Humor in American English, (Earlham 2015)

1. MARK TWAIN
& AN UNEXPECTED ACQUAINTANCE
CLASS DISCUSSION: HUMOR IN AMERICAN ENGLISH
ANH NGUYEN
OCT 8, 2015

2. I. BACKGROUND INFORMATION
1. Video: Mark Twain – The adventurist
2. Introduce Mark Twain:
- Samuel Langhorne Clemens
(November 30, 1835 – April 21, 1910)
- Born shortly after a visit by Halley’s Comet, and died
the day after the comet returned.
- Started as a typesetter, then a printer, then riverboat
pilot and then turned to gold mining. When he failed
at gold mining, he turned to journalism.
- Lauded as the "greatest American humorist of his
age", and William Faulkner called Twain "the father
of American literature”

3. 3. AN UNEXPECTED ACQUAINTANCE
- First appeared in Twain's A TRAMP ABROAD (1880)
- a work of travel literature, including a mixture of
autobiography and fictional events. The book details a
journey by the author, with his friend Harris (a
character created for the book, and based on his
closest friend, Joseph Twichell),
through central and southern Europe
- “Sited in a hotel dining room in Lucerne, Twain
amusingly relates how he was recognized by "an
unexpected acquaintance" from years earlier and tried
to engage in conversation with her without ever
recalling who she was -- and how it backfired on him.”
(http://www.sumnerandstillman.com/)
I. BACKGROUND INFORMATION

4. II. GROUP DