1. 《高级英语》 精品课程 第一册 绍兴文理学院元培学院

2. Lesson Six Lesson Six Mark Twain — Mirror of America Mark Twain — Mirror of America

3. Teaching Objectives 1)To acquaint students with the major events in the history of USA. 2)To acquaint students with the life and writing of Mark Twain. 3)To acquaint students with biographic writing. 4)To help students to appreciate the rich rhetorical devices in the text

4. Questions to consider for pre-reading. Why does the author say that Mark Twain is the mirror of America?

5. The assertion that Mark Twain is the mirror of America is made in two senses. First, Mark Twain’s exciting, adventuresome life stories themselves mirror a part of true American history, and the life of ordinary American people. Second, his life experience furnished him with a wide knowledge of humanity, as well as with the perfect grasp of local customs and speech, which Mark Twain has manifested so well in his writing. His works mirror the real society of his time. Mark Twain is a part of America. As a man, he grew up with America as a country (a young country) As a writer, he grew up with America, moved along with America, from innocence to experience.

6. Mark Twain: Samuel Langhorne Clemens (1835- -1910). two fathoms deep. His Life ______ Historic Events of USA  Tramp printer  River pilot -- Prosperous Mississippi River Transcontinental Railroads  Guerrilla -- The Civil War  Prospector -- Gold Rush  Reporter -- Westward Expansion  Correspondent -- Europe, the Holy Land  Writer -- Tom Sawyer’s innocence Huck Finn’s experience

7. Mark Twain —Mirror of America Part III (Para.20-22): It devotes to his personal tragedy. Part II(Para2-19): It provides details about his life, his success and comments on his works. Part I (Para.1): It serves as an introduction to the whole text.

8. P art One Question: How was Mark Twain introduced? -- his outstanding achievements as a writer who created two immortal characters -- his multi-sided personality: adventurous, patriotic, romantic, humorist, cynical, bitter, sad.

9. . Most Americans remember Mark Twain as the father of Huck Finn's idyllic cruise through eternal boyhood and Tom Sawyer's endless summer of freedom and adventure. In-deed, this nation's best-loved author was every bit as adventurous, patriotic, romantic, and humorous as anyone has ever imagined. I found another Twain as well – one who grew cynical, bitter, saddened by the profound personal tragedies life dealt him, a man who became obsessed with the frailties of the human race, who saw clearly ahead a black wall of night.

10. . All modern American literature comes from one book by Mark Twain called Huckleberry Finn.... There was nothing before. There has been nothing as good since. ----Ernest Hemingway One of his greatest accomplishments was the development of a writing style that was distinctly American, rather than an imitation of the style of English writers. Twain made a more extensive combination of American folk humor and serious literature than previous writers had done. (local colorism, a dominant fashion from 1860s’—1900s’) The loose rhythms of the language in his books give the impression of real speech. Twain's realistic prose style has influenced numerous American writers.

11. . Words and Expressions remember…as … 鲁迅创造了阿 Q, 这是大多数的中国人所熟知的. Most Chinese people remember Lu Xun as the father of Ah Qu. (every bit ) as… as anyone has ever imagined 她的美丽无与伦比. She is as beautiful as any one has ever imagined. I am every bit as sorry about it as you are 鲁迅, 这位最受中国人民喜爱的作家之一, 他的爱国热情、尖刻而幽 默的笔调都达到了登峰造极的地步。 Lu Xun, one of best-loved authors in China, was every bit as patriotic, acid-tongued and humorous as anyone has ever imagined.

