现代大学英语精读第二版第九课背景介绍.pptVIP

* B T L E W Lesson 14 - After Twenty Years Part Two ENTER Lesson 14 - After Twenty Years Author The American West a. General Introduction b. the Rocky Mountain states c. the Pacific Coast states d. Frontier Spirit and Expansion towards the West e. Violence in the 19th Century Background information O. Henry (1862—1910) was the pen name of William Sydney Porter, an American short story writer. His short, simple stories are noted for their careful plotting, ironic coincidences, and surprise endings. Lesson 14 - After Twenty Years Author To be continued on the next page. O. Henry was born William Sydney Porter in Greensboro, North Carolina. He went to Texas in 1882 and worked at various jobs—as teller in an Austin bank (1891—1894) and as a newspaperman for the Houston Post. Lesson 14 - After Twenty Years Author To be continued on the next page. In 1898 an unexplained shortage in the Austin bank was charged to him. Although many people believed him innocent, he fled to the Honduras but returned to be with his wife, who was fatally ill. He eventually served three years in prison, where he first started writing short stories. Lesson 14 - After Twenty Years Author To be continued on the next page. Upon his release he settled in New York. Although his stories have been criticized as shallow and contrived, O. Henry did catch the color and movement of the city and evidenced a genuine sympathy for ordinary people. Lesson 14 - After Twenty Years Author To be continued on the next page. O. Henrys humorous, energetic style shows the influence of Mark Twain and Ambrose Bierce. His approximately 300 stories are collected in Cabbages and Kings (1904), The Four Million (1906), The Voice of the City (1908), Options (1909), and others. Lesson 14 - After Twenty Years Author The end of the Author. Write what you like; there is no other rule. O. Henry The American West is generally considered to include the eight Rocky Mountain st