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This paper explores the linguostylistic and pragmosemantic dimensions of food-related imagery in O. Henry’s short fiction, aiming to uncover the deeper narrative, emotional, and stylistic roles played by culinary motifs. Rather than treating gastronomic references as incidental or merely decorative, the study argues that they are embedded within the very structure of O. Henry’s storytelling, functioning as integral components of character development, thematic construction, and communicative intent.
The originality of the article lies in its interdisciplinary methodological framework, which integrates tools of stylistic analysis—such as narrative perspective, metaphorical structures, and rhythmic texture—with pragmosemantic inquiry into how food serves as a vehicle for social meaning and interpersonal exchange. While O. Henry’s use of irony, sentiment, and urban realism has been widely acknowledged, the present study brings a new focus by examining how alimentary language operates both as a stylistic marker and as a pragmatic medium for signaling identity, emotion, and relational dynamics within the fabric of city life.
Through detailed textual analysis of the selected stories the article demonstrates that culinary references in O. Henry’s prose function as points of narrative synthesis, where humor, emotional undercurrents, and social observation converge. Food is shown not only as a metaphor and stylistic embellishment but also as a performative utterance and a symbolic currency, reflecting tensions between solitude and intimacy, deprivation and generosity, performance and sincerity. The study concludes that O. Henry’s gastronomic imagery is not peripheral but foundational to both his literary style and his humane vision of everyday urban existence.
Keywords:stylistics, pragmosemantics, imagery, sociocultural analysis, O. Henry.
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