中文摘要：本文以19世纪晚期为背景，美国自由资本主义向垄断资本主义过渡，资本不断集中，底层人民生活日益艰难，而欧·亨利就是底层作家的代表，他用其诙谐却深刻的笔墨，把当时社会众生百态描绘的淋漓尽致。而本文旨在对欧·亨利短篇小说中的真善美与假恶丑两大人性主题进行深入探究，从作者个人经历和写作背景方向入手，论述其小说中人性主题的根源，再从人性观的角度进行全面解读。通过讴歌真善美与批判假恶丑两大方面的论述，本文初步研究出，欧·亨利的小说中的底层小人物的内心也蕴含着真善美，而看似光鲜的上流社会却隐现着丑恶的内在； 另一方面，其小说也想向读者表达，恶人也可能幡然悔悟重新做人，而在美国社会急剧紧张的大环境下看似正常幸福的普通人民也经受着人性的扭曲。本文挖掘了作家强烈的人性意识和社会批判精神，具有极其重要的价值。通过这些不同的人性主题，欧·亨利表达了自己对于人文社会的鲜明观点以及对于美好人性执着的追求，从而构成了独特的人文关怀，引起读者广泛的共鸣。

关键词：欧·亨利  小人物  人性向善  假恶丑

TABLE OF CONTENTS

中文摘要

ABSTRACT

Chapter one Introduction-2

Chapter two The origin of human nature theme in O·Henry’s Short Stories-4

2.1 The personal experience of the author-4

2.2 The background of writing-4

Chapter three Eulogizing the true, the good and the beautiful-6

3.1 True love-6

3.1.1 The couple giving gifts to each other-6

3.1.2 The couple sacrificing themselves for each other-6

3.2 Sincere friendship-7

3.2.1 The painter helping others selflessly-7

3.2.2 The people caring about each other-7

3.2.3 The small potatoes insisting on their inherent virtue-8

3.3 Pursuit of virtue-8

3.3.1 The thief repenting and being saved by himself-8

3.3.2 The deceiver repenting his crime-8

3.3.3 The city man getting rid of his bad habits-9

Chapter four Criticizing the artificial, the bad and the ugly-10

4.1 Exposing the ugliness of the real world-10

4.1.1 Criticizing the American law-10

4.1.2 Showing mercy for the small potatoes oppressed by the cruel society-10

4.2 Satirizing the repulsive upper class-11

4.2.1 Exposing the mean upper class-11

4.2.2 Exposing the greedy capitalism-11

4.3 Criticizing the twisted humane world-12

4.3.1 The love concealed by money-12

4.3.2 The destruction to love by vanity-12

Chapter five Conclusion-14

REFRENCES-15

ACKNOWLEDGEMANTS-17