Home » Classic Reread | King of Short Stories O. Henry’s 160th Birthday, His Novels Almost Perfectly Connected His Entire Life

Classic Reread | King of Short Stories O. Henry’s 160th Birthday, His Novels Almost Perfectly Connected His Entire Life

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Classic Reread | King of Short Stories O. Henry’s 160th Birthday, His Novels Almost Perfectly Connected His Entire Life

Original Title: Classic Reread | O Henry, the king of short stories, on his 160th birthday, his novels almost perfectly connect his entire life

“Why don’t you want to read novels anymore?”

“They’re too prosaic compared to the legends of my own life,” O Henry replied.

Those who are familiar with O. Henry and his work know that his life was full of ups and downs, ups and downs, and just as his work was full of astonishing serendipities and unexpected twists. His earliest biographers concluded that “there is an extraordinary structural similarity” between O. Henry’s fiction and his real life experience. The beginnings and turns of each novel he wrote almost perfectly reappeared and connected his entire life trajectory.

Beginnings: When he was a young boy with freckles, he forged an indissoluble bond with the “story”

O. Henry’s novels always have a calm but compelling opening. It’s short enough to be oversimplified, and it describes people and things that are a little bit different, so it quickly grabs the reader’s interest. Of course, it buries a hint of suspense between the words and stops, creating an atmosphere of mystery and unpredictability. At this point, readers can vaguely perceive something strange, but they can’t judge which details need special attention, and they can’t predict what will happen next, so they won’t thankfully guess the ending of the story.

That’s how O Henry’s life began. He was born in Greensboro, North Carolina, on September 11, 1862. When their mother died when they were 3 years old, they moved to their grandparents’ house because of their father’s alcoholism and incontinence. O. Henry was mainly raised by a strict grandmother and an eccentric aunt. After being forced to drop out of high school at the age of 15, O. Henry worked for five years as an apprentice in his uncle’s pharmacy in order to support himself. Despite his unfortunate childhood and lonely teenage years, O. Henry’s first 20 years were not uncommon in the United States at the time, and only with “hindsight” can we assess the significance of these 20 years to his entire life.

But O Henry’s novel/life opening is special after all. When he was a little boy with freckles, he forged an indissoluble bond with “Story”. Under the enlightenment of his aunt, he fell in love with Shakespeare, Milton and Dickens, became fascinated by the legends of knights in Europe and Indian myths and legends, and became a well-known “little storyteller” in the local area. Add your own imagination every now and then. This made everyone around him feel that this little boy was very different from his peers.

Foreshadowing: He has been a singer, played a drama, worked as a pharmacist and a cashier, and finally, dreaming of becoming a painter, he changed his ambition to a writer

When the reader plunges headlong into the world of O Henry’s novels, he will soon discover that what flows from his pen is no longer a trickle, but a ripple that flows into a lake, or a jet that rushes down a steep wall. The rhythm of the descriptive text that has just been touched suddenly picks up the pace, quickly intertwining characters and events. Every subsequent scene, every dialogue, and every episode seems to convey some definite causal signal to the reader, making the reader unable to resist the urge to guess, and even have full confidence in the direction of the story. judge.

▲ Jenny Crane (left) and Farley Granger (right) play Della and her husband Jim in the film “Life is Beautiful”.The film consists of five short films based on five short stories by O. Henry

O. Henry also entered adulthood in this way, and opened up a thousand twists and turns in his life. When he was 20 years old, he was invited to a ranch in Texas. The open fields and the work of shepherds gave him a new lease of life. Then, he went to Austin to look for a formal job. He worked as a singer, a dramatist, a pharmacist and a cashier. In his spare time, he started his own literary creation. It was at this time that he dreamed of becoming a painter. Changed ambition to writer. When his humorous essays were published in some local newspapers, his ambitions inflated sharply. He bought a local weekly and started a humorous magazine with a lifespan of only one year. After his failed venture, he moved his family to Houston and became a reporter and columnist for the Houston Post. When the people in their hometown received the letter he sent home from Texas and saw his name appear in the corner of the newspaper, they were relieved that O. Henry had finally come through hardships, and they were even more confident in his future: soon he would Be able to appear in national newspapers and magazines, become a nationally famous cartoon writer or travel reporter.

