Mark Twain
(1835-1910)
• His real name was Samuel Langhorne Clemens. • an American author and humorist • a journalist who satirized the hypocrisy of man and society
Comments on Mark Twain
Mark Twain enjoyed immense public popularity. His keen wit and incisive satire earned him praise from both critics and peers. William Faulkner called Twain "the father of American literature". He was the first real American writer, and he was called “Lincoln of the literature”.
On February 2, 1870, Twain married Olivia Langdon, the only daughter of a wealthy New York businessman. .
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By 1900 Twain had become America’s foremost celebrity. He was invited to attend anniversary gatherings, political conventions, and countless dinners. Reporters met him at every port of call, anxious to print a new quip from the famous humorist.
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• Mark Twain died of illness on April 21, 1910. When he passed away, newspapers around the country declared, “The whole world is mourning.”
Writing Characteristics of Mark Twain
• Humor • Satire.
• Colloquial idioms and syntax.
Writing Characteristics of Mark Twain
• Mark Twain was a writer who had the characteristics of United States. Twain is a true American writer born and grown in the United States. He has his own ideas, created through his eyes and unique language. He has no shadow of Europe and Feudal culture at all. He is a local, western writers of the Americas. • Mark Twain succeed of his language skills. He just a primary and learned words form the common person. He created a new style of American literature language based on the popular language, opened a new generation of American literature.
“Mark twain” was a call used by sailors.
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• In 1863,he worked at a Virginia City newspaper. Here he first used his pen name. • In 1864,Twain moved to San Francisco, still as a journalist. • His first success as a writer came when his humorous tall tale, "The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County," was published in 1865. It brought him national attention.
T w a in ’s g re a te s t fa m e a n d h is im p o rta n c e in A m e ric a n lite ra tu re re s t la rg e ly o n h is tw o b e s t k n o w n n o v e ls ,
T he A dve nture s of T om S a w ye r 《汤姆· 索亚历险记 》
T he A dve nture s of H uckle be rry F inn 《哈克费恩历险记 》
• • • •
Running for Governor《竞选州长》 The £ 1,000,00镀金时代》 The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County ( his first story) 《卡拉维拉斯县驰名的跳蛙》 • The innocent abroad《傻子出国记》 • • • • • • • • The Man That Corrupted Hadleyburg 《败坏了哈德莱堡的人》 Roughing It 《苦行记》 The Adventures of Tom Sawyer 《汤姆· 索亚历险记》 The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn 《哈克贝利· 费恩历险记》
the failure of his investments, his fatiguing travels and lectures in order to pay off his debts, the death of his wife and two daughters the darkening social life Some critics link these tragic events with the change of style in his later works, from an optimist and humorist to an almost despairing determinist.
During his seventeen years in Hartford (1874–1891) and over twenty summers at Quarry Farm, Twain wrote many of his classic novels： • The Prince and the Pauper (1881) 《王子与贫儿》 • Life on the Mississippi (1883) 《密西西比河上的生活》 • A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court (1889) 《误闯亚瑟王宫》
Mark Twain Questions
• 1. What does "Mark Twain" mean? 12 feet deep or 3.66 meters deep. • 2. How old was Twain when he began writing stories? 32 years old • 3. How do you know that he loved Mississippi River very much? Three of his most famous books describe people on this great river. His penname is about the river.
From 1857 to 1861,Twain worked as a riverboat pilot on the Mississippi River. This occupation gave him his pen name, Mark Twain.
On Mississippi riverboats, two fathoms, a depth indicating safe water for passage of boat, was measured on the sounding line.
Other works
马克· 吐温 四大名著
Writing Characteristics of Mark Twain
• • • • Early stage: Active & humor like a sharp weapon Mid-term: Satire（讽刺） Later period-Pessimistic & desperate He used a lot of colloquial idioms（俚语） and colloquial syntax（口语）and made his writing full of allegories（寓言） that lay behind the humor.
Writing Characteristics of Mark Twain
• Literature is an art of language. Mark Twain’s language is artistic and like a sharp weapon without doubt. Mark Twain is famous for his humor and satire. • Mark Twain’s humor is based on the humor of the Western in America. • He used a lot of colloquial idioms and colloquial syntax. • He often described persons who was innocent, simple, naive, and ignorant as his heroes or heroines. • He used the artistic style of hyperbole（夸张法）on the basis of the western traditional humor and made his writing full of allegories（寓意）that lay behind the humor.