BTLEW Lesson 15—The Damned Human Race Part Three ENTER

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Lesson 15—The Damned Human Race

Part ThreePart Three

ENTER

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Text Text AppreciatioAppreciationn

I. Text Analysis 1. General Analyses2. Theme3. Structure4. Further Discussion

II. Writing Device Euphemism

III. Sentence Paraphrase

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Plot of the story

Setting of the story

Protagonists of the story

Writing techniques of the story

Theme of the story

I.I. Text AnalysisText AnalysisHave you

got the key elements in the story?

For reference

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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.I. Text AnalysisText Analysis

For reference.

The end of General Analysis.

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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.

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Part 1 (Paras. ) :

Part 2 (Paras. ) :

Part 3 (Paras. ) :

Part 4 (Para. ) :

I.I. Text AnalysisText AnalysisStructure

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

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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?


Further Discussion

To be continued on the next page.

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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?


Further Discussion

The end of Further Discussion.

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II.II. Writing Writing DeviceDevice

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


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II.II. Writing Writing DeviceDevice

Euphemism

Euphemism:

a substitution of an agreeable or inoffensive expression for one that may offend or suggest something unpleasant


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II.II. Writing Writing DeviceDeviceEuphemism: 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.

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III.III. Sentence Sentence Paraphrase 1Paraphrase 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


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III.III. Sentence Sentence Paraphrase Paraphrase

1. traits and dispositions: characteristics; features; nature

2. humiliating: making me feel ashamed; embarrassing

back to 1

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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

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… 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

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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

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…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

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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

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… 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

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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

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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

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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.

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BTLEW Lesson 15—The Damned Human Race Part Three ENTER