Selected Short Stories of O. Henry - High School Edition (Revised Version)

Author: O. Henry (William Sydney Porter)
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2002-06-01
Features: The real name of the American writer O. Henry was William Sydney Porter. He was born on September 11, 1862, in Greensboro, North Carolina, in a family of physicians. Starting from the age of fifteen, O. Henry worked as an apprentice in his uncle's pharmacy for five years. Later, due to health reasons, he needed to change his environment and worked as a shepherd for two years on a friend's ranch in Texas. The vast western prairie and the rugged life of the cowboys had a profound influence on O. Henry. From the perspective of the nature of the themes, O. Henry's works can be roughly divided into three categories. One category primarily depicts life in the American West; another focuses on life in some of the major cities of the United States; and the third is centered on life in Latin America. These different themes are clearly closely related to the author's main life experiences during different periods of his life. Among these three types of works, those depicting urban life undoubtedly account for the largest number and hold the greatest significance. The contradictions in O. Henry's thoughts and the weaknesses in his works are largely related to the limited scope of his creative environment. Even when he had already gained fame and was widely welcomed by readers, his life was still often in a financially strained state. He once frankly said, "I write for bread."