pessimisminthemanthatcorruptedhadleyburg英语设计.docx

pessimisminthemanthatcorruptedhadleyburg英语设计.docx

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pessimisminthemanthatcorruptedhadleyburg英语设计

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本科生毕业设计（论文）

PessimisminTheManthat

CorruptedHadleyburg

论文题目：

姓名：

刘芳

学院：

外国语学院

专业：

商贸英语

年级、学号：

09级，09042014

指导教师：

邱蓓

江苏师范大学教务处印制

Abstract

TheManthatCorruptedHadleyburgisoneofthemostfamousworksofMarkTwain.Inthiswork,heexpressedhispessimism.Heexposedthedegenerationofhumannaturewhenpeoplewerefacedwithtemptationandtheuglyessenceoftheworld.Hewasquitedisappointedtotheworld.ThisessaydiscussesthepessimisminTheManthatCorruptedHadleyburgonthebasisofNewHistoricism.TheessayexploresthereasonsofMarkTwain’spessimismfromhispersonalexperienceandtherealityofAmericansociety.Thenitintroducesthemeaningofhispessimism.Furthermore,theessaymakesaspecificanalysisofMarkTwain’spessimisminTheManthatCorruptedHadleyburgfromaspectsofplotandcharacters.MarkTwain’spessimismwasmainlydisplayedinhisdisappointmenttohumannatureandhisbeliefoffatalism,whichgreatlyaffectedhislaterwritingsaswellaslaterwriters.

KeyWords:

pessimismtemptationTheManthatCorruptedHadleyburg

摘要

《败坏了赫德莱堡的人》是马克吐温晚年的一部代表作品，在这部小说中，马克吐温表现出了悲观主义思想。

他剖析了在诱惑面前人性表现出的的黑暗和这个世界的丑陋，进而萌发了悲观主义的情绪。

本文试图借助新历史主义的观点来分析马克吐温在《败坏了赫德莱堡的人》这部小说中流露出的的悲观主义，从个人经历和美国社会现实两个方面研究马克吐温悲观主义产生的原因，紧接着讨论马克吐温悲观主义的含义，并从小说的构思和艺术形象两个角度来研究马克吐温悲观主义情绪在《败坏了赫德莱堡的人》这部小说中的具体体现。

马克吐温的悲观主义思想主要表现在对人性的失望和宿命论，这两方面的思想都对他的后期创作以及后来的作家产生了深远的影响。

关键词：

悲观主义诱惑《败坏了赫德莱堡的人》

Contents

Abstract………………………………………………………………………………..i

摘要……………………………………………………………………………………ii

Introduction……………………………………………………………………………1

ChapterOneTheformationandmeaningofTwain’spessimism……………..…….3

1TheformationofTwain’spessimism…………………………………………..3

2ThemeaningofTwain’spessimism……………………………………………4

ChapterTwoThespecificanalysisofpessimisminTheManthatCorruptedHadleyburg..............................................................................................7

1Fromtheaspectofplot…………………………………………………………7

2Fromtheaspectofcharacters…………………………………………………..9

ChapterThreeTheeffectofTwain’spessimism…………………...……………...12

1Theeffectonhislaterwriting………………………………………………...12

2Theeffectonlaterwriters…………………………………………………….13

Conclusion……………………………………………………………………………14

WorksCited…………………………………………………………………………..15

PessimisminTheManthatCorruptedtheHadleyburg

Introduction

SamuelLanghorneClemens（November30,1835–April21,1910）,betterknownbyhispennameMarkTwain,wasanAmericanauthorandhumorist.TwaingrewupinHannibalMissouri.Duringhislife,heapprenticedwithaprinter.HealsoworkedasatypesetterandcontributedarticlestohisolderbrotherOrion'snewspaper.Aftertoilingasaprinterinvariouscities,hebecameamasterriverboatpilotontheMississippiRiverbeforeheadingwesttojoinOrion.Hewasafailureatgoldmining,soheturnedtojournalism.Asareporter,hewroteahumorousstory,TheCelebratedJumpingFrogofCalaverasCountywhichbecameverypopularandbroughtnationwideattention.

TheManthatCorruptedHadleyburg,writtenin1900，isoneofthemostfamousworksofMarkTwain.ThenovelwasaboutatownnamedHadleyburgwhichwasfamousforitsgoodreputation.Everyonebelieveditwasanuncorruptedtown.ButastrangercametoHadleyburgwithabagofgoldcointofindoutanunknownbenefactorbecausethebenefactorevergave20dollarstothestranger.Thechiefnineteencitizenswantedtobethebenefactorandmadeeveryendeavortogetthegold.Atlast,thehonestanduprighttownbecamethesynonymofugliness,liarsandthief.ThisnovelisaturningpointinTwain’swriting,wherehechangeshisstylefromhumortosatire.Also,heisbecomingmoreandmorepessimisticcomparedwithhisearlywriting.

ChinesescholarsmainlyexploreTheManthatCorruptedHadleyburgfromthefollowingaspects,suchasfromthewritingskillsorthereasonsofhispessimism.ChenhuizhueverwroteanessaytoLearningTheory,entitled“ResearchonthecausesofMarkTwain’spessimisminhislaterlife”.ShetriedtoexaminethereasonsofhispessimismfromMarkTwain’spersonalexperienceandthechangesofAmericansociety.Foreignscholarsmainlystudythisnovelfromtheaspectsofculturalpessimismandpessimistliterature.TheytrytostudyMarkTwain’spessimisminhislaterwritings.FewscholarsdiscusshispessimismrevealedinTheManthatCorruptedHadleyburgfromtheaspectofnewhistoricism.

