A Study of Mark Twains Satire and Humor in The Giled Age文献综述

 2022-09-09 15:52:16

A Study of Mark Twainrsquo;s Satire and Humor in The Gilded Age

Abstract:

Mark twain, as one of the most popular American writers and the pioneer of American literature, has established a distinct individual style through his novels and criticisms in American literature – humor. The “Gilded Age” is actually the epoch of tycoons. So fascinated and interesting is Mark Twainrsquo;s experience that his stories contain all aspects of American society and get much closer to the real society than other American writers. Although Twainrsquo;s sense of humor is in natural, it is concluded six techniques of humor: colloquialism, irony, exaggeration, contrast, pun, repetition. William Faulkner calls Mark Twain as “the father of American literature ” and “the Lincoln of our literature”. Since Mark Twainrsquo;s writings root in American local color deeply, he manages to help this young nation to find out American ethnicity in a quite complex racial constitution.

Key words: humor,；The Gilded Age,；Colloquialism,；irony

一、文献综述

As Mark Twain once said, “Studying humor is like dissecting a frog, you may know a lot but you end up with a dead frog.” Nevertheless, humor is commonly acknowledged as one of the most cherished merits of human being and Mark Twain, as a representative of American critical realistic literature and local color fiction, himself is undoubtedly an experienced master of humor and satire, who not only has acquired the continuing attention and uncontrollable laughter of his readers, but also their everlasting deep thought and self-examination. Mark Twain is symbolized as the flag of American literature and has formed local color fiction and his individual style of humorous language that makes profound and lasting influence on American society and many American writers after him.

The study of Mark Twainrsquo;s literature is regarded to begin in the time that Twain lived in. generally, it is divided into three periods of the improvement of the research of Mark Twainrsquo;s literature which are respectively: the germination period, the controversy period and modern period. In the germination period, the criticism of the writings of Mark Twain are closely connected with Twainrsquo;s personal image and his private life so that the study of Twainrsquo;s literature in early time, to some extent, lacks of pure reason and the professional point view of literary criticism. As a special representative of American writer, Mark Twain began to attract the attention of literary academic circle and own greater reputation after his acquisition with William Dean Howells, the representative of American eastern literature, and especially his seven memorial essays about his experience of being a navigator in the Mississippi River being published in magazine. And many studies of Mark Twainrsquo; writings have obtained the coherent result that Mark Twainrsquo;s writings not only generate laughter in appearance but also involve serious thought and moral criticism. Therefore, most voices in the germination period toward Twainrsquo;s specific literary style are apt to be appreciated and positive.

However, different voices begin to appear between 1910 to 1935 which is concluded as the controversy period. The argumentation of this debate is focused on whether Mark Twain is an excellent American writer exactly as he is honored. Van Wyck Brooks, the most influential person among those who are object to Mark Twainrsquo;s achievements, points out a new prospect in The Ordeal of Mark Twain that Twainrsquo; writings is the product which gives in to the Puritan discipline, tradition of politeness and commercial ideal. But Bernard Devoto, standing in the supportive side of Mark Twain refutes him with three reasons in his Mark Twainrsquo;s America. First, Mark Twainrsquo;s western literature with ironic humor is essentially the humor of American style；second, a deep understanding of humanity can be found in Mark Twainrsquo;s humor and satire; third, Twainrsquo;s writings have covered a broad range of American life and contain Twainrsquo;s pioneering spirit, which no other contemporary writersrsquo; could compares with. One of Mark Twainrsquo;s best friends Howells has published My Mark Twain (1910) and highly praised Mark Twainrsquo;s literary achievement.

After the fierce debate, scholars try to make more comprehensive and detailed studies of Mark Twainrsquo;s humor and satire. So from 1930s until now, more mature and comprehensive does scholarsrsquo; study of his writings become. Besides, cross-subject study leads scholars to a creative and new direction of the study of Mark Twainrsquo;s humor. Mark Twainrsquo;s literary art in humor and satire of plotting, characterization and figures of speech are tightly integrated into the novel The Gilded Age. How the charm of Mark Twainrsquo;s humor and satire is embodied in The Gilded Age and how he establishes his own set of writing methods in regard to humor and satire will be discussed in this paper.

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