摘要:作為世界三大小說家之一，歐亨利與契訶夫和莫泊桑齊名。他的作品因奇巧的藝術構思，出其不意的結尾而著稱。本文以歐亨利的三篇著名短篇小說為例，主要分析了“意料之外情理之內”的“歐亨利式結尾”的處理方法，包括營造出人意料但又符合情理的結尾效果的不同方法，以及這樣的結尾方式如何能更深刻的表達人物的情感與小說的主旨。關鍵詞：藝術手法，人性，社會現實，歐亨利式結尾Unexpectedandreasonaleending——ABriefCommentonO’Henry’sShortStoriesAbstract:O.Henry,oneofthethreemostfamousshort-storywritersintheworld,enjoysequalstatuswithChekhovandMaupassant.Exquisiteplot,wryhumorandtwistendingdominatehisworks.Thosesurprisingbutlogicalendingsarethemostbrilliantinallofthehighlights.ThisthesismainlyanalysesO.Henry’ssurprisingbutlogicalendingsofhisfamousworkssuchasTheGiftoftheMagi,TheLastLeafanandTheCopandtheAnthem.TheseO.Henry-styleendingsimpressreaders,andatthesametime,helphimexpresshisideascompletelyandvividly.SothisthesismainlyanalyseshowO’Henrysettheplottoachievethedesiredendingeffect,andhowthetwistendinghelpidea-expression.KeyWords:artisticstyles;humanity;socialreality;O.Henry-styleendingContents1.Introduction……………12.UniqueO-styleendingmethod…………………22.1Improbablecoincidence………32.2Sharpcontrast………………………grandfather’s.TheotherwasDella’shair.”Thisdescriptionisrelatedtohowtheygotthemoneyforgiftsandwhattheyboughtforeachother.Theautherusedacasualandvaguetonedeliberatelysothatfewpeoplewouldthinkoveritsmeaningbeforeseeingtheending.Sotheendingturnsouttobeunexpectedbutreasonable.Thiscoincidenceisfilledwithcomplexemotions.Peoplefeeltouchedbythelonglastingtruelovebetweentheyoungcoupleandatthesametime,pityforthemfortheir“unwise”giftsandtheircruelbitterlife.Thoughconfrontedwithcruelrealityanddulldailyroutine,DellaandJimcanneverchangetheireagernesstowardlove.Tothemthemostvaluablematerialpossessionissoslightandinsignificant,whencomparedwiththespiritualpossessionofloveromance.Perhapsthegiftswere"unwise"astheauthorsays,but,ashefurtherwrites,"letitbesaidthatofallwhogivegifts,thesetwowerethewisest.”InTheGiftoftheMagi,wefeelsopitythatDellahasherpreciouslonghaircut.Buttooursurprise,Jimhassoldthewatchtobuythejeweledtortoise-shellcombsforherwife’shair.O.Henrydoesnotendonthenoteofironyandsurprisebutgivestowhathecallshisuneventfulcoincidenceoftwofoolishchildrentheappearanceofalittleparablewithasignificantmeaning.Themagi,heremindsthereader,werewisemenwhobroughtgiftstotheChristchild.AsforJimandDella,thearethemagi.ThisistheendingofthestorywithO.Henry’sownstyle.2.2Sharpcontrast(Thelastleaf)Inthisstory,JohnsyandSueareartistswhomoveintoGreenwichVillageinNewYorkCity.AsWinterapproachesandtheweathergetscolder,Johnsybecomesillwithpneumonia.Shegetssosickthatshebelievesthatwhenthelastleaffallsfromthevineoutsideherwindow,shewilldie.Anoldartist,namedBehrman,wholivesinthesamebuildingasthegirls,bravesastormonenighttopaintaleafonthewall—aleafthatwillneverfall.Coldandwetfrompaintingintheicyrain,hecatchespneumoniaanddies.ThisgivesSuethehopetosurviveherillness,anditalsocreatesthemasterpieceBehrmanhadalwaysdreamedofpainting.Afterreadingthenovel,wecanfindthatBehrmanrarelyappearsandO.Henryspentfewwordsonhim.Weonlyknowthatheisabad-temperedoldpainter.“HewaspastsixtyandhadaMichaelAngelo'sMosesbeardcurlingdownfromtheheadofasatyralongwiththebodyofanimp.”