an illustrious image of a poor and old painter who sacrifices himself to save a young gi
15、rls life in The Last Leaf. The love and the humanity he praises is similar to the core of Confucianism Benevolence.” (Li, 2009: 67). Confucianism thinks that a person with lofty ideals has no fear of death. On the contrary, he has the courage to sacrifice for benevolence. What we can see from old Be
16、hrman is the essence of Confucianism, “benevolence” and “loving people”. The Last Leaf of O. Henry lights up the hope of the confused modern people. It reminds us of love and harmony which are the foundations of a society. 3. O. Henrys writing features 1) O. Henrys works usually tell the story of insignificant people, while showing great humanitarianism. Over a long period of time, O. Henry lived in the bot