12. cynical, a cynic—denying the sincerity of people’s motives and actions; seeing no goodness in human behavior. having little faith in human sincerity or goodness. a cynical man / a cynical attitude / a cynical smile With that cynical outlook he doesn’t trust anyone. profound to emphasize that sth. is very great and intense His love/feeling for his country was profound. profound anger/ shock/ disagreement. a profound idea, work, person---shows great intellectual depth and understanding. This book is full of profound insights 深邃的见解. cynical; profound, cynical; profound,

13. deal, obsess with, frailties deal sb. a blow… to cause sb. great difficulties He dealt me a hard blow on the chin The news dealt me a severe blow obsess: v. To occupy the mind of excessively, keep thinking about sth and find it difficult to think about anything else. 使 着迷, 困扰 I must admit that diamonds obsess me. She stopped drinking and began obsessing about her weight He was obsessed with rock’n’roll 她晚年一直受到死亡恐惧的困扰。 The fear of death obsessed her throughout her old age frailty: a weakness of character or behavior. One of the frailties of human nature is laziness. Frailty, thy name is woman! (Hamlet)

14. Part Two Paragraphs 2-6 Cultural Background --the Mississippi River --Lynching --pioneering humanity --transcontinental railroads --the Civil War Recommended movies: Gone with Wind Great Debaters

15. Part II (Para.2-19) (Para. 14-19) An account of Mark Twain’s two great works (Para. 7-11)An account of Mark Twain’s life as a prospector, reporter, and story writer (Para 6): An account of Mark Twain’s life as a Confederate guerrilla An account of Mark Twain’s writing (Para.12-13): An account of Mark Twain’s writing career as a correspondent on a pleasure cruise to Europe and the Holy Land (Para. 3-5): An account of Mark Twain’s life on the Mississippi and its influence upon his writing ((Para.2): General introduction of Mark Twain’s life experiences.

16. (Para 2) General introduction of Mark Twain’s life experiences tramp printer, river pilot guerrilla prospector writer /lecturer starry-eyed optimist, acid-tongued cynic

17. Words and Expressions digest: vt Fish is easy to digest. Have you digested the report yet? All this upset me. I need some time to digest it all. It took her a while to digest the bad news. 过了一会儿她才接受了这个坏消息 Digest: n.a collection of pieces and writings Reader’s Digest ( 读者文摘 ) Some books are to be tasted, others to be swallowed, and some few to be chewed and digested. ( Francis Bacon) 书有可浅尝者，有可吞食者，少数则需咀嚼消化。

18. attest: v. –to. Be or give clear proof of sth. 他对危机的处理证明了他性格坚强。 His handling of the crisis attested (to) his strength of character. 她的迅速提升体现了她的杰出才干。 Her outstanding ability was attested by her rapid promotion. His beautifully painted pictures well attest his love of his hometown. score: twenty Four scores and seven years ago our forefathers…(87 years) scores of …: large number, more than dozens but smaller than hundreds dozen: twelve dozens of … A decade; decades of…

19. River Pilot – Life on the Mississippi River Pilot – Life on the Mississippi Hannibal When I was a little boy, there was but one permanent ambition among my comrades in our village on the west bank of the Mississippi river. That was, to be a steam- boatman. We had transient ambitions of other sorts, but they were only transient. When a circus came and went, it left us all burning to become clowns; now and then we had a hope that, if we lived and were good, God would permit us to be pirates. These ambitions faded out, each in its turn; but the ambition to be a steam- boatman always remained.” (p.21)

20. What was the importance of the River to Mark Twain’s writing? marked the real beginning of his education e.g pilothouse talks of feuds, piracies, lynchings, medicine shows, savage waterside slums acquainted him with every possible type of human nature, from whom he gained keen perception of the human race e.g. pioneers, hustlers, gamblers, thugs soaked up in the colorful language that he would record in his later writing

21. Words and Expressions drain: v. to receive the waters of this area and carry them to the ocean; or to carry away the surface water. 流过, 把 ( 水 ) 排掉, 消耗掉 ~ water from the pond They wanted to ~ the land The illness ~ed his strength The nation’s resources were ~ed by the war He ~ed his parents of every penny they had. Drainage system 排水系统 Drainage basin 流域

22. teem with ; resurface; soak up teem with: be full of, be swarming or crowded with 充满 The river teems with all kinds of fish in summer. The woodlands teemed with wild life. Hainan teems with tourists in winter. resurface: to become important and noticeable again These ideas resurfaced in the American civil rights movement. The disease was said to have resurfaced in three countries. soak up: to take in, to absorb He got out his handkerchief to soak up the blood. The reporter soaked up new information like a sponge. My clothes are soaking wet. Don’t stand in the rain. You will be soaked through.