“Behrmanwasafailureinart”.Behrmanearnedlittlemoneybyservingasanon-professionalmodelandwasaterriblealcoholicwhosometimes“talkedofhiscomingmasterpiece”.Hewas“afiercelittleoldman,whoscoffedterriblyatsoftnessinanyone”.Tobehonest,Behrmanwasnotatraditonalpleasingheroatall.Hewasfierceinpersonality,poorinmoneyanduntalentedinpainting.However,itisexactlyhimwhosavedJohnsyinasilentandartisticway——paintingaleafonawall.ThisleafgivesSuethehopeofliving,makingherrealizethat:“Itisasintowanttodie”.O.HenrydidnottellhowhehelpedSue,howhepaintedhismasterpieceandwhyhechosetodoitdeliberatelybutreadersknewitfromtheconversationbetweenSueandJohnsyindirectly.ManydetailspointtoatruththattheoldartistsacruificedhislifetorestoreSue’swilltolive.AllthesethingstookplaceinacoldstormingnightandBehrmantoldnooneabouthisplan.Itshowsthathediditnotforpraise,butjustforsavingayounggirl.Behrman,givenfewshow-upsanddescriptionsbytheauthor,wasrarelyconcernedbyreadersinearlyplot.Manypeopleeventhinkheisjustanunimportantsupportingrole.Butwhenweseetheendingandknowthetruth,wefindwewerecompletelywrong.Behrmanwasaheroandasaviorwhodidnotonlysaveaperson’slife,butsuccessfullysavedanAmericandreamforallthepeoplewhoseekfreedomandpeace,connectingthesocialrealityofthattime.“Thelastleaf”isthesymbolofhope,lifeandfaith.Behrmanseemedmorealivethandead.ThisSharpcontraststrenthensthethemeofloveandsacrifice.Behrman’sbehaviorseemedmorepraiseworthyandinspiringafterreaders’psychologicalchange.That’swhatO.Henrywantstoachieve.Thoughthetouchingendingmakesusabsorbedinsadness,thereaderscanstillfindgleamsofhopeanddesireoutofdespair.2.3Repetitionandchange (TheCopandtheAnthem)InthestoryTheCopandtheAnthem,Soapy,ahomelesstramp,decidingtobesenttotheprisonontheIslandwhichhecalledhiswinterquarteragainsttherigorandthehunger,attemptedtopracticeseveralillegalactivitiesforthepurposeof“wooingcapture”;butthecop,whostoodnearbywhenSoapywastryingtoattracthisattentionbyhisanti-lawbehavior,paidnospecialattentiontoSoapyeverytime,even“seemedtoregardhimasakingwhocoulddonowrong”.Developinguphere,thestorymustgivethereadertheconclusionthatSoapyhadtogobackdisappointedlytohishome—aparkbench.Onhisway,thesweetmusicofanthemfromthechurchplayedbytheorganistandthebeautifulmoonlightscenery“wroughtasuddenandwonderfulchangeinhissoul”,hemadeuphismindto“pullhimselfoutofthemire”and“makeamanofhimselfagain”.Movinglikethis,theplotisnotcompletelyunderstandableatonce.Whenthereaderispuzzledabouttheuseandmeaningofgrowingplot,andjustwhileSoapywasplanninghistomorrow’sactionforbeing“somebodyintheworld”,anunforeseenplot,andjustwhileabruptly:hewasarrestedbecauseapolicemanthoughthimdoubtful,andthenextdayhewassentenceto“threemonthsontheIsland”.Thestorystopsheresuddenlyinspiteofthereader’snotimmediateunderstanding.Butafteramomentofconsideration,thereader’ssurpriseturnsintoadmirationforhisastonishingcontrivanceoftrickyendingwhichrevealsrigorouslytherealfactsofreversalbetweentruthandfalsehoodincapitalistsocietywhichconfusesrightandwrong.Inthisshortstories,theplotdevelopsasSoapy’svariousanti-lawbehaviorsbeingignoredbythecoptimeandtimeagain.Thiskindofrepetitionmaydisappointandborereadersinsomedegree.However,it’sexactlythehighlightsofthestory.Themoresuchrepetitionoccursthemoreconfusedandcuriousreadersbecome.Theycan’thelpwondering,“Whydidallthesehappenagainandagain?Whatfollowednext?HowwillSoapyfinallybecome?”andsoon.Thentherecomesthechange,whichisalsotheclimax——Soapywasinspiredbytheanthemfromthechurch,butbeforehecantrulymakeabrandnewstartinhislife,hegotarresttedjustbecausehelookedlikeacriminal.Withthoserepetitionsinearlytimes,thefinalendingseemssoironicandunexpected.Soapyseemsmoresufferedbeingborninthatrough-and-tumbleage.3.ConclusionTotallyspeaking,inO.Henry’sworks,theeventsofsomeshortstoriesarearrangedinthespecif