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1、Mark Twain&“The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County”Historical Background:Historical Background:the Civil War(18611864):“The industrial North had triumphed over the agrarian South,and from that victory came a society based on mass labor and mass consumption.”“The Gilded Age”:“an age of extre
2、mes”“of decline and progress,of poverty and dazzling wealth,of gloom and buoyant hope”.the railroad:It changed the way in which people lived and worked.Realism:Realism:Realism originated in France as relisme.It called for“reality and truth”in the depiction of ordinary life.Some representatives are:Z
3、ola,Flaubert,Balzac and Dostoyevsky.American Realism:Local ColorAmerican Realism:Local Color local color,“an amalgam of romantic plots and realistic descriptions of things immediately observable:the dialects,customs,sights,and sounds of regional America”Bret Harte,“The Outcasts of Poker Flat”,“Tenne
4、ssees Partner”Harriet Beecher Stowe,Uncle Toms Cabin Mary E.W.Freeman,“A New England Nun”Kate Chopin,The Awakening Mark Twain Definition and features:Definition and features:Realism:“nothing more and nothing less than the truthful treatment of material.”(W.D.Howells)a.verisimilitude of details deriv
5、ed from observation b.representative in plot,setting and character c.an objective rather than an idealized view of human experienceRepresentative writers:Representative writers:William Dean Howells(18371920),The Rise of Silas Lapham(1885)and Criticism and Fiction.Henry James(18431916),Daisy Miller(1
6、878),The Ambassadors(1903),The Wings of the Dove(1902)and The Art of Fiction.Mark Twain(18351910),The Adventures of Tom Sawyer(1876),The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn(1884),Life on the Mississippi(1883).Mark TwainSamuel Langhorne Clemens(18351910)Mark Twain was a great American humorist.A white lin
7、en suit and a cigar became his trademarks in public appearances.Mark Twainnpseudonym of Samuel Langhorne Clemens(1835-1910),American writer and humorist,whose best work is characterized by broad,often irreverent humor or biting social satire.Twains writing is also known for realism of place and lang
8、uage,memorable characters,and hatred of hypocrisy and oppression.Mark Twains Life:Mark Twains Life:Lifen1.Mark Twain is the pseudonym of Samuel Langhorne Clemens.“Mark Twain”means“two fathoms depth of navigable water”.n2.He lived in a town named Hannibal along the Mississippi when he was a child.His
9、 life experience in the town was used in his famous novels.n3.His father died when he was 12 and then he left school.n4.He lived on all kinds of odd jobs and then went to the West.He worked as a reporter there and wrote lots of frontier humors.n5.After marriage he moved to New England and then gradu
10、ally became a famous writer.n6.His late life was a tragedy.(failure of investment,death of his wife and two daughtersnThe celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County (1865)nInnocents Abroad(1869)Roughing it(1872)The Gilded Age(1873)The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (1876)The Adventures of Huckleberry Fin
11、n(1884)Life on the Mississippi(1883)Mark Twains works:Mark Twains works:1.His works sum up the tradition of Western humor and frontier realism.2.He writes about his people and his own life.3.His greatest achievement on literature is his use of the dialect and his portrayal of the locale.Characterist
12、ics of Mark Twains works:Characteristics of Mark Twains works:His Position in American LiteraturenOneofthegreatwritersofAmericanliterature,TwainisadmiredforcapturingtypicalAmericanexperiencesinalanguagewhichisrealisticandcharming.nWilliamFaulknerdeclared,“Inmyopinion,MarkTwainwasthefirsttrulyAmerica
13、nwriter,andallofussincearehisheirs,whodescendedfromhim.”nH.L.Menckendeclared,“MarkTwainwasthetruefatherofournationalliterature”The Celebrated Jumping Frog ofCalaveras County Selection Focus 1-1SETTINGn“TheCelebratedJumpingFrogofCalaverasCounty”takesplaceinthemid-tolate19thcentury,shortlyaftertheCali
14、forniaGoldRushof1849.nMarkTwainsexperiencewithSimonWheelerandWheelersstoriesaboutJimSmileybothoccurinAngelsCamp,aminingsettlementlocatedinCalaverasCounty,California.WheelertellsstoriestoTwaininalocalbar,thetypeofplacewherestorieswereoftenshared.Background:Gold RushThis story is set in the gold rush.