23. cast of characters pilothouse talk of feuds, piracies, lynchings, medicine shows, savage waterside slums. The colorful language that he soaked up with a memory that seemed phonographic main current of pioneering humanity its flotsam of hustlers, gamblers, and thugs What people claim to be and what they really are. …railroads began to dry up the demand for steamboat pilots A motley band of guerillas dry up: (put) (come) to an end In hot weather, the lake/well/spring dries up. After his third novel, his imagination seemed to dry up. He spends easily as if his money never dries up. Let’s dry up these glasses and get down to work. Dry book/lecture/film/speech

24. Part Two Paragraphs 7-13 Background Information --The Gold Rush --Westward Expansion --the Old World, the New world --the Holy Land

25. The old world vs. the new world The Old World consists of those parts of Earth known as Europeans, Asians, and Africans before the voyages of Christopher Columbus; it includes Europe, Asia, and Africa (collectively known as Africa-Eurasia), plus surrounding islands. The term is in distinction from the New World, meaning the Americas.EarthEuropeansAsiansAfricansChristopher ColumbusEuropeAsiaAfricaAfrica-EurasiaNew Worldthe Americas Although the interiors of Asia and Africa were not well known to Europeans at the time, their existence was known, as were Japan and South Africa, which are also considered Old World. Oceania and Antarctica are neither definitely Old World nor New World, since the terms "Old World" and "New World" predate their discovery by Europeans.JapanSouth AfricaOceaniaAntarctica

26. Holy Land From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia The expression The Holy Land generally refers to the Land of Israel. It concerns the areas that hold significant religious importance to any or all three monotheistic Abrahamic traditions: Judaism, Christianity and Islam.Land of IsraelmonotheisticAbrahamic JudaismChristianityIslam 1) The core reason why Jews view the land as holy is due to the special status the Bible gives it with regard to Jewish religious observance, together with the fact that Jerusalem was the site of the Temple.BibleTemple 2) The Holy Land is significant in Christianity, mainly because it is the place of birth, Crucifixion and Resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth, the Saviour or Messiah to Christianity. (see 耶稣受难 记）ChristianityCrucifixionResurrectionJesus of NazarethSaviourMessiah 3) Sharing similar religious beliefs with Jews and Christians, Muslims consider the land west of (but not limited to) the Jordan River to be Sacred as mentioned in the Qur'an, (5:20-21).Qur'an

27. Paragraph 7 He went west by stagecoach and succumbed to the epidemic of gold and silver fever in Nevada’s Washoe region. For eight months he flirted with the colossal wealth available to the lucky and the persistent, and was rebuffed. Broke and discouraged, he accepted a job as reporter with the Virginia City Territorial Enterprise, to literature’s enduring gratitude.

28. Words and expressions Succumb to; flirt with; succumb to –gave way to, yielded to, submitted to… 屈服，屈从于，听从 The government succumbed to the pressure of the press. 政府已屈服于报界的压力。 Jiang Jie-shi succumbed to the pressure of the public and formed a united front with the Communist Party against the Japanese. flirt with…make love for amusement, without serious intention She flirts with every handsome man she meets. Don’t take her seriously, poor boy. She’s only flirting with you. ( fig) –pretend to be interested in, think about, but not seriously. He’s been flirting with the idea of going to New York. flirtatious girl