Twists and turns: Playing cards out of line is O Henry’s usual “trick”, and even so, how could he never have expected his life to be so unexpected

O. Henry never lets readers guess the ending of his novels. When they found that more and more plots did not follow the route they guessed, the readers were surprised and began to shake their own predictions about the ending. When more and more “accidents” came to readers, they had to give up trying to guess, but to go deeper into the story more patiently and carefully, and become followers of words again.

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▲A letter from O. Henry

Playing cards unconventionally is O Henry’s usual “trick”. Even so, he never expected his life to be so unexpected. In 1896, he was charged with embezzlement and imprisoned. The case itself was not serious, but he was a fugitive on bail the day before his arraignment and fled all the way to Honduras. The following year, when he heard that his wife was critically ill, he returned home and was arrested immediately. In 1898, he was imprisoned again, being held in the Ohio State Penitentiary. During a small talk, the prison guard asked him what he would do, and he subconsciously replied: “I am a newspaper reporter.” He added casually: “Oh, yes, I’m still a registered pharmacist.” Unexpectedly, this profession that once made him feel bound and tired has unexpectedly succeeded him. He was assigned to the prison infirmary and had relatively free space and time. In addition to collecting a lot of interesting story materials from his fellow prisoners, he began to write short stories and officially used the pseudonym “O Henry”. In order to subsidize the living expenses of his daughter outside the prison, he only contributes to those business magazines with large circulation and good pay. In order to satisfy the reading pleasure of the general readers, his works are short and concise but fascinating, mixed with soothing warmth between the relaxed entertainment, and captured the hearts of thousands of readers with a sweet sadness.

Obviously, he succeeded. But just as the characters in his novels are always hit by this or that misfortune and played by the god of fate, O. Henry at this time felt that he was like a hanging tree in the ocean.

Climax: From a young boy in Greensboro to a cowboy, from a professional journalist to a transnational fugitive, from a prison pharmacist to a best-selling novelist, O Henry shows again and again what it means to reverse life

What made O. Henry a household name was his signature ending. Just as the reader slowed down and approached the end of the novel, an “accident” brought the story to an abrupt end. It brings together the luck and misfortune of the characters and dispels the fog of cause and effect between events. Its seamlessness is beyond the imagination of ordinary people, but it is convincing. It illuminates the whole story and awakens confused readers, making them rub their eyes first and reread them several times before they dare to confirm. The “accidental” coincidence undoubtedly took readers by surprise, but in retrospect, they were also surprised by their own surprise. Because “accidents” did not fall from the sky, but were destined from the beginning, no matter how carefully they read, they were still negligent.

But the greatest and most comforting “accident” is not in the novel, but actually happened to O Henry. O. Henry was released early due to his good behavior in prison. In 1902, he moved to New York, where he wrote hundreds of acclaimed short stories, and became popular and critically sought after—“the discoverer and interpreter of the New York legend” and “the urban version of Brett Hart.” “The Greatest Living Master of Short Stories” and “America’s Kipling, Maupassant, Gogol”. From a young boy in Greensboro to a western cowboy, from a professional reporter to a transnational fugitive, from a prison pharmacist to a best-selling novelist, O. Henry interprets the reversal of life time and time again, and interprets it at the highlight of the year What is “unexpected and reasonable”, because the power to amaze everyone at this time is due to all his previous experiences, those inclinations and secret temptations that have been revealed intentionally or unintentionally, as well as all accidental opportunities and homeopathy. This is a coincidence, and it is also natural after the foreshadowing was laid.

Legend: The ability to almost perfectly fit the story and life on the same trajectory is the best surprise presented to the world by O Henry

In this way, O. Henry, who had a legendary life, became a legend in the short story circle of the United States and even the world. If Washington Irving made American short stories famous in the English-speaking world with mysterious and romantic ancient European legends, Edgar Allan Poe established the standardized writing skills of short stories with precise writing rules, and Nathaniel Hawthorne used symbolism The background and themes inject allegorical color into the short stories, so it can be said that O. Henry endows the short stories with “universal” readability with narrative techniques and themes of human nature that transcend the boundaries of time and space.

When talking about O. Henry, the human nature in his novels is always talked about. But it is not uncommon for a literary work to have a humanity that deserves no fanfare. What is special about O. Henry’s novels is that it always shows human nature in an unexpected way, using “accidents” to arouse readers’ shocking shock, and using human nature to give “accidents” legitimacy. It gives readers a sense of satisfaction that they have not been let down, and it also makes it difficult for readers to calm down their inner turmoil for a long time after closing the book and closing their eyes.

