麦琪的礼物毕业论文.docx

麦琪的礼物毕业论文.docx

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麦琪的礼物毕业论文

麦琪的礼物毕业论文

四川外语学院成都学院ChengduInstitute

SichuanInternationalStudiesUniversity

本科毕业论文

题目（中文）浅析《麦琪的礼物》中人性的升华

（外文）AStudyoftheSublimationofHumanityinTheGift

oftheMagi

系别英语师范系专业英语年

级2009级学生姓名陈泖蓉指导教师

汪

晶结稿日期2012年10月28日

四川外语学院成都学院教务处制2012

年10月28日填AStudyontheSublimationofHumanityin

TheGiftoftheMagi

Abstract

O.HenryisoneofthemostfamousshortnovelistsintheUnited

Statesintheearly20thcentury,andhisworksarebothinteresting

andenlighteningwithprofoundmeaning.Theauthorusesthe

changeableanduniquelanguagetodescribetheloveandsacrificeof

theyoungcoupleandreflectthesocialrealityoftheUnitedStates

duringthathardperiodoftime.Inthisstory,Henrydepictsthe

pooryoungcouplepresentingtoeachotherontheoccasionof

Christmas,inviewtorevealingthelifeofthelittlepersonsand

inevitabilityofmiseryandhardshipaswellaspoverty.Throughthe

wholemovedstory,wecanhaveadeepunderstandingofhuman’spure

virtues.

Thepaperwillbedividedintofiveparts.Thefirstpart

introducessomeimportantinformationaboutthebackgroundofthe

authorandthearticle.Thesecondpartwillofferadetailed

descriptionoftheheroandtheheroine.Thethirdpartlaysemphasis

ontheembodimentofhumanitysublimationfromthreeaspects:

self-

sacrifice,selflessdedicationandsimplicity.Theforthpart

exploresthecausesofsublimationofhumanity.Andthelastpartis

theconclusion.Throughthewholeanalysis,wecanlearnwhatthetruehumanityisandhaveaprofoundunderstandingofhumanity

depictedinliteraryworks.

Keywords:

humanitysublimation;self-sacrifice;selfless

dedication;simplicityAStudyontheSublimationofHumanityin

TheGiftoftheMagi

Outline

ThesisStatement:

ThroughanalyzingTheGiftoftheMagi,wecan

learnwhatthetruehumanityisandhaveaprofoundunderstandingof

humanitydepictedinliteraryworks.

I.Introduction

II.DepictionofCharactersinTheGiftoftheMagi

A.ConsiderateandMeekHeroine

B.ThoughtfulandKindHero

III.TheSublimationofHumanityinTheGiftoftheMagi

A.Self-sacrifice

B.SelflessDedication

C.Simplicity

IV.TheCausesofHumanitySublimation

A.EconomicCause

B.PoliticalCause

C.IndividualCause

V.Conclusion

AStudyontheSublimationofHumanityin

TheGiftoftheMagi

I.IntroductionTheGiftoftheMagiisashortpopularandhighlyregarded

story

byO.Henrywhichhasmovedpeoplesuchalongperiodoftimeall

overtheworld.Thestorywillimpressmuchmorepeopleinthe

followingyearsandcenturies.Theauthor,O.Henry1862-1910,left

us600shortstorieswhichwerepublishedin1917in14volumes.

SinceO.Henry’sworkswerepublished.Agreatmanyscholarsall

overtheworldhaveconductedcontinuousresearchintothoseworks

andfoundtheirprofoundvalues.CriticshavesingledoutO.Henryas

oneofthegreatestAmericanshortstorywriters-describinghimasa

“writer’swriter”whoalsopossessesuniversalappeal.

O.HenrywasbroughtupbyanauntinGreensboro,where,atthe

ageoffifteen,hewenttoworkinanuncle’sdrugstore.Hemarried

in1887andhiswifehadadaughterin1889.Becauseofthetroubles

thatcameoneaftertheother,helefthiswifeandchild.In1897,

afterlearningofhiswife’sseriousillness,Henryreturnedto

Austinregardlessofaccusationofofrobbery.Atthesametime,his

wifepassedaway.Afterhisrelease,heheadedforNewYorkCity,

whereheworkedasajournalist.Thecollectionofcolorful

charactersinhiswritingwasenhancedbyO.Henry’shabitof

wanderingthestreetsandparks,talkingtopeopleofallconditions.

Hewrotesixty-fiveshortstoriesin1904alone,andfiftythenext

yearincludingTheGiftoftheMagi.TheoldclassicTheGiftoftheMagiconcerns

theunselfish

sacrificeofayoungmanandhiswife,bothofwhoselltheirthe

mostvaluableandtheonlypossessionforChristmasgift.This

informationisrevealed,ofcourse,inthecharacteristicO.Henry’s

surprisingending.Thesurprisingendingofferspeopleanopportunity

tocontemplate.However,DellaandJimarenotsaddenedbywhatthey

seemtohavelost.Intheirselflessgiving,theyarelikenedtothe

mostwiseman.O.HenryprimarilyusesthestoryoftheMagito

comparetheactsofthetwocharactersinTheGiftoftheMagi.He

doesthisthroughtheuseofsymbolsandbycomparingtheselfless

givingofpresentsofDellaandJimtothatofMagi.Weknowthatthe

authorwantstoreflectsomethingthroughthewholestory.

