Chapter 5胡荫桐 美国文学选读概要1.ppt

3). The following years Samuel sought emancipation, as he discarded his old job in favor of sporadic employment in various cities along the East Coast. However, Samuel would not remain on land for long, due to his apprenticeship as a steamboat pilot. His roaming tendencies were indulged in this new career. It is from this work that he got the idea of his pen name. The advent of the Civil War ended riverboat travel on the Mississippi. 4). In 1863 Samuel assumed the pseudonym Mark Twain, a Mississippi phrase which meant two fathoms deep. He was able to obtain employment as a journalist in San Francisco. Twain‘s literary success culminated in 1865, when the New York Saturday Press published “The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County.” (《卡拉维拉县驰名的跳蛙》) 5). In 1867, Twain took his lectures across the Atlantic Ocean, and his visits to France, Italy, and the Holy Land would provide him with ample opportunity to satirize European culture. His visits were translated into travel letters, which would contribute to the format of The Innocents Abroad (《傻子出国记》)in 1869 6). Twain was prolific during the years extending from 1869 until 1889. It was during this period of time that he produced such classics as, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (《汤姆·索亚历险记》), A Tramp Abroad (《浪迹海外》), Life on the Mississippi (《密西西比河上的生活》), The Prince and the Pauper (《王子与贫儿》)and the pivotal The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (《哈克贝利·费恩历险记》), which was published in 1884. 7). Twain died in 1910. 2. Comments on Mark Twain 1). One of America’s first and foremost realists and humorists 2). As a Realist, he was strongly attracted to the mundane elements of American life. His portrayal of the commonplace was both vivid and detailed, and it is often the characters, as opposed to the plot, which capture the reader. 3). Much of his material was based on personal experiences. 3. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn 1). Plot 2). Themes Race Is Twain anti-racist? Does he truly believe that black people a