BTLEW Lesson 15—The Damned Human Race Part Three ENTER

BTLEW Lesson 15—The Damned Human Race Text Appreciation I. Text Analysis 1. General AnalysesGeneral Analyses 2. ThemeTheme 3. StructureStructure 4. Further DiscussionFurther Discussion II. Writing Device Euphemism III. Sentence ParaphraseSentence Paraphrase

BTLEW Lesson 15—The Damned Human Race Plot of the storyPlot Setting of the storySetting Protagonists of the storyProtagonists Writing techniques of the storyWriting techniques Theme of the storyTheme I.Text Analysis Have you got the key elements in the story? For reference

BTLEW Lesson 15—The Damned Human Race Plot: reporting results of a scientific experiment Setting: the whole world Protagonists: “I” and “man” Writing techniques: go to Writing Device Theme of the story: go to the next page I.Text Analysis For reference. The end of General Analysis.

BTLEW Lesson 15—The Damned Human Race I.Text Analysis Through the analysis of various traits and dispositions human beings as contrasted to the “higher animals”, the author finds that men have descended and degenerated. Theme The end of Theme.

BTLEW Lesson 15—The Damned Human Race Part 1 (Paras. ) : Part 2 (Paras. ) : Part 3 (Paras. ) : Part 4 (Para. ) : I.Text Analysis Structure 5—9 10—16 17 The thesis statement and introduction to the scientific experiment. The analysis related to various straits and dispositions of human beings as contrasted to the “higher animals”. Arguing with people who believe in man’s superiority. Men have descended and degenerated. The end of Structure. 1—4

BTLEW Lesson 15—The Damned Human Race Do you have any idea why Mark Twain became more and more bitter in his later years? What is the Darwinian theory? Is Mark Twain serious when he says that he has done many months of painstaking and fatiguing work in the London Zoological Garden? What effect do you think Mark Twain hopes to achieve with this mock seriousness? I.Text Analysis Further Discussion To be continued on the next page.

BTLEW Lesson 15—The Damned Human Race How does the author contrast human beings with other animals? How would you describe the image of human beings under the author’s pen? Would you say that the human race has changed for the better or for the worse? How is this essay organized? Is this article written in a colloquial and informal way? I.Text Analysis Further Discussion The end of Further Discussion.

BTLEW Lesson 15—The Damned Human Race II.Writing Device Euphemism …in our day in England a man is fined ten shillings for beating his mother nearly to death with a chair, and another man is fined forty shillings for having four pheasant eggs in his possession without being able to satisfactorily explain how he got them. (Para. 9) euphemism: for stealing four pheasant eggs To be continued on the next page.

BTLEW Lesson 15—The Damned Human Race II.Writing Device Euphemism Euphemism: a substitution of an agreeable or inoffensive expression for one that may offend or suggest something unpleasant To be continued on the next page.

BTLEW Lesson 15—The Damned Human Race II.Writing Device Euphemism: more examples old people -- senior citizens fat people -- weight-watchers penniless -- out of pocket the poor -- the underprivileged not studying seriously -- academic disengagement For appreciation. The end of Writing Device.

BTLEW Lesson 15—The Damned Human Race III.Sentence Paraphrase 1 I have been studying the traits and dispositions of the “lower animals”, and contrasting them with the traits and dispositions of man. I find the result humiliating to me. (Para. 1) I have been studying the characteristics of the so-called lower animals in comparison with those of man. The result of this study makes me, as a man, feel terribly ashamed. For reference go to 2 To be continued on the next page.

BTLEW Lesson 15—The Damned Human Race III.Sentence Paraphrase 1.traits and dispositions: characteristics; features; nature 2.humiliating: making me feel ashamed; embarrassing back to 1

BTLEW Lesson 15—The Damned Human Race III.Sentence Paraphrase 2 That is to say, I have subjected every postulate that presented itself to the crucial test of actual experiment. (Para. 2) (fml) assumption; theory go to 3 In other words, I have put every theory or hypothesis there is to the decisive test of actual experiment. that happens or exists

BTLEW Lesson 15—The Damned Human Race III.Sentence Paraphrase 3 … among the animals man is the only one that harbors insults and injuries, broods over them, waits till a chance offers, then takes revenge. The passion of revenge is unknown to the higher animals. (Para. 5) … among the animals man is the only one that remembers insults and injuries, thinks about them for a long time, waits until a chance comes up and then takes revenge. to think about sth. for a long time because it makes you angry or worried go to 4 to do sth. to punish sb. who has harmed you

BTLEW Lesson 15—The Damned Human Race III.Sentence Paraphrase 4 Man—when he is King John, with a nephew to render untroublesome, he uses a red-hot iron; (Para. 9) to cause sb. to become untroublesome;to prevent sb. from making trouble for him In the case of King John who wanted to get rid of his nephew he used a red-hot iron to torture him. go to 5

BTLEW Lesson 15—The Damned Human Race III.Sentence Paraphrase 5 …in our day in England a man is fined ten shillings for beating his mother nearly to death with a chair, and another man is fined forty shillings for having four pheasant eggs in his possession without being able to satisfactorily explain how he got them. (Para. 9) Mark Twain is satirizing the fact that under the English law at that time, a mother’s life was worth only one peasant egg because the latter was considered private property. go to 6 euphemism: for stealing four pheasant eggs

BTLEW Lesson 15—The Damned Human Race III.Sentence Paraphrase 6 The higher animals engage in individual fights, but never in organized masses. Man is the only one that deals in the atrocity of atrocities, War. (Para. 10) to participate in The higher animals fight as individuals, but unlike man, they never fight wars. (They never organize armies to fight each other.) go to 7 the greatest or the worst atrocity

BTLEW Lesson 15—The Damned Human Race III.Sentence Paraphrase 7 … and in the intervals between campaigns he washes the blood off his hands and—works for “the universal brotherhood of man”—with his mouth. (Para. 13) the idea that all living human beings are brothers and sisters to each other … and when they are not fighting each other, they will start talking about peace and universal brotherhood, but without any sincerity. Man, according to Mark Twain, is not only cruel and warlike, but also hypocritical. go to 8

BTLEW Lesson 15—The Damned Human Race III.Sentence Paraphrase 8 Man is the Religious Animal. He is the only Religious Animal. He is the only animal that has the True Religion—several of them. (Para. 14) Man claims to be the only animal capable of religious belief. Religion of course is considered here something much more important and noble than animal instincts because it emphasizes the spiritual and moral life of human beings. But Mark Twain sneers at this because the different religions in the world have resulted in endless religious suppressions, persecutions and wars. go to 9

BTLEW Lesson 15—The Damned Human Race III.Sentence Paraphrase 9 Man is the Reasoning Animal. Such is the claim. I think it is open to dispute. (Para. 15) If sth. is open to dispute, it means that it is not certain and you can argue about it. Human beings say that they are the only animals who have reasoning power (who can think). But I think this is rather doubtful (or: debatable). go to 10

BTLEW Lesson 15—The Damned Human Race III.Sentence Paraphrase 10 These Reasoning Animals had disagreed on a theological detail and carried the matter to a Higher Court. (Para. 17) These so-called reasoning animals had had a quarrel over a minor point in theology and had decided to go to Heaven (to kill each other) to ask God to settle the matter. The end of Sentence Paraphrase.

BTLEW Lesson 15—The Damned Human Race Part Three This is the end of Part Three. Please click HOME to visit other parts. HOME