Mark-Twain---Mirror-of-America

lesson6MarkTwain---MirrorofAmericabyNoelGrovePre-readingQuestions1.WhatdoyouknowaboutMarkTwain?2.Howdoyouunderstandthetitle?Readingthetitle•MarkTwain---abiographicalreportofTwain’slifestory(subjectmatter)•TheMirrorofAmerica---inakindoffigurative,literaryandrhetoricallanguage(languagestyle)•TobeliteraryinlanguagecorrespondstoMarkTwainasagreatliteraryfigure(function)1.“Mirror”heremeansapersonwhogivesatruerepresentationordescriptionofthecountry.2.Generallyspeaking,allliterarygiantsinhumanhistoryarealsogreathistorians,thinkersandphilosophers.Theirworksoftenrevealmoretruththanmanypoliticalessays.3.MarkTwainwasoneofthesegiants,andhislifeandworksareamirrorofAmericaofhistime.MirrorQuestion•Who—(literarygiant)doyouthinkisamirrorofChinaathistime?Objectives•GettoknowMarkTwain’slifeexperienceandhisremarkableworks•Identifyandappreciaterhetoricdevicesaptlyemployedinthetext•Learntowritetheelliptical,short,loosesentencesandthecompound-complexsentencestoachievecertaineffect•LearnthewritingskillofdirectquotationsMarkTwainMarkTwain[pseudonymofSamuelLanghorneClemens](1835-1910),quintessentialAmericanhumorist,novelist,lecturer,essayist,socialcritic,satirist,andwriterwhodefinedAmericanliterature.MarkTwain--OneofAmerica'sBestKnownandBestLovedWriters•America’smostfamoushumoristandtheauthorofpopularandoutstandingautobiographicalworks,travelbooksandnovels.•Thefirst36yearsofClemes'lifeasaboyinalittletowninMissouri,asasteamboatpilotontheMississippi,asareporteronfarwesternfrontierandasatravelerabroadsuppliedhimwithcopiousmaterialwhichheusedlaterforhisbestandmostsuccessfulwritings.Professions•Besideshisworkasanovelist,speechwriter,essayistandshortstorywriter,MarkTwainwasajourneymanprinter,steamboatpilot,armyvolunteer,goldprospector,andjournalist.•pilot:asteersman,apersonlicensedtodirectorsteershipsintooroutofaharbourorthroughdifficultwaters•prospector:onewhoexploresandsearchesforvaluableoressuchasgold,silver,oil,etcBirthMarkTwain,SamuelLanghorneClemens,wasbornonNovember30,1835inFlorida,Missouri.HewasthesixthofsevenchildrenofJohnandJaneLamptonClemens.Onlythreeofhissiblingssurvivedchildhood.BoyhoodWhenTwainwasfour,hisfamilymovedtoHannibal,aporttownontheMississippiRiverthatwouldserveastheinspirationforthefictionaltownofSt.PetersburginTheAdventuresofTomSawyerandAdventuresofHuckleberryFinn.Atthattime,MissouriwasaslavestateintheUnion,andyoungTwainbecamefamiliarwiththeinstitutionofslavery,athemehelaterexploredinhiswriting.•AsFather’sbusinessfailed,thefamilyhadtomovetoHannibalwhenSamuelwas4,wherehespenthisboyhood,enchantedbytheromanceandawedbytheviolenceofriverlife–thesteamboats,keelboats,andgiantlumberraftsandalsothehumanflotsam(无业游民）washedupbytheriver,professionalgamblersandhustlers(骗子)—peoplequickwithfist,knifeorgun.•Nevertheless,Hannibalwasanidealplaceforaboytogrowup.•Nearby,Holliday’sHillwasjustrightforPicnicsorplayingpirateofRobinHood,andthecavenearitssummittemptedexploration.Glasscocks’Island,justalongswimaway,invitedtruantdaysoffishingorsimplywatchingtheriverperhapswithTomBlankenship,thevillagedrunkard’sson,whowastobeimmortalizedyearslaterasHuckFinn.Earlylife•Samhadrelativelylittleschooling.Afterhisfather’sdeath,hehadtohelpthefamilybytakingupoddjobs(asadeliveryboy,groceryclerkandblacksmith’shelper,etc.)duringsummersorafterschool.Heleftschoolat13,andbecameafull-timeapprenticetoaprinter.Aprinter'sapprentice.At18,hebecameatrampprinter,andwenttoNewYork,thentoPhiladelphiaandWashington,andfinallytoIowatosettypeforhisbrother’slocalpaper.Bythenhehadtriedhishandatwritingjuvenileburlesque(滑稽讽刺作品).YoungjournalistWhileworkingasaprinter,hebegantoeducatehimselfinpubliclibrariesintheevenings,findingwidersourcesofinformationthanhewouldhaveataconventionalschool.In1851（age17）,hebeganworkingasacontributorofarticlesandhumoroussketchesfortheHannibalJournal,anewspaperownedbyhisbrother,Orion.ExperiencesontheMississippiRiver•At22,hesetoutagain,withtheintentionofseekinghisfortuneinSouthAmerica,alongtheAmazon.•ButonhiswaydowntheMississippitowardNewOrleans,heranoutoffundsandpersuadedbyasteamboatpilottobecomehisapprentice.•Abouttwoyearslater,hewaslicensedasapilotonhisownright.Hefoundhislifeduringthisperiodbothinstructiveandinteresting.Asteamboatpilotitwasarichlyrewardingoccupation.HeworkedontheriverandservedasariverpilotuntiltheAmericanCivilWarbrokeoutin1861andtrafficalongtheMississippiwascurtailed(减少，削减).ConfederateguerrillaWhenthewarbegan,TwainandhisfriendsformedaConfederatemilitia(depictedinan1885shortstory,ThePrivateHistoryofaCampaignThatFailed),whichdrilledforonlytwoweeksbeforedisbanding.Afterquitting,Twainjoinedhisbrother,Orion,whohadbeenappointedsecretarytotheterritorialgovernorofNevada,andheadedwest.Journeywest•ThewestwasstillanexcitingnewfrontierandtherewererumorsaboutfortunestobemadeinNevadaandCalifornia.•TwainandhisbrothertraveledformorethantwoweeksonastagecoachacrosstheGreatPlainsandtheRockyMountains,visitingtheMormoncommunityinSaltLakeCityalongtheway.TheseexperiencesbecamethebasisofthebookRoughingIt,andprovidedmaterialforTheCelebratedJumpingFrogofCala