ReactiontoanArticle——ShortStoriesofO.HenryO.HenryisanicemasterofshortstoryatthetwentiethcenturyinAmerica.Hisuniquesenseofhumorisfullofdepressionandsademotions.Duetothiskindofbitterlaughter,wecouldfeelexaggerated,cynical,wittyandhumorouswhenwereadthem.
ThroughoutO.Henry’swork,theplotdevelopsunexpectedlyattheendofthestory.Whenthereadersfeeldismayed,theyactuallybelievethattheauthorreallygivesareasonableendofthestory.It’squitefantastic.Henryisalsogoodatobservingthingsandfocusondetails,whichmakeshiswritinglively.Anyhow,“TheGiftoftheMagi”and“TheLastLeaf”givemeanimpressionmostly.
TheGiftoftheMagimainlytellsthestorythatthedaybeforeChristmas,poorDellawanttogiveherhusbandJimasurprise.However,sheonlyhadonedollarandeighty-sevencents.Sheknewthatthelittlemoneywasnotenoughtobuyanicepresent.SoDellasoldherlong,beautifulhairwhichfellabouthershoulders“likeacascadeofbrownwaters”.Then,Dellalookedallovertheshop,finallybuyingaplatinumfobchain,whichcanbematchedwithJim'swatch.But,JimwantedtosurpriseDellaaswell.HesoldhisproudgoldwatchandboughtherasetofcombsthatDellahadwatchedlonginaBroadway’swindow.Afterreadingthisarticle,itreallygivesmeabigshock.Inthisstory,themaincharactersalllosttheirmostvaluablethings——Jim’sgoldenwatchandDella’sbeautifulhair.Behindthis,Isawtheylovedeachotherdeeply.TheloveintheirfamilylettingmefeelthatcoldChristmasEvehasbecomethewarmestheavenjustbecauseoftheirgifts.Itissoselflessthatthattheycansacrificetheirmostvaluablethingsinordertogiveeachotherthebestgift.Ilearnedhowtorespectothers’loveandhowtoloveothers.Withthiskindoflove,mutualunderstandingbetweenmanandwomancouldfulloftrustandaffection.Ifirmlybelievethattheworldwillhaveabettertomorrowaslongasourheartsfulloflove.
ThestoryTheLastLeafdescribedayoungcoupleofgoodfriendsSueandJoanna,who
“foundtheirtastesinart,chicorysaladandbishopsleevessocongenialthattheyjointstudioresulted”.Unfortunately,anunseenstranger,whomthedoctorscalledPneumonia,spreadintheinthatcityandJoannagotitseriously.Onedayafternoon,Joannawasdesperatelylookingoutofthewindowandwascountingtheleavesontheivytree.Shefirmlyconvincedthatshewouldleavetheworldafterthelastleaffell.Shehadn'tanypassionforthefuturelife.SuehasnootherbetterwaybuttoaskhelpfromMr.Behrman,anoldpoorartistwholivedonthegroundfloorbeneaththem,wasafailureinart.Hehasalwayswantedtopaintamasterpiece,buthadneverbegunit.Atthebeginning,hewasveryscornfulaboutthisfrustratedgirlwhowasgivingupherlifeafterhearingofthelastleafstoryfromSue.
Actually,inthisoldman'sfeelinginside,heearnestlywantedtosavethispoorandyounggirl.Hepaintedthelastvividandlovelyleafthroughoutadreadfulnight.Finally,thismasterpiecehasbeencompletedandJoannawasfullofhopeagain.However,Mr.BehrmandiedbecauseofthePneumonia.Thestoryendedhere,but,thesincerefriendshipwouldneverstopforeverbecauseitishoveredinthereaders’heart.Letusrespectthisbestart-man——Behrman.
ThoughBehrmandiedattheendofthenovel,suchwayofBehrman’sdeathisreallysurprising.Becauseweallknow,hispneumoniawasmuchworsethanJoannaandhisdeathwillcomesoonerorlater.Anyways,BehrmansavedJoannainasilentandartisticway,whichtrulyshockedme.InO.Henry’seyes,Behrmanwasafailureinart,butwemightsayhewasasuccessinhumanity.That’salsowhyIlikeHenry’snovel,eventhoughO.HenrydidnotgiveBehrmantoomanywords.
Bytheway,IalsoassociatehimwithmyparentsafterreadingTheLastLeaf.Ourparentsbreedusandgiveustheirbestpresent.JustlikeoldBehrman,whosacrificedhimself,helpedJoannacheerup.Hereisalsoanotherstory.Alongtimeago,therewasahugeappletree.Alittleboylovedtocomeandlayarounditeveryday.Helovedthetreeandthetreelovedtoplaywithhim.Timewentby,thelittleboyhadgrownupandhenolongerplayedaroundthetreeeveryday.Afteralongtime,theboycameback.
However,inordertolive,hepickedallthetree’sapplesandsoldthemformoney.Theboyevenchoppedoffthebranchestobuildhishouseanduseditstrunktobuildtheboat.Finally,theboyreturnedafterheleftformanyyears.Heistoooldandwantedaplacetorest.Theoldtreeshareditsrootsandgavethelastbestplacetotheboy.TheboyislikeusandthetreeisjustlikeoldBehrman,ourparents.So,weshalldoallofoureffortstoreturnthecontributionstothem.Inmanyconditions,O.Henry'snovelissoattractiveandwonderful.Withtheseunexpectedbutreasonableendings,Henryexpresseshisideascompletely——somethingreflectstherealityofthesociety.Perhaps,thismightbethereasonwhyO.Henryissofamous.