TheGiftoftheMagiisanextraordinarynovel.Formthesocial

pointofview,itisastoryaboutaverypoorbutblissfulyoung

couplenamedJimandDellaintheendof18thcenturyinEngland.As

alovestory,oneofthemostmovingthingsisthatinspiteofthe

difficultiesintheireverydaylife,theirtruelovetoeachother

andtheenthusiasmforlifedonotchangeatall.Thisstoryreflects

thesympathywiththepoorandthecriticismontheunfairsociety.

Atthesametime,itadvocatesthesimplicityandtruelove.

Soitwasworthtopraiseandsingthepurehumanity.Astohave

adeeperunderstandingofthecontributionthatO.Henryhasmadeandhisachievements,

theauthorofthispaperwouldliketodiscusshis

writingtechniquesinTheGiftoftheMagi.Theauthorholdsthathis

worksaremainlycharacterizedonthesublimationofhumanity.The

nextthreepartsofthepaperwilldiscussthecharacters,the

embodimentandthecausesofsublimationofhumanity,andthenmakea

conclusionbysumminguphismainachievementsinhisrespectandthe

conventionalvirtuewhichweneedtopromote.

II.DepictionofCharactersinTheGiftoftheMagi

A.ConsiderateandMeekHeroine

Atthebeginningofthenovel,theauthorhasdeliberately

exaggeratedDella’spoorlifecondition.Thoseareallthe

money―onedollarandeight-sevencents.

“Andsixtycentsofitwasinpennies.Penniessavedoneandtwo

atatimebybulldozingthegrocerandthevegetablemanandthe

butcher.ThreetimesDellacountedit.”1Thereareonedollarand

eight-sevencents.AndthenextdaywouldbetheChristmas.The

authoremphasizesthatDellacountsmoneypitifullyandhardly,

especiallythrough“several”repeatedactiontoletusfeelthe

difficultyofDella’slife.

heartedThisdescriptionindicatesDella’sshyandkind-

personality.Atthesametime,italsoallowsustodeeplyunderstand

thepoor’slifeinthatmoneysociety.Herhome-afurnishedflatis8dollarsperweek.Inthevestibulebelowisaletter-boxintowhich

noletterwouldgo,andanelectricbuttonfromwhichnomortal

fingercouldcoaxaring.Dellaiswith20dollarsincometomaintain

theirlivesperweek.Therefore,wecouldunderstandonedollarand

eight-sevencentsaresodifficulttoher.Facingsuchadistressof

life,Dellahasnochoicebuttocrydownontheshabbylittlecouch.

Dellafinisheshercryandstandsbythewindow,andshethinks

tomorrowwouldbeChristmasDay.Butshejusthasonedollarand

eight-sevencentswithwhichtobuyJimapresent.

Infaceofhardsituation,Dellaissoweakandhelpless.It

givesussimplicityimpressionofDella.Shewantstobuyarareand

valuablethingforherhusbandasChristmasgift.Butthereareonly

onedollarandeight-sevencentstobuyapresentforJim.Thereisa

pier-glassbetweenthewindowsoftheroom.“Suddenlyshewhirled

fromthewindowfromthewindowandstoodbeforetheglass.Herface

hadlostitscolorwithintwentyseconds”.2Therearetwo

possessionsoftheMr.JamesDillinghamYoungandMrs.James

DillinghamYounginwhichtheybothtakeamightypride.Oneis

Jim’sgoldwatchthathasbeenhisfather’sandhisgrandfather’s.

TheotherisDella’shair.HasthequeenofSheba3thewomenwho

rulestheancientkingdomofShebaandisreferredtoinHabeshan

history,theHebrewBible,theNewTestament,andtheQur’an.livedintheflatacrosstheairshaft,Dellawouldhaveletherhair

hangoutthewindowsomedaytodryjusttodepreciateHerMajesty’s

jewelsandgifts4.Della’sbeautifulhairfallsaboutherrippling

andshininglikeacascadeofbrownwaters.Itreachesbelowherknee

andmakesitselfalmostagarmentforher.Itseemedthatthehair

wassobeautifulandcherished.

Delladecidestosellherbeautifulhaireventually,andthis

decisionispainfulandheavy.However,shefeelspleased,because

shelovesherhusband,soshewouldprefertosufferlosses.Thatis

Della’strueloveandconsiderateheart.Dellareceivestwenty

dollarsfromtheMadameforherhair.Afterthat,sheransacksthe

storesforJim’spresent.Becauseofthelove,sheresearchesthe

giftfromoneshoptoanother.Finally,shefindsthesuitablechain.

Dellaisaconsiderateandmeekwoman.Atthismoment,thereisonly

onepersoninhermind―thatisherhusband.Inordertobuythe

simpleandchastechain,shespendstwenty-onedollars.

B.ThoughtfulandKindHero

Theauthorseemstodescribetheroleofhero-Jimmuchless

thantheheroine.Forinstance,heseemstopaylessattentionto

sellingandbuyinggiftforhiswife.However,hischaracteristic

couldbegiveninanindirectway.Forexample,Jimisneverlate,

whichindicatesthatJimisalwayspunctual.Asisdescribedthat“Helookedthinandveryserious.Poorlifewasfollowing,hewas

onlytwenty-twoandtobeburdenedwithafamily.Heneededanew

overcoatandhadnogloves.”5,theyliveahardlifeandstruggle

forlivinginabettercondition,buttheypossessnotenoughmone