29. Rebuff: to reject bluntly; 回绝, 断然拒绝 She rebuffed all my offers of friendship. The attempt of friendship was rebuffed with a cold look. We tried to be friendly, but his rebuff made me think that he wanted to left alone. to literature’s enduring gratitude—an adverbial of result. To my surprise/ satisfaction`/ disappointment / delight / horror / astonishment / dismay/ amusement/ to my knowledge （据我所知）

30. Paragraph 8 From the discouragement of his mining failures, Mark Twain began digging his way to regional fame as a newspaper reporter and humorist. The instant riches of a mining strike would not be his in the reporting trade, but for making money, his pen would prove mightier than his pickax. In the spring of 1864, less than two years after joining the Territorial Enterprise, he boarded the stagecoach for San Francisco, then and now a hotbed of hopeful young writers.

31. His pen would prove mightier than his pickax. Metonymy: a figure of speech that consists in using the name of one thing for that of something else with which it is associated. Metaphor: a figure of speech containing an implied comparison, in which a word or phrase ordinarily and primarily used for one thing is applied to another. Identify: 1)Habit is a cable. 2)Beware of the bottle. 3)Some books are to be tasted. 4)Time is money. 5)Have you ever read Mark Twain? 6)The kettle is boiling (1.metonymy; 2. meto; 3. metaphor; 4. meta;5. meto; 5. meto;)

32. the crown---the king, Mississippi --the main artery of heart 独眼龙， 带帽子的, 向日葵，穿山甲， 大好河山, 马尾松， 带鱼，山腰. Synecdoche ( 提喻）－ a figure of speech in which a part is used for a whole, an individual for a class, a material for a thing, or the reverse of any of these. Identify metonymy and synecdoche in the following: 1)Let’s drink a cup or two. 2)They were short of hands. 3)The pen is mightier than the sword. 4)He could hardly earn his everyday bread. 5)Put down the steel. 6)We had dinner at ten dollars a head. 7)He is a brave heart. 8)I am a man who lets the head rule the heart. Standard: metonymy: 非隶属关系 ; synecdoche: 隶属关系 (1.meto; 2. syn; 3. meto; 4. syn; 5. syn; 6. syn; 7. syn; 8. meto)

33. Paragraph 9 … His descriptions of the rough-country settlers there ring familiarly in modern world accustomed to the trend-setting on the West Coast. “It was a splendid population – for all the slow, sleepy, sluggish-brained sloths stayed at home….It was that population that gave to California a name for getting up astounding enterprises and rushing them through with a magnificent dash and daring and a recklessness of cost and consequences, which she bears unto this day – and when she projects a new surprise the grave world smiles as usual, and says ‘Well, that is California all over’.

34. Words and Expressions take a distinctly an American book a new world vs. an old world In Henry James’ The Ambassador” Americans --- energy, vigor, innocence, roughness, dash and daring Europeans --- sophistication, refined, gracefulness hypocritical, arrogant A milestone, of sorts, in a country’s development glowing travelogue

35. The Last Supper (Italian: Il Cenacolo or L'Ultima Cena) is a 15th century mural painting in Milan, created by Leonardo da Vinci for his patron Duke Lodovico Sforza. It represents the scene of The Last Supper from the final days of Jesus as depicted in the Bible. The painting is based on the account, in John 13:21, of Jesus announcing that one of his twelve disciples would betray him. The painting is one of the most well known and valued in the world; unlike many other valuable paintings, however, it has never been privately owned because it cannot easily be moved.Italian muralpaintingMilanLeonardo da VinciDukeLodovico SforzaThe Last SupperJesusBibleJohndisciples

36. The Last Supper Leonardo Da Vinci, 1495–1498tempera on gesso, pitch and mastic460 × 880 cm, 181 × 346 inches Santa Maria delle Grazie (Milan)Leonardo Da Vinci14951498Santa Maria delle Grazie (Milan)

37. …The Last Supper is painted on the dilapidated wall of what was a little chapel attached to the main church in ancient times. I suppose. It is battered and scarred in every direction, and stained and discolored by time. I recognized the old picture in a moment…the picture from which all engravings and all copies have been made for three centuries. Perhaps no living man has even known an attempt to paint the Lord’s Supper differently. The world seems to have become settled in this belief, long ago, that it is not possible for human genius to outdo this creation of Da Vinci’s. I suppose painters will go on copying it as long as any of the original is left visible to the eye…” (From The Innocents Abroad: The Old Masters) Question: What did Mark Twain satirize?