15、In 1848,in California gold was discovered,a rapid movement of people to the newly discovered goldfield.The Easterners had a reputation for being civilized,cultured,and advanced;whereas the Westerners were considered to be less-educated,less-refined and easy to be deceived.California was a world of m
16、en,isolated,homesick,and eager for entertainment.Gambling was one of the easiest and most popular ways to amuse themselves.CharactersnAndrew Jackson:JimSmileysbull-pup,AndrewJackson,wasusedbyJiminvariousbets.nThe Fifteen-Minute Nag:TheFifteen-MinuteNagisthenamegiventoJimSmileyshorse.Anoldandrathersi
17、cklyanimal,TheFifteen-MinuteNagwasusedbyJiminmanyofhisbets.nJim Smiley:JimSmileyisthefocusofSimonWheelerstale.AresidentofCalaverasCountysAngelsCampineither1849or1850,Jimisprimarilyknownforhisloveforbettingandwillbetonalmostanythingnomatterhowridiculous.nThe Stranger:aconartist.CharactersnSimon Wheel
18、er:anelderlyresidentoftheWesternminingoperationknownasAngelsCamp.Afat,baldingmanwhomTwainfindsinabar,Simonisdescribedcondescendinglyaspossessing“anexpressionofwinninggentlenessandsimplicity.”nDanl Webster:the“notoriousjumpingfrogofCalaverasCounty.”HeiscaughtbyJimSmileyandtrainedtojumphigh,far,andonc
19、ommand.nMark Twain:theauthorandnarratorofthestory,aswellasoneofitscharacters.Heisportrayedasthebuttofajoke,thejokebeinghaventolistentothefantastictalesofagarrulousoldmannamedSimonWheeler.Themen“TheCelebratedJumpingFrogofCalaverasCounty”highlightsvariousaspectsoflate-19th-centuryAmericansocietyandcul
20、turethroughtheretellingofatalltale.Centraltothestoryistheideaofconflictingcultures,particularlytheclashbetweenthesettled,easternportionoftheUnitedStatesandthestill-developingWest.nAtthetimeTwainwrotethestory,theEastanditsinhabitantshadareputationforbeingcivilized,cultured,andadvanced.TheWest,ontheot
21、herhand,wasstillbeingsettled,andpeoplethoughtofitspopulationaslesseducatedandlessrefined.Byextension,westernerswerethoughtbyeasternerstobenaiveandeasilyduped.PlotnThenarratorissentbyafriendtointerviewanoldman,SimonWheeler,whomightknowthelocationofanoldacquaintancenamedLeonidasW.Smiley.Thenarratorfin
22、dsSimonatthedecayedminingcampofAngels.Thenarratorasksthefat,bald-headedmanaboutLeonidas.SimonrespondsthathedoesntknowaLeonidasSmiley,butheknowsaJimSmiley.SimonthentellsastoryaboutJim.nJimSmileylovestobet.HebetsonanythingfromthedeathofParsonWalkerswife,tofightsbetweenhisbulldogpup(namedAndrewJackson)
23、andotherdogs.nOnce,JimcaughtafrogandnameditDanlWebster.Forthreemonths,hetrainedthefrogtojump.Attheendofthosethreemonths,thefrogcouldjumpovermoregroundthananyother.Jimcarriedthefrogaroundinabox.nOneday,astrangertothetownasksJimwhatisinhisbox.JimsaysthatitisafrogthatcanoutjumpanyotherfroginCalaverasCo
24、unty.ThestrangerlooksatthefrogandrespondsthatthefrogdoesntlookanydifferentthantheotherfrogsofCalaverasCounty,sohemustntbethebest.ThestrangertellsJimthatifhehadafrog,hedbet$40thathisfrogcouldbeatJims.nJimagreestothebet,andhegivestheboxtothestrangertoholdwhileJimhuntsforanotherfrogforthestranger.While
25、Jimiscatchingthestrangersfrog,thestrangerpoursleadshotintothemouthofJimsfrog.nWhenJimreturns,heandthestrangerarrangethefrogsforthecontest.Theyalignthefrogsevenly,andonthecountofthreetheyletthemloose.Thefreshly-caughtfrogjumpsaway,butDanlWebsterdoesntbudge.nJimissurprisedanddisgusted.Hegivesthemoneyt
26、othestrangerandthestrangerhappilyleaves.JimwonderswhyDanllookssoheavy.Hetakesthefrogandtipshimupsidedown.Thefrogcoughsuphandfulsofshot.Jimsetsthefrogdown,andchasesafterthestranger.Thestrangerislonggone,however,andJimnevercatcheshim.nAtthispointinhisstory,Wheeleriscalledawaybysomeoneonthefrontporch,a
