A PSYCHOLOGICAL EXPLORATION OF EMOTIONAL PATTERNS AND CHARACTERIZATION IN O. HENRY’S SHORT STORIES

Abstract

"William Sydney Porter (1862-1910), known by the pen name O. Henry, is a noted American writer. O. Henry's short stories have a reputation for being humorous, relatable, affecting, and always have unexpected surprising endings. Three of his typical works are The Cop and the Anthem (1904), The Gift of the Magi (1905), and The Last Leaf (1905). Although controversial, the benefits of applying Psychoanalysis in literary analysis are undeniable. Through understanding factors such as the unconscious mind, desires, conflicts, etc. This theory provides us with a deeper insight into the work through the psychological aspect. Therefore, this research paper was conducted by applying Psychoanalysis to analyze the three works mentioned above, thereby discovering emotional patterns and characterization in O Henry's storytelling. Research results have shown human psychological reactions when facing adversities, including anxiety, fear, despair, depression, and sadness, and even positive aspects of human psychology such as faith, hope, resilience, love, and sympathy. It also shows how human psychology reacts to difficulties through the manifestation of defense mechanics. Furthermore, similarities and differences of the three stories above have also been found. Keywords: Psychoanalysis, emotion, narrative style, unconscious mind, behavior, defense mechanism, adversity."