38. It is a singular circumstance that right under the roof of this same church, and not far away from that illustrious column, Adam himself, the father of the human race, is buried. There is no question that he is actually buried in the grave which is pointed out as his – there can be none – because it has never yet been proven that that grave is not the grave in which he is buried. The tomb of Adam! How touching it was, here in a land of strangers, far away from home, and friends, and all who cared for me, thus to discover the grave of a blood relation …. The fountain of my filial affection was stirred to its profoundest depths, and I gave way to tumultuous emotion. I leaned upon a pillar and burst into tears. I deem it no shame to have wept over the grave of my relative. Let him who would sneer at my emotion close this volume here, for he will find little to his taste in my journeyings through Holy Land. Noble old man -- he did not live to see me -- he did not live to see his child. And I -- I -- alas, I did not live to see him. Weighed down by sorrow and disappointment, he died before I was born -- six thousand brief summers before I was born. But let us try to bear it with fortitude. Let us trust that he is better off where he is. Let us take comfort in the thought that his loss is our eternal gain. (from The Innocents Abroad: The Tomb of Adam)

39. An account of Mark Twain’s two great works The Adventures of Tom Sawyer – a classical tale of American boyhood The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn – a moving panorama for exploration of American society Part Two -- (Para 14-19)

40. Tom Sawyer When the novel begins, Tom is a mischievous child who envies Huck Finn’s lazy lifestyle and freedom. As Tom’s adventures proceed, however, critical moments show Tom moving away from his childhood concerns and making mature, responsible decisions. These moments include Tom’s testimony at Muff Potter’s trial, his saving of Becky from punishment, and his heroic navigation out of the cave. By the end of the novel, Tom is coaxing Huck into staying at the Widow Douglas’s, urging his friend to accept tight collars, Sunday school, and good table manners. He is no longer a disobedient character undermining the adult order, but a defender of respectability and responsibility. In the end, growing up for Tom means embracing social custom and sacrificing the freedoms of childhood. Yet Tom’s development isn’t totally coherent. Tom is a paradoxical figure in some respects— Sometimes Tom shows the naïveté of a smaller child, with his interest in make-believe and superstitions. On the other hand, Tom’s romantic interest in Becky and his fascination with Huck’s smoking and drinking seem more the concerns of an adolescent. Whether or not a single course of development characterizes Tom’s adventures, a single character trait—Tom’s unflagging energy and thirst for adventure—propels the novel from episode to episode. Disobedient though he may be, Tom ends up as St. Petersburg’s hero. As the town gossips say, “[Tom] would be President, yet, if he escaped hanging.”

41. Huckleberry Finn A character who exemplifies freedom within, and from, American society. Huck lives on the margins of society because, as the son of the town drunk, he is pretty much an orphan. He sleeps where he pleases, provided nobody chases him off, and he eats when he pleases, provided he can find a morsel. No one requires him to attend school or church, bathe, or dress respectably. Huck smokes and swears. Years of having to fend for himself have invested Huck with a solid common sense and a practical competence that complement Tom’s dreamy idealism and fantastical approach to reality. But Huck does have two things in common with Tom: a zest for adventure and a belief in superstition. Through Huck, Twain weighs the costs and benefits of living in a society against those of living independently of society. The adult society disapproves of Huck. After Huck saves the Widow Douglas and gets rich, the scale tips in the direction of living in society. But Huck, unlike Tom, isn’t convinced that the exchange of freedom for stability is worth it. He has little use for the money he has found and is quite devoted to his rough, independent lifestyle. When the novel ends, Huck, like Tom, is still a work in progress, and we aren’t sure whether the Widow Douglas’s attempts to civilize him will succeed.