27、ndhetellsthenarratortoremainseated.ThenarratorrealizesthatJimSmileyisnttheleastbitrelatedtoLeonidasW.Smiley,andpreparestoleave.Simoncatchesthenarratoratthedoor,andstartstellinghimanotherstoryaboutJimsone-eyedcow.Thenarratorexcuseshimselfandleaves.Narrative Changes in This StorynFirst Part:The narrat
28、or is“I”.Received the letterAccepted the requestWent to see Simon WheelerLeonidas was wanted UnwillingnessOnly Jim existedNarrative Changes in This StorynSecond Part:The narrator changes into Simon wheelern bet bet betGeneral knowledgeOf JimFemale horse Weak dogFamous jumping frogJim Smiley Loves to
29、 bet.He bets on anything.The stranger cheatsAnd beats Jim.Jim lose his betAnd finds the Shots in frog.It is very old.But always wins him prizes atthe last momentof the bet.It looks weak but never yields to competitor until Death.Narrative Changes in This StorynThird Part:The narrator becomes“I”again
30、.n nFirst-person narrativenIn a first-person narrative the story is relayed by a narrator who is also a character within the story,so that the narrator reveals the plot by referring to this viewpoint character as I(or,when plural,we).Oftentimes,the first-person narrative is used as a way to directly
31、 convey the deeply internal,otherwise unspoken thoughts of the narrator.Narrative ModeSecond-person narrativenThe rarest mode in literature(though quite common in song lyrics)is the second-person narrative mode,in which the narrator refers to one of the characters as you,therefore making the audienc
32、e member feel as if he or she is a character within the story.Another common place to see this is in preschool television shows in which characters will tell the audience to follow them,or ask the audience questions.Third-person narrativenThird-person narration provides the greatest flexibility to t
33、he author and thus is the most commonly used narrative mode in literature.In the third-person narrative mode,each and every character is referred to by the narrator as he,she,it,or they,but never as I or we(first-person),or you(second-person).In third-person narrative,it is obvious that the narrator
34、 be merely an unspecified entity or uninvolved person that conveys the story,but not a character of any kind within the story being to told.The effects of narrative changesAt the beginning of the novel,the relationship between the narrator and the readers are close.“I”lead the readers to enter the s
35、tory and open a whole new world.Soon after the story spreads,the author rapidly switches the direction,leaves the reader and puts the characters to the front desk.Simon tells the following story.At the end of the story,the original narrator picks up the pieces and once again close to the readers.The
36、 relationship between them is closeestrangementclose.This strategy gives the readers great freedom to develop their own judgments and perspectives without the authors subjective tendency influence.Narrative conversions influence on story structurenAccording to these transformations of narrator,Mark
37、Twain makes this story a complex linked structure.From the overall point of view,compound structure including narrative structure and story structure two parts.Whole StoryThe original narratorSimon “I”Jim SmileyRhetorical Devices EmployednMetaphor:“Well,Smileykeptthebeastinalittlelatticebox”nSimile:
