MarkTwain------MirrorofAmericaMirrorofAmericaMirrorheremeansapersonwhogivesatruerepresentationordescriptionofthecountry.MarkTwainwasoneofliterarygiantsinhumanhistorywhoseworksoftenrevealmoretruththanmanypoliticalessaysandthereforehislifeandworksareamirrorofAmerica.I.MarkTwain’sLifeCareerMarkTwainwasthepennameofSamuelLanghorneClemens(1835-1910).HewasAmerica’smostfamoushumoristandtheauthorofpopularandoutstandingautobiographicalworks,travelbooksandnovels.A.BoyhoodHewasborninthesmallvillageofFlorida,MissourionNov.30,1835.AsFather’sbusinessfailed,thefamilyhadtomovetoHannibalwhenSamuelwas4,wherehespenthisboyhood,enchantedbytheromanceandawedbytheviolenceofriverlifeandalsothehumanflotsamwashedupbytheriver.B.EarlylifeSamhadrelativelylittleschooling.Afterhisfather’sdeath,hehadtohelpthefamilybytakingupoddjobs.Heleftschoolat13andbecameafull-timeapprenticetoaprinter.At18,hebecameatrampprinter.C.ExperiencesontheMississippiRiverOnhiswaydowntheMississippi,heranoutoffundsandwaspersuadedbyasteamboatpilottobecomehisapprentice.Hefoundhislifeduringthisperiodbothinstructiveandinteresting.Laterhewastosay,”Igotpersonallyandfamiliarlyacquaintedwithaboutallthedifferenttypesofhumannature……”D.JourneyWestandthebirthof“MarkTwain”TherewererumorsaboutfortunestobemadeinNevadaandCalifornia.Hetriedprospecting,mining,speculating,butfailed.ItwasinVirginiaCityonFebruary3,1863,that“MarkTwain”wasbornwhenClemens,then27,signedahumoroustravelaccountwiththatpseudonym.In1865,TheCelebratedJumpingFrogofCalaverasCountywaspublishedandbecameanimmediatesuccess.E.CareerasajournalistHetookthetriptoHonoluluasacorrespondentin1866.In1869,histravelsketcheswerepublishedunderthetitleTheInnocentsAbroad.F.HismostproductiveyearsHemarriedin1870,andmovedtoHartford,Conn.,wherehelivedhismostproductiveyears(till1891).Themovewasaturningpointinhislife.TomSawyerwaswrittenin1876;HuckleberryFinnin1884.G.FinancialdifficultiesandpersonalmisfortunesHeinvestedlargelyonhisownprintingshopandbecamebankrupt.Heavilyindebt,hemadealecturingtourabroadandsucceededinpayingallhisdebts,butruinedhisownhealth.Inthisperiodoccurredthedeathsofhisson,daughtersandwife.H.LastyearsHedictatedhisautobiography.Hediedin1910.SomeofhisothermajorworksareThePrinceandthePauperandThe1,000,000Bank-Note.II.RelevantLiteraryBackgroundMaterialLocalColorism•Thevogueoflocalcolorfictionwasthelogicalculminationofalong,progressivedevelopment.Itwastheoutgrowthofhistoricalandaestheticforcesthathadbeengatheringenergysinceearlynineteenthcentury.•LocalColorismreferstotheelementswhichcharacterizealocalculture,elementssuchasspeech,customsandmorespeculiartooneparticularplace.•Itcoversphysicalsettingandthosedistinctivequalitiesoflandscapewhichconditionhumanthoughtandbehavior.MarkTwain•Localcoloristsconcernedthemselveswithpresentingandinterpretingthelocalcharacteroftheirregions.•MarkTwainwasatypicaloneofthem.•Hedealtlargelywiththelowerstrataofsociety.•Hepreferredtorepresentsociallifethroughportraitsoflocalplaceswhichheknewbest.•Byquotingfromhisownexperience,MarkTwainmanagedtotransformintoartthefreedomandhumor,inshort,thefinestelementsofwesternculture.OneofMarkTwain’ssignificantcontributiontoAmericanliteratureliesinthefactthathemadecolloquialspeechanaccepted,respectableliterarymediumintheliteraryhistoryofthecountry.MarkTwainlovedlifeandpeopleandfreedomandjustice,feltaprideinhumandignityandadvocatedbrotherhoodofman.Hehatedtyrannyandiniquity,despisedmeannessandcruelty,andtookhisroleasasocialcriticinaseriousandreasonablemanner.•MarkTwainwasafriendoftheChinese.HewasnotindifferenteithertotheChineseimmigrantspersecutedinAmericaortoaChinasufferingintenseagoniesofhumiliationanddismembermentbyimperialistpowers.•MarkTwainshouldberememberedbothasagreatliteraryartistandagreatsocialcriticinthehistoryoftheUnitedStates.III.QuestionsonContentGivebriefanswerstothefollowingquestions.1.WhyisMarkTwainoneofAmerica’sbest-lovedauthors?2.GiveabriefaccountofMarkTwain’sexperiencebeforehebecameawriter.3.Whydidtheauthoradopt‘MarkTwain’ashispenname?Howlongdidhestaythere?Whatdidhelearnthere?Whateffectdidhisexperiencehaveonhiswriting?4.WhendidMarkTwainbecomeapilotonasteamboat?5.WhydidMarkTwainleavetherivercountry?Whatdidhedothen?6.Whatstorydidhewritethatmadehimknownasthe“thewildhumoristofthePacificslope”?7.Whydidthebook,theInnocentsAbroad,becomeaninstantbest-seller?8.WhyisTomSawyerassuretobestudiedinAmericanschoolstodayasistheDeclarationofIndependence?9.WhydidTwainbecomebitterlateinlife?IV.FiguresofSpeechMarkTwainusedagreatnumberoffiguresofspeechtomakehiswritingmorevivid,powerfulandpersuasive.A.Antithesisa.FromthemallMarkTwaingainedakeenperceptionofthehumanrace,ofthedifferencebetweenwhatpeopleclaimtobeandwhattheyreallyare.b.AworldwhichwilllamentthemadayandforgetthemforeverB.Euphemisma.HetriedsolderingfortwoweekswithamotleybandofConfederateguerrillaswhodiligentlyavoidedcontactwiththeenemy.b.Hecommentedwithacrushingsenseofdespaironman’sfinalreleasefromearthlystrugglesC.Alliterationa.“Itwasasplendidpopulation---foralltheslow,sleepy,sluggish-braineds