42. Moon River Moon River, wider than a mile: I’m crossing you in style some day. Oh, dream maker, you heart breaker, Wherever you’re going I’m going your way, Two drifters, off to see the world. There’s such a lot of world to see. We’re after the same rainbow’s end, waiting round the bend. My huckleberry friend. Moon River and me.

43. Para 17-19 Nine years after Tom Sawyer swept the nation, Huck was given a life of his own, in a book often considered the best ever written about Americans. His raft flight down the Mississippi with the runaway slave presents a moving panorama for exploration of American society. On the river, and especially with Huck Finn, Twain found the ultimate expression of escape from the pace he lived by and often deplored, from life’s regularities and the energy-sapping clamor for success. Mark Twain suggested that an ingredient was missing in the American ambition when he said: “What a robust people, what a nation of thinkers we might be, if we would only lay ourselves on the shelves occasionally and renew our edges.” Question: What does each paragraph mean?

44. Words and Expressions deplore: feel or express strong disapproval of, condemn. We all deplore his lack of manners robust: vigorous, strong, stout, tough, forceful The football players have robust physique energy-sapping : energy weakening nerve-racking task time-consuming exercises clamor—a loud cry, uproar

45. An account of Mark Twain’s personal tragedy and conclusion Personal tragedies: deaths of his loved ones His pessimism in his later years: disillusion with the world and life itself Part Three Para (20--22)

46. From The Mysterious Stranger —published posthumously in 1916. It is true, that which I have revealed to you, there is no God, no universe, no human race, no earthly life, no heaven, no hell. It is all a dream – a grotesque and foolish dream. Nothing exists but you. And you are but a thought – a vagrant thought, a useless thought, a homeless thought, wandering forlorn among the empty eternities! Comment: It appears in the closing pages of the story. Mark Twain tries to solve his riddle of grief and self-reproach and clothe his soul in the invulnerable armour of desperation. Good and evil, like reality itself, are to him only illusions.

47. Haunt: to continue to mind continuously; Memories of that car accident haunted her. I was haunted by the last words he said to me (a ghost) visits frequently A ghost is said to haunt the room. a haunted house with biting satire… biting wind/cold—extremely cold. When winter comes, you have to put on thick mouthpiece against the biting northern wind. biting criticism---very hard or unkind criticism, usually caused by such feelings of anger, resentment. This is the most biting criticism I have ever heard. Haunt, biting, crumble; consequence

48. Para 22 The last of his own illusion seemed to have crumbled near the end. Dictating his autobiography late in life, he commented with a crushing sense of despair on men’s final world where they were of no consequence; where they achieved nothing; where they were a mistake and a failure and a foolishness; where they have left no sign that they had existed – a world which will lament them a day and forget them forever.”

49. crumble: be broken or rubbed into small pieces Under the pressure, the huge stone crumbled into fragments. The old department blocks are crumbling. Their marriage is crumbling. He is a skilled and ruthless man who isn’t likely to crumble under pressure consequence a man of consequence a man of no/little consequence take the consequences His death was totally unexpected and, in consequence, no plans had been made for the replacement. crumble; consequence

50. lament : to express one’s sadness, or disappointment synonym: mourn, grieve for, weep for, grieve over Ken began to lament the death of his son He laments that people are suspicious of the goodwill of his project. She spoke of the professional women’s lament that a woman’s judgment is more questioned than a man’s. lament

51. Summary of the Text This excerpt is a brief yet impressive introduction of Mark twain, one of the greatest writers in America. His adventurous, patriotic, romantic and humorous characteristics are known by most people. Before becoming a writer, he had done various kinds of jobs which greatly enriched his writings. His experience on the Mississippi River left such a profound and permanent influence on him that he was best when he wrote about this river. He came to fame with a short story about the Calaveras jumping frog, and then reached the peak of his career by Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn. However, the bitterness of his life, especially the successive deaths of his family members, is seldom made known to the public. And it is this dark side of his life that makes his later works filled with a satiric tone. Ironically, the man who makes the world laugh is made bitter by his all misfortunes. Thus his bitter life experience seems to be in contradiction with his own humorous works. And by presenting both sides of his life, the author presents to his readers a fuller picture of Mark Twain that will help them understand his works much better.

52. 1. Metaphor: Mark Twain -- Mirror of America saw clearly ahead a black wall of night... main artery of transportation in the young nation's heart the vast basin drained three-quarters of the settled United States All would resurface in his books...that he soaked up... Steamboat decks teemed...main current of...but its flotsam When railroads began drying up the demand......the epidemic of gold and silver fever...

53. 2. Simile: Most American remember M. T. as the father of......a memory that seemed phonographic 3. Hyperbole:...cruise through eternal boyhood and...endless summer of freedom... The cast of characters... - a cosmos. 4. Parallelism: Most Americans remember... the father of Huck Finn's idyllic cruise through eternal boyhood and Tom Sawyer's endless summer of freedom and adventure.

54. 5. Personification: life dealt him profound personal tragedies... the river had acquainted him with......to literature's enduring gratitude......an entry that will determine his course forever... The grave world smiles as usual... Bitterness fed on the man... America laughed with him. Personal tragedy haunted his entire life.

55. 6. Antithesis:...between what people claim to be and what they really are......took unholy verbal shots at the Holy Land......a world which will lament them a day and forget them forever 7. Euphemism:...men's final release from earthly struggle 8. Alliteration:...the slow, sleepy, sluggish-brained sloths stayed at home...with a dash and daring......a recklessness of cost or consequences...

56. 9. Metonymy:...his pen would prove mightier than his pickaxe

57. Type of literature -Bio-: life biology/ biochemistry Biography—an account of one’s life, written by someone else. biographic Autobiography—an account of one’s own life, written by oneself. Which is the major message (the writer’s focus) of the text: Mark Twain’s writing or his life experience? The focus is the writing, because Mark Twain is a famous writer, who is remembered by his characters. The writing feature of this biography lies in the weaving the hero’s life experience with his messages, his themes of writing and his approaches to writing. The writer tells us how certain life experience affects his writing. Every job or profession contributes partly to his writing.

58. Biography writing: Popular biographies vs. scholarly biographies Popular biographies: -- subjective comments -- chronological order with a few remarks about the future -- emotional, rich in rhetorical devices, applying various figures of speech -- with quotations from the hero’s works -- inextricably weaving the hero’s life experience with his messages, his themes of writing and his approaches to writing. Scholarly biographies: -- objective facts only, sometimes are basically catalogue of facts -- chronological order -- impersonal, lack of figures of speech -- no quotations, straight forwarding, and with flat narrating

59. Sample of scholarly biography: Mark Twain (1835-1910), was the pen name of Samuel Langhorne Clemens, one of the major authors of American fiction Born Samuel Langhorne in 1835, Twain led one of the most exciting and adventuresome of literary lives. Raised in the river town of Hannibal, Missouri, Twain had to leave school at the age of twelve to seek work. Some source indicates Twain’s formal schooling ended at 11, though he continued to read extensively (22 yrs old). He was successively a journeyman printer (tramp 18 yrs old), a steamboat pilot, a half hearted Confederate soldier (for a few weeks), and a prospector, miner and reporter in the western territories…. Toward the end of his life, plagued by personal tragedy and financial failure, Mark Twain grew more and more pessimistic. From his last period, only the stories “The Man That Corrupted Heidelberg” and “The Mysterious Stranger” matched his earlier work in brilliance. Though his fame continued to widen –Yale and Oxford awarded him honorary degrees—Twain spent his last years in gloom and exasperation, writing fables about “The damned human race”.