U9 Mark Twain-Mirror of America 马克吐温 美国的一面镜子

AdvancedEnglishBookIUnitNineMarkTwain---MirrorofAmericaNoelGroveLessonNineMarkTwain—MirrorofAmericaI.TeachingObjectives•GettoknowMarkTwain’slifeexperienceandhisremarkableworks•Identifyandappreciaterhetoricdevicesaptlyemployedinthetext•Learntowritetheelliptical,short,loosesentencesandthecompound-complexsentencestoachievecertaineffectToacquaintstudentswiththewritingofbiography.II.TeachingTasks1.Pre-readingquestions2.Backgroundknowledge3.Typeofliterature4.Macro-structureofthetext5.DetailedStudyofthetext6.Rhetoricdevices7.Follow-updiscussion8.ExerciseandHomeworkMarkTwain:SamuelLanghorneClemens(1835--1910).twofathomsdeep.HisLifeTrampprinterRiverpilotGuerrillaProspectorReporterCorrespondentWriter1.Pre-readingquestions•Howdoyouunderstandthetitle?MarkTwain---MirrorofAmericaMirrorofAmerica“Mirror”----Isapieceofglassorothershinny/polishedsurfacethatreflectsimages.Here,itisametaphor.Itmeansafaithfulrepresentationordescriptionofsomething(thecountry).•WhydoestheauthorsaythatMarkTwainisthemirrorofAmerica?MarkTwain:SamuelLanghorneClemens(1835--1910).twofathomsdeep.HisLife______HistoricEventsofUSATrampprinter--ProsperousRiverpilot--MississippiRiverTranscontinentalRailroadsGuerrilla--TheCivilWarProspector--GoldRushReporter--WestwardExpansionCorrespondent--Europe,theHolyLandWriter--TomSawyer’sinnocenceHuckFinn’sexperienceTheassertionthatMarkTwainisthemirrorofAmericaismadeintwosenses.★★MarkTwain’sexciting,adventuresomelifestoriesthemselvesmirrorapartoftrueAmericanhistory,andthelifeofordinaryAmericanpeople.★★Second,hislifeexperiencefurnishedhimwithawideknowledgeofhumanity,aswellaswiththeperfectgraspoflocalcustomsandspeech,whichMarkTwainhasmanifestedsowellinhiswriting.Hisworksmirrortherealsocietyofhistime.•MarkTwainisapartofAmerica.HispersonalsuccessandfailurewerethoseofAmerica.•Asaman,hegrewupwithAmericaasacountry(ayoungcountry)•Asawriter,hegrewupwith•America,movedalongwith•America,frominnocenceto•experience.TomSawyer•TheAdventuresofTomSawyer(1876)•ThenovelrepresentsTwain'sfirstmajoruseofmemoriesofhischildhood.TwainmodeledSt.Petersburg--thehomeofanimaginativeboynamedTomSawyer,hisfriendHuckFinn,andtheevilInjunJoe--afterhishometownofHannibal.LifeontheMississippi(1883)•LifeontheMississippi(1883)describesthehistory,sights,people,andlegendsofthesteamboatsandtownsoftheMississippiRiverregion.Inthemostvividpassages,chapters4through17,Twainrecalledhisownpilotingdays.ThesechaptershadoriginallybeenpublishedintheAtlanticMonthlyin1875asOldTimesontheMississippi.AdventuresofHuckleberryFinnAdventuresofHuckleberryFinn•AdventuresofHuckleberryFinn,generallyconsideredTwain'sgreatestwork,waspublishedinGreatBritainin1884andintheUnitedStatesin1885.Twainhadbegunthebookin1876asasequeltoTomSawyer.Itdescribestheadventuresoftworunaways--theboyHuckFinnandtheblackslaveJim--andistoldfromthepointofviewofHuckhimself.Twainusedrealisticlanguageinthenovel,makingHuck'sspeechsoundlikeactualconversationandimitatingavarietyofdialectstobringtheothercharacterstolife.TomSawyeralsoreappearsincertainchapters,andhisantics(mischievousbehavior)providethefamiliarhumorforwhichTwainwasknown.•Contribution•OneofhisgreatestaccomplishmentswasthedevelopmentofawritingstylethatwasdistinctlyAmerican,ratherthananimitationofthestyleofEnglishwriters.•TwainmadeamoreextensivecombinationofAmericanfolkhumorandseriousliteraturethanpreviouswritershaddone.•(localcolorism,adominantfashionfrom1860s’—1900s’)Thelooserhythmsofthelanguageinhisbooksgivetheimpressionofrealspeech.•Twain'srealisticprosestylehasinfluencednumerousAmericanwriters..AllmodernAmericanliteraturecomesfromonebookbyMarkTwaincalledHuckleberryFinn....Therewasnothingbefore.Therehasbeennothingasgoodsince.----ErnestHemingwayPartOneMarkTwainDeath•MarkTwaindiedonApril21,1910inRedding,Connecticutofanginapectoris.UponhearingofTwain'sdeath,PresidentTaftsaid,MarkTwaingavepleasure--realintellectualenjoyment--tomillions,andhisworkswillcontinuetogivesuchpleasuretomillionsyettocome...HishumorwasAmerican,buthewasnearlyasmuchappreciatedbyEnglishmenandpeopleofothercountriesasbyhisowncountrymen.HehasmadeanenduringpartofAmericanliterature.•TheholypassionofFriendshipisofsosweetandsteadyandloyalandenduringanaturethatitwilllastthroughawholelifetime,ifnotaskedtolendmoney.“•Itisnobletobegood;itisstillnoblertoteachotherstobegood--andlesstrouble.•Becarefulaboutreadinghealthbooks.Youmaydieofamisprint.•GodKnowsWhereOnenightagroupofMarkTwain'sfriendsinNewYork,havingrecognizedthedateasthatofhisbirth,decidedtosendhimasuitablegreeting.Unfortunately,theglobe-trottingtravelerwasawayandnooneknewwherehemightbereached.Aftersomedeliberation,aletterwassimplysentoffwiththeaddress:MarkTwain,GodKnowsWhere.SeveralweekslateraletterarrivedfromTwain:Hedid.•MarkTwain'scigarsmokingwasaconstantsourceof•irritationtohiswife,Oliviaandtomanyofhisfriends.•ThenovelistWilliamDeanHowellsoncerecalledthat•wheneverhehadbeenafewdayswithus,thewhole•househadtobeaired,forhesmokedalloveritfrom•breakfasttobedtime.Healwayswenttobedwitha•cigarinhismouth,andsometimes,mindfulofmyfire•in