38、“andhisteethwoulduncover,andshinesavagelikethefurnaces.”n“youdseethatfrogwhirlingintheairlikeadoughnut”n“ifhegotagoodstart,andcomedownflat-footedandallright,likeacat,”n“hedspringstraightup.Andflopdownontheflooragainassolidasagobofmud”Rhetorical Devices EmployednIrony:SimonWheelerappearsoblivioustoth
39、efactthatthenarratorwantsnothingtodowithhim.ThenarratorseasterneducationavailshimnothingashefutilelyattemptstoseverhimselffromWheelersendlessramblings.AllusionsnAndrew Jackson:7thpresident,warhero,knownforhisdeterminationandstrongwill,astrongbelieverindemocracyandtherightsofthe“common”peoplenDaniel
40、Webster:asenatorwhosupportedtheFugitiveSlaveLawof1850thatrequiredfederalofficialstorecaptureandreturnrunawayslaves.Possible point:acommon,uneducatedfrogwinsagainstaneducatedfrogwithagreatname-DanlWebsterLanguage features:Typical American RealismnIts just the novel the celebrated Jumping Frog of Cala
41、veras Country brought him the name of“the Wild humorist along the pacific ocean coast”.1.Humorn-the most striking feature in this novel.Not only the story itself but also the language and the way Mark Twain narrated with,is humorous.nIf there is a horse-race,hed bet on it!if there is a dog-fight,hed
42、 bet on it.if there is cat-fight,hed bet on it.if there is chicken fight,hed bet on it.if there was two birds setting on a fence,hed bet you which fly first.n Hed bet on anything!2.Colloquial writing style:Large use of regional dialect The language the Author recorded in this novel is rather faithfu
43、l to the local color,which vividly depicted the populations vulgarity openness and impulsivity.This kind of writing style set the precedent and laid the foundation for Colloquial writing style in American literature.And T.S.Eliot called it new discovery of English language.Regional Dialect-Misspelli
44、ngsncalklatednedercatenfollerncuriosest nsolittryRegional Dialect-Grammatical Mistakesn“because he hadnt no opportunities to speak of,”n“the asthma,or the distemper,or the consumption”n“and his teeth would uncover,and shine savage like the furnaces.”Regional Dialect-Inventive Punctuationncalklatednt
45、hish-yernm-o-r-enfellerdnreglarRegional Dialect Loose sentence structure“Why,Ive seen him set Danl Webster down here on this floor Danl Webster was the name of the frog and sing out,Flies,Danl,flies!and quickern you could wink,hed spring straight up,and snake a fly offn the counter there,and flop do
46、wn on the floor again as solid as a gob of mud,and fall to scratching the side of his head with his hind foot as indifferent as if he hadnt no idea hed been doin any moren any frog might do.”Regional Dialect Colloquial or Conversation phrasesn“but only jest grip and hang on till they thronged up the
47、 sponge,if it was a year.”n“Smiley always come out winner on that pup,”n“And when it come to fair and square jumping on a dead level,”n“Jumping on a dead level was his strong suit”n“.but always at the fag-end of the race shed get excited and desperate-like”TOPICS FOR DISCUSSIONn1.Someofthesatiriceff
48、ectsandhumorinthestoryarederivedfromaclashbetweentheeasternandwesternculturesintheUnitedStatesduringthe19thcentury.Whataspectsofthisculturaldividestillexist?n2.AtwhatpointinthestorydoesthereaderrealizethatWheelerhasbeenspinningatalltale?n3.WhatparticularlyAmericancharacteristicscanyouidentifyinthestory?HowwouldthisstorybedifferentifitwerenotsetintheUnitedStates?n4.Describethepersonaof“MarkTwain”aspresentedinthestory.Whydoyouthinkhewouldportrayhimselfinthismanner?n5.WhateffectdoesTwainsuseofcolloquialspeechhaveonthereadersinterpretationofthestory?