| As one of the three most famous short story writers, O. Henry enjoys equal status with Chekhov and Maupassant. His short stories always remain the focus of critics'comments. Among previous critics, no one has analyzed O. Henry's short stories through cultural point of view. They always focus their attentions on the literary work itself, such as the writing skill, structure, plot and character etc., neglecting the cultural characteristics reflected in these short stories. O. Henry, who lived during the last phase of 19th century and the initial stage of 20th century, is extolled as"the mirror of American society", and American culture is reflected faithfully through his works. Love stories, as an important type of O. Henry's short stories, are of great study significance. This dissertation analyzes love stories by means of New Historicism and Cultural Materialism, discussing people's different view of love and finding out the cultural characteristics of American society between lines. |
