What are the characteristics of O Henry best short stories?

O Henry short stories are known for their surprise endings. For example, in 'The Gift of the Magi', the couple's selfless sacrifices for each other at the end are unexpected. Also, his stories often have a touch of humor and irony. He can depict the ordinary lives of people in a vivid and engaging way, like in 'The Cop and the Anthem' where the tramp's attempts to get arrested are both funny and thought - provoking.

O Henry was a famous American short story writer. His works were famous for their humor, irony, and ingenious structure. Here are some of the characteristics of O 'Henry's short stories: Unexpected Ending: O 'Henry's short stories often have an unexpected ending that makes the reader full of expectations and surprise during the reading process. 2. Recurring theme: O 'Henry's works often involve some repetitive theme such as human nature, fate, money, etc. These topics are deeply explored in his works. 3. Satire and Humor: O 'Henry's short stories mainly used satire and humor to reveal the social reality and the weakness of human nature through exaggeration and irony. 4. Ingenious structure: O 'Henry's works often start with a complicated plot and reach the climax through many reversals and ingenious turns. 5. Strong fiction: O 'Henry's works are usually fictional, but the characters, plots and locations have a certain realistic basis. Enlightening: O 'Henry's short stories are often enlightening. The readers can reflect on human nature, society and life through his works.

It's hard to say which one is the absolute best as different people may have different preferences. However, 'The Gift of the Magi' is often regarded highly. Its simple yet powerful message about love and self - sacrifice makes it a classic that has touched many readers' hearts over the years.

Funny O. Henry short stories typically have a great sense of irony. The situations start out one way and then take a completely unexpected turn, which is really funny. He also has a knack for creating vivid characters with their own quirks. These characters get into all sorts of comical predicaments that keep the reader entertained.

His stories often have a touch of humor. In 'The Ransom of Red Chief', the whole situation of the kidnappers being tormented by the kidnapped boy is very comical. He uses this humor to show the irony of certain situations in life.

One characteristic is the surprise endings. O Henry often tricks the reader with unexpected twists at the end of his stories. For example, in 'The Gift of the Magi', the couple sacrifices their most precious possessions only to find out their gifts for each other are now ironically related to what they've given up.

Some of the best O. Henry short stories include 'The Gift of the Magi'. In this story, a young couple is very poor but they both sacrifice their most precious possessions to buy a gift for the other. The wife cuts her long, beautiful hair to buy a chain for her husband's watch, while the husband sells his watch to buy combs for his wife's hair. It's a heart - warming story about love and sacrifice.

Well, 'The Ransom of Red Chief' and 'A Retrieved Reformation' are also among O. Henry's top short stories. They showcase his unique storytelling style and clever twists.

One characteristic is their concise yet vivid storytelling. O. Henry can create a complete and engaging story in just a few pages. His use of language is simple but effective. The settings in his very short stories are often urban, showing the life in cities at his time. Another aspect is the moral or message in his stories. They usually make the reader think about human nature, values, and society, even though they are short and easy to read.

O Henry's stories often have unexpected endings. For example, in 'The Gift of the Magi', the couple sacrifices their most precious possessions only to find out the gifts they got for each other are now useless in a practical sense but extremely meaningful in terms of love. His stories also typically feature ordinary people in common situations, like clerks, shopkeepers, etc. And he uses vivid language to describe the settings and characters, making the stories very engaging.