Advanced English

Unit 9Unit 9

Book 1

TasksTasks

Pre-reading questions Background knowledge Macro-structure of the text Detailed Study of the text Rhetoric devices Follow-up discussion Exercise and homework

Pre-reading Questions

1. How do you understand the title?

2. What do you know about Mark Twain?

1. “Mirror” here means a person who gives a true representation

or description of the country.

2. Generally speaking, all literary giants in human history are

also great historians, thinkers and philosophers. Their works

often reveal more truth than many political essays.

3. Mark Twain was one of these giants, and his life and works are

a mirror of America of his time.

Mirror

Mark Twain

• Real Name

• Meaning

• Life

• Works

• Assessment

Mark Twain: (1835-1910) Samuel Langhorne Clemens

Two Fathoms deep—the depth of water necessary for the steamer boats to pass safely

Early life experience

Boy in a little town in Mississippi At 11, he lost his father At 13, he stopped schooling Tramp printer Steamboat pilot on the Mississippi Confederate guerrilla Prospector Reporter on the far western frontier Traveler abroad

MainMain

WorksWorks

The Adventures of Tom Sawyer

The Adventure of Huckleberry Finn

OtherOther

WorksWorks

The Prince and the Pauper The Cop and the Anthem Running for Governor The £1,000,000 Bank-Note The Innocents Abroad The Celebrated Jumping Frog of

Calaveras County The Gilded Age

His Misfortunes

Financial difficulties Personal tragedies his father his brother his two-daughters his son his wife

A Brief Assessment

Remarks:Remarks: Mark Twain is a part of America. His personal s Mark Twain is a part of America. His personal s

uccess and failure were those of America. He moved, uccess and failure were those of America. He moved,

along with America, from innocence to experience. along with America, from innocence to experience.

Ernest HemingwayErnest Hemingway : All modern American literature : All modern American literature

comes from one book by Mark Twain called Huckleberry comes from one book by Mark Twain called Huckleberry

Finn. ... There was nothing before. There has been Finn. ... There was nothing before. There has been

nothing as good since.nothing as good since.

Mark Twain and the Barber

Mark Twain —Mirror of AmericaMark Twain —Mirror of America

Part I (Para.1): It serves as an introduction of the whole text.

Part II(Para2-18): It provides his early life, his success and comments on his works.

Part III (Para.19-21): It devotes to his personal tragedy and conclusion.

Rhtorical Devices Metaphor Simile Hyperbole Parallelism Personification Antithesis Euhemism Alliteration Metonymy synecdoche

Questions for Discussion Why is Mark Twain one of America’s bes

t-loved authors? Give a brief account of Mark Twain’s ex

perience before he became a writer. When did Mark Twain become a pilot on

a steamboat? What story did he write that made him kn

own as “the wild humorist of the Pacific slope”?

Written Homework

Why does the writer consider Mark Twain a mirror of America ？

References http://www.jpkc.cq.edu.cn/ChongQ_2004_dxyy/kj/tl/tl2/in

dex.htm http://blog.hjenglish.com/cxchun/articles/403413.html http://www.fync.edu.cn:8080/2006jpkc/ll2/jiaoan.asp 《高级英语》学习指南 第一册 《高级英语》教师用书 第一册 《马克 · 吐温》 by Frorrest G. Robinson ， 上海外语教育出

版社。 Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain. Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain.