Abstract

O. Henry is considered as the father of American short story and “The Gift of the Magi” is one of his most important works. His works are very popular among the world not only because of his humorous expression methods and special artistic features, but also because his works are unusual in the narrative strategy. This thesis briefly analyzes the narrative strategy in “The Gift of the Magi” from the following four aspects: narrative point of view and its transition, the control of narration speed, the humorous and concise narrative language and the readability and legibility of this short story, in the hope of providing the readers with a new angle to appreciate O. Henry’s short stories. 

Key words: O. Henry; narrative strategy; “The Gift of the Magi”

Contents

Abstract

摘要

1. Introduction-1

2. Literature Review-2

3. Narrative Strategy in “The Gift of the Magi”-3

3.1 The narrative point of view-3

3.2 The narrative speed-5

3.3 The narrative language-7

3.4 The balance between legibility and readability-9

4. Conclusion-10

Works Cited-11