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1OntheThemesofMarkTwain’sIsHeLivingorisHeDead?Abstract:OneofMarkTwain’smostfamousshortstoriesIsHeStillLivingorIsHeDeadcontainsmanythemes:suchasthecoldnessandostentatiousness,sacrificeandcompensatory,andtheimportanceofmedia.Thewholestorydevelopsaroundthesethemes,whicharethecluesoftheshortstory,showingmarktwain’swritingstyle:humorousandsatirical.Keywords:themes，satirical,survivingbydying;1.IntroductionIshelivingorishedeadisanimportantshortstorywrittenbyAmericanwriterMarkTwain.Thestoryisshortbutpithy,humorous,andsatirical.Eventhoughitwaswrittenmorethan100yearsago,duringtheonehundredyears,fewpeoplehavestudiesitinthefieldofliterature.Onescholarhasanalyzedmiller’slife,andhethinkMillet’sfameismainlymadebymedium.”pretendingdead”bringshimworldreputation,butthedeadmillercannotenjoythefameopenandaboveboard,instead,helivesalonelylife.Thepaperwilltrytoexpoundthisworkthroughthethreethemes.2.Discussionthethemesinthisstory2.1ThecoldnessandostentatiousnessoftherichMarkTwainsatirizespeopleinhighclassandtherichinmostofhisworks.Andthisthemehasalsobeenexpressedinhisishelivingorishedead.Atthebeginningofthestory,thewritertellsussomethinghehasexperiencedin2theRiviera.’’Atthisretiredspotonehasalltheadvantages,privately,whicharetobehadpubliclyatMonteCarloandNice,afewmilesfartheralong.Thatistosay,onehasthefloodingsunshine,thebalmyairandthebrilliantbluesea,withoutthemarringadditionsofhumanpow-wowandfussandfeathersanddisplay.Mentoneisquiet,simple,restful,andunpretentious;therichandthegaudydonotcomethere.”Obviously,bythesedescription,wecanknowthatthewriterstandagainsttheostentatiousbourgeoisie.Helooksdownupontheirvainglorylifestyle,fromthesesentencesandvocabulary,MarkTwainshowshissatiricalandridiculeattitudetotheostentatiousrich.Intheninthparagraph,bythemouthofSmith,thewriterintroducesusaphilosophicstory,whichiswrittenbyHansAndersen.Itisabeautifullittlestory.Achildhasacagedbird,whichitlovesbutthoughtlesslyneglects.Thebirdpoursoutitssongunheardandunheeded;but,intime,hungerandthirstassailthecreature,anditssonggrowsplaintiveandfeebleandfinallyceases—thebirddies.Thechildcomes,andissmittentotheheartwithremorse:then,withbittertearsandlamentations,itcallsitsmates,andtheyburythebirdwithelaboratepompandthetenderestgrief.Thechildrendon’tknowthatthemoneytheypayforthefuneralcouldhavekeptthebirdaliveandmadeiteasyandcomfortable.Manypoetsandartistsarelikethecagedbird,theystruggletolivewhentheyarealive,andhardlycantheykeeptheirbodyandsoultogether,andusually,mostofthemwilldieinpovertyandobscurity.However,aftertheirdeath,fameandfortunewhichtheydeservewillarrive,buttherewardwillbeputintoothers’pockets.Now,letuscometothefouryoungpainters,fromtheirexperience,wecanseethecoldnessoftherich.InIsHeLiving,orIsHeDead,FrancoisMillet,apoorandyoungartist,isacaseinpoint.HeandhisfellowspaintedstacksandstacksofasgoodpicturesasanybodyinEuropepaints,buttheycouldnotsellanyofit.Milletonceaskedeightfrancsforhis“Angelus”,butnobodywouldliketopaytheprice.Theycouldhardlymakealiving.ItseemedobviousthatMilletandhisfellowpainterswouldfollowthefootprintsofmanyotherartists—dieinpovertyandobscurity.Fortunately,oneofthefellows,Carl,cameupwithagoodidea.Hisprojectwas3this:theymustcastlots—oneofthemmustdietosaveothersandhimself.ThepersonchosenwasMillet.Inthenextthreemonths,heshouldpaintwithallhismight—notpictures,butskeletonsketches,studies,partsofstudies,fragmentsofstudies,adozendabsofthebrushoneach……Becausethesethingswouldbecollectedatfabulouspricesfortheworld’smuseumsafterthegreatmanisgone.AndhisfriendswouldbebusysupportingthemoribundandworkingParisandthedealers—preparationsforthecomingevent.Wheneverythingishotandjustright,theywouldspringthedeathontheworldandhavethenotoriousfuneral.Butofcourse,Milletwouldnotreallydie;hejustchangedhisnameandvanished.Thisplanworked.Theyhadsoldeighty-fivesmallpicturesandstudiesforsixty-ninethousandfrancs.NobodywouldliketopayeightfrancsforMillet’s“Angelus”before,butCarlsolditfortwenty-twohundredfrancs.Atlast,Milletwas“dead”.Therewasagreatfuneralforhim.Itstirredallovertheglobeandpeoplefromallovertheworldcametoattenditandtestifytheirsorrow.Finally,FrancoisMilletwasnotstarvedtodeathinpovertyandabsurdity,hechangedhisnameandvanished.Attheendofthestory,wegottoknowhisidentitynowisarichsilkmanufacturerinLyon.2.2sacrificeandcompensatoryinlifeSacrificeandcompensatory,thisthemeoftenappearsinbibleandGreekstories,inishelivingorishedead,thewriterusethisthemeagain.MarkTwain,bydescribingthedepravityofhumannature—thesocialmoodcrazilyseekingformoneyandneglectingthetruevalueofaartistandhiswoks,representsthetragicnatureintheformofahumorousfarceaswellastheimplieddeceptionreflectedbyhumorouscomicplot,revealingthetragicconnotationinIsHeLiving,thecorruptionofpeople’saestheticvalue.Millet,thegeniuspainterwasnotstarvedtodie.Hesavedhimselfandhisfriendbypretendingtodieandallofthemgotrich.Buthewasnothappy;hehadtochangehisnameandvanished,andturnedouttobeasadanddreamysilkmanufacturerForageniuspainter,togiveuppaintingequalstogiveupliving.4AccordingtoNorthropFrye,aformofcomedyisoneinwhich