摘要

欧•亨利在美国和世界文学史上占有重要位置，被称为现当代美国短篇小说的奠基人。他的小说以出其不意的结局，幽默的语言和小说人性主题而著称。其中，人性主题使他的小说拥有更加独特的魅力，深受读者喜爱。他传奇的一生中，走遍了美国的各个角落，从乡村到城市，几乎感受了世上所有欢乐与痛苦，亲眼目睹了各个阶层的生活状况。他非常关心底层人民生活的状况，他同情底层社会小人物的悲惨遭遇，热爱他们天性中的美德，憎恨上层社会的代表人物的剥削和丧尽天良，揭露他们的心狠手辣和丑恶的嘴脸。本文旨在研究欧•亨利的短篇小说中的人性主题，先从各方面论述了作者短篇小说中人性主题形成的根源后，再从人性观的角度进行了全面解读，最后从三方面论述了小说中的人性主题。欧•亨利通过各种不同的人性主题，表达了自己对于人文和社会的鲜明的观点，以及对于美好人性的执着追求，因此构成了其独特的人文关系。

关键词：人性；美德；善与恶；丑行

Abstract

O. Henry occupies an important position in the history of literature in the United States and the world, known as the founder of the modern and contemporary American short stories. His short novels are famous for its surprising ending, humorous language and humanity subject, which make his works unique and popular. In his legendary life, he goes the grounds of most parts of the American, from the village to the big city, nearly experiences all of the happiness and misery in the world,  witnesses people’s living condition at a variety of social levels, and especially keeps his eye on the lower level of civilian’s living condition. He is full of deep sympathy to lower people who live in the deeper level of the society. He sympathizes with their unfortunate and bitter experience and deeply loves their moral excellence. But he hates the upper classes of society with their exploitation and cruelty, discloses their merciness and the ugliness. Firstly this paper aims to study the human consciousness of O. Henry’s short stories, fully discusses the root cause of the formation in the humanity theme of the author’s short stories, then carries on the comprehensive interpretation from the perspective of human nature, and discusses the human nature theme of the novel from three aspects. Through these different human themes, O. Henry expressed his distinct idea about the cultural, social, and persistent quest for beautiful human nature, and thus constitutes the unique humanities concern.

Key Words: humanity; virtues; good and evil; tow

1. Introduction
O. Henry, originally named William Sydney Porter, is a master of stories who enjoys world reputation. He writes more than 300 short stories in his lifetime. He is good at description of American society, especially the life of the people in New York. These novels expose the darkness of capitalism from different angles, describing the bottom of the people’s life and their pain, celebrate their sincere love and friendship, the noble deeds of self-sacrifice, and yearn for the happiness of live. His fiction not only has the effect which is brought by the humorous works, but also deepens the real social significance of his works. So his novels are referred as “the humorous encyclopedia of American life”.