ThisessayexploresTwain’spessimisminTheManthatCorruptedHadleyburgwiththetheoryofnewhistoricism.Scholarsofnewhistoricismholdtheviewthatliteratureishighlyaffectedbythecomplexandsubtlesocialbackground.Literatureisaproductofaspecificsocietywhichhasitsownfeaturesinhistoryandculture.ThisessaywillfocusontheeffectsofAmericancultureandhistoryonthechangeofMarkTwain.Atthesametime,itwilltrytoexplainthenovelfromtheangleofhistorytoproclaimTwain’spessimisminhislaterwriting.ThroughtheresearchofpessimisminMarkTwain’sTheManthatCorruptedtheHadleyburg,Iwouldliketoinspirepeopletothinkabouthowtheywillactwhentheyfacetemptation.Peopleallliveinaworldfilledwithtemptation.Andthereisaseedofdesireinpeople’smind.Howdopeopleactwhentheymeetwithtemptation?

Ifpeoplecouldthinkaboutitdeeply,theymightkeepasoberinthepursuitoffameandfortune.

ChapterOneTheformationandmeaningofTwain’spessimism

1Theanalysisofthewritingbackground

Inthelate19thcentury,thereisadramaticchangeinAmericanculture.Darwin'stheoryofevolutionandSpencer'stheoryofsocialcompetitionbroughtgreatdestroytoChristianityandrationalism.Thismadethetraditionalbeliefwhichwasbuiltonthefoundationofmodestyandfairnessloseitssense.Therefore,humandignitywasdeconstructedandthedesireforcivilizationanddemocracywasreplacedbymaterialpursuit.Powerandwealthhadbecomethecenteroflife.However,weknowMarkTwainalwayshadadreamforahighlycivilizedsociety.Therealitywasfarawayfromwhathedreamedfor.Sohewasquitedisappointedatthesociety.Moreover,theUSAenteredtheperiodofimperialism.Thecountryinvadedothercountriesinthewholeworldinordertoopenamarketforitsproducts.Twainwitnessedthecolonialwarwhilehewasinround-the-worldlecturetour.Hehadadeepaversiontotheevilbehavior.

TheManthatCorruptedHadleyburg,writtenin1900,wassetinsuchasocialbackground.Inthiswork,thenineteenprinciplecitizensdeceivedeachotheranddisguisedwhentheywerefacedwithabagofgold.Thiswasatrueportrayalofthecapitalistsociety,orwecansay,thenineteenprinciplecitizenswereasymbolofimperialism.TwainmercilesslycriticizedthesocialcorruptionandhypocrisyinAmericanaswellasthemagicandevilrolemoneyplayedinthesociety.However,MarkTwaintookthegreedandselfishnatureofthecapitalistasallthecitizens’incommon,whichmadetheworkshroudinpessimisticcolor.Andpessimisticideacontinuedinhisoldage.

Twain’spessimism,whichisshowninTheManthatCorruptedHadleyburgisalsorelatedtohispersonalexperienceinthe1890s.In1894,hisinvestmentsofthetypesettingmachineandthepublishingcompanyfailed,whichbroughtadebtofonehundredthousandtoMarkTwain.Thereforehehadtomakearound-the-worldlecturetourtoearnmoneyforthedebtasasicklymanofnearly60yearsold.Later，heeverusedwordstodescribehisfeelingtothebankruptcy,whichwas“paindespairandbetornwithgrief”（Twain,76）.ThebankruptcywasahugehittoMarkTwaininmaterial,whilethedeathofhisbeloveddaughterbroughtgreatpaintohisspirit.Justduringhistour,onthe15thofAugust1896,whenTwainwasstandinginadinningroom,thinkingofnothinginparticular,acablewasputintohishand,“Susywaspeacefullyreleasedtoday.”（Twain,110）Twain,unprepared,couldhardlyacceptthethunderstrokelikethat.Thewriter'spersonalexperienceinfluencesthewriter'sspirit.Hesaidinhislettertoafriendthathekeptworkingjustforworkinordertostoppain.Sowecaneasilyunderstandtheeffectsofthedisastersoneafteranotherinhiswriting.Hejustexpressedhisextremepainanddisappointmentthroughhisworks.Throughtheanalysisofthewritingbackground,wecaneasilyunderstandhispessimisminTheManthatCorruptedHadleyburg.

2Themeaningsofpessimism

Aftergettingfamiliartothewritingbackground,wecanknowthatpersonalexperienceandtherealityofAmericansocietycontributedtoMarkTwain’spessimism.ButwhatarethemeaningsofpessimismshowninTheManthatCorruptedHadleyburg?

Therearetwoaspectsofthemeaningofpessimism.Firstly,MarkTwainholdstheviewthatthehumannatureisevil.Secondly,hebelievesinfatalism.

InTheManthatCorruptedHadleyburg,MarkTwainwaspessimistictowardshumannature.Hethoughthumannaturewasevilbecausehumanbecamehypocriticalandgreedywhentheywerefacedwithtemptation.People’swillwassoweaktocontroltheirdesire.Therefore,allthevirtueswereruinedbythebagofgoldcoin.“Theweakestofallweakthingsisavirtuewhichhasnotbeentestedinthefire.”（230）Citizensinthetowneverthoughttheywerehonest,kind,andupright.Butthehonestywasweakaswaterwhentemptationcame,whichmadehimquitedisappointedandpessimistictowardhumannature.Inthegovernmenthall,WilsondeliveredapersuasivespeechwhenhefoundBillsonalsogavealettertoMr.BurgesswhichsaidBillsonwasthebenefactor.“Thereisnothingintheworldlikeapersuasivespeechtofuddlethementalapparatusandupsettheconvictio