There would be no O Henry in literary history without an O Henry ending. However, the power of the ending does not come from the ending itself, but from the author’s careful layout and comprehensive control from beginning to end, so that every word in the novel accumulates power until it finally converges and explodes. For example, “The Gift of the Magi” “all-knowing and omnipotent” narrates Della’s thoughts and thoughts, but he hurriedly conveys Jim’s actions, and even keeps silent about his inner activities, which makes the ending of the novel ” “The Truth Comes Out” not only surprises Della and Jim, but also surprises readers who have been kept in the dark. “The Last Leaf” describes Bellman as a small, grumpy old alcoholic who’s been talking about his “future masterpiece” for decades with no sign of writing. Obviously, such characters can’t evoke readers’ appreciation and empathy. And because of this, the ending of Bellman’s accidental death is full of tragic tragic tears. While the readers are moved, they can’t help but feel guilty and remorse: Is it really me who was still mocking and despising Bellman just now?

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▲The series of illustrations created by the illustrator for the 2017 edition (Nigma Press) of O. Henry’s short stories

Paradoxically, the more delicate, the more fragile. O. Henry’s novels are built on all kinds of coincidences, the contingency of explaining the story with the inevitability of human nature, thus hitting the reader’s heart. But coincidence is never the protagonist of mass life, and there is a huge gulf between the delicate plot and the banal reality, which makes the whole novel lack gravity. The interlocking details inside the novel are like dominoes, and if any one is changed, the novel will fall apart. Not to mention that human nature itself is often complicated and tangled, and just relying on it to support incidents is not only simplistic, but also often appears blunt and deliberate. For example, in “The Gift of the Magi”, Jim’s gold watch and Della’s hair are one heirloom that carries family memories and can no longer be found, and the other is an enviable commodity that can be constantly regenerated. It’s hard to compare how precious it is. But then again, if Della had pawned some meaningful dowry instead of her hair, the story wouldn’t go on at all. In “The Last Leaf”, Bellman is portrayed as a loner who has always “looked down on the warmth of others”, but suddenly claimed to be the protector of two young female painters who had just moved in, not only caring for them, but even at the expense of Save your life. Bellman’s reversal and affection is clearly unusual, and the construction and struggle behind it are not revealed, which makes the story seem uncoherent.

If Chekhov’s short story is like a giant whale looming in the sea, it is dull because of its size and roughness, but it is a focal point grabbed from the vast world, from which one can glimpse the ups and downs of a nation and the vicissitudes of an era , then O. Henry’s short stories are like precious goldfish kept in an aquarium. They are small and agile and pleasing to the eye, but they are too delicate and can only survive in a small, self-sufficient enclosed space. Reading Chekhov requires a quiet environment and a mind free from distractions, and you have to read it three or five times if it is uneven, but reading O. Henry can be done anytime, anywhere. People are often attracted by the perfect and exquisite design of O. Henry’s novels and often forget to explore its depths, let alone dissect its texture. The intervention of any external factors is not only redundant, but even fatal to it. In Wang Anyi’s words, O. Henry’s story is always too consummate and lacking in aftertaste.

O. Henry’s life, by contrast, did not end so well. After earning fame and fortune in New York, he gradually became addicted to alcohol and gambling, and extravagant spending forced him to earn more money. Blindly pursuing the speed and quantity of creation made his later works of good and bad, and the fatigue of writing and uncontrolled eating and daily life also seriously damaged his body. At the age of 48, he died of cirrhosis of the liver. Just as his novels always come to the end in a slightly obvious rush, for fear of losing mass readers who are accustomed to fast-food reading, O. Henry’s life also ended in a hurry, which is regrettable. However, unlike the “fragility” of the novel, O. Henry’s early death highlights the many ups and downs he has endured.

The art of fiction is also the art of life, but life is more infectious and even more dramatic than fiction. Being able to fit the story and life on the same trajectory almost perfectly is the best surprise that O. Henry has presented to the world.

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What makes the “O. Henry ending” unique?

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As a master of American short stories, O. Henry’s novel art is unique, and the art at the end of his works is even more famous all over the world. The so-called “O. Henry-style ending” has become a unique literary phenomenon named after him, which means that the ending of the novel takes a completely different turn from the previous one, resulting in a huge change in the character, psychology and fate of the characters. , this change is unexpected, but after careful examination, it is reasonable again, and the unique artistic charm is produced. This peculiarity is pervasive in O. Henry’s short stories.

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For some reason, the domestic literary circles are not keen on O. Henry’s research, and there are very few studies and materials about this writer. In contrast, Chekhov and Maupassant, the other two who were almost contemporaries and known as “the world‘s top three short story writers”, were recognized far more than O. Henry in the domestic literary circles.

Still, readers love O. Henry. His prolific life may be one reason why he is not valued by the literary world. There always seems to be a kind of mentality: the best sellers are definitely not the top ones, and literature also follows this prejudice.

In O Henry’s short stories, there is always a ray of hope, no matter how dark the author writes. For a writer whose life is never smooth sailing, and can even be said to be full of ups and downs, it is very rare for O Henry to present so many chapters with human brilliance. Of course, O’Henry is also sarcastic. For those who are greedy for vanity, O’Henry’s sarcasm is equally amazing, but his sarcasm isn’t mean, it’s more about making people laugh. The thieves and liars in his writings should be rare thieves and liars in the history of literature, because O. Henry himself was a poor man who lived at the bottom of society for a long time. He worked as a shepherd boy, pharmacist, clerk, and cashier. Hardships, so he never ridiculed the petty citizens and the bottom people, on the contrary, he gave them great sympathy. Some voices in the literary world believe that O. Henry’s social criticism is not strong enough, which affects the depth of his work. However, isn’t there enough about the ugliness in a degenerate and decadent American society? O. Henry’s works are full of the brilliance of humanity everywhere, the so-called classics should be so.

In his short masterpiece “The Last Leaf”, O. Henry describes the story between two young painters, Sue and Jonesy, and their neighbor, Bellman, in the slums of Washington. Jonesy contracted severe pneumonia in the cold November and became increasingly ill. She pinned her hope in life on the last ivy leaf outside the window, and she determined that when the ivy leaf fell, it was the end of her life. Her friend Sue was saddened by this, and told Jonesy’s idea to Bellman, an old painter, who was a hot-tempered person who loved to make fun of people and was accompanied by wine all day long. I have been painting for nearly forty years, but nothing has been accomplished. Every day I fantasize that I am about to paint a world-shattering painting, but it is always just on paper. However, something amazing happened: a night of violent storms had been blowing outside the house, and the last sawtooth leaf had withered and yellowed at the edge, but it was still hanging from the tall cane. Jonesy was surprised when he saw it, so he regained his belief in life and survived tenaciously. O. Henry’s story will never end until the last sentence, and this story will not end here. The moment when the truth is revealed is shocking: it turns out that the leaf was drawn by Berman on that stormy night. I went up, because Bellman contracted pneumonia and passed away unfortunately. At the last moment of his life, the old painter finally completed a shocking masterpiece of his dreams.

Because like the people at the bottom, they have had helpless pains and struggles, so O Henry can write about the coldness and warmth of the world so embarrassingly; with deep sympathy for the “little people”, O Henry can always be in the unfortunate soul. It’s easy to empathize with the glitter when you catch it.

Therefore, the “O. Henry-style ending” does not lie in the fascinating story and the twists and turns of the ending, but the heart-warming power conveyed in the works, which is the most important part of O. Henry’s works to survive in the world. . On the other hand, some domestic writers or screenwriters have only learned the fur of the “O. Henry-style ending” and not the inside. The unexpected ending is there, but it often makes people feel stiff and even inexplicable. In fact, it is because they have not really grasped it.” The soul of the O. Henry ending” was forced to reverse for the sake of reversal. As everyone knows, rationality is the basis of storytelling. When rationality does not exist, no matter how unexpected reversals are, it will be difficult to accept. The so-called skin without hair will be attached, and the foundation of empathy will naturally be lost.

Author: Sun Lu, Associate Professor, Shanghai International Studies University

Editor: Xu Luming

Responsible editor: Liu Qing

*Wenhui’s exclusive manuscript, please indicate the source for reprinting.Return to Sohu, see more


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Disclaimer: The opinions of this article only represent the author himself, Sohu is an information publishing platform, and Sohu only provides information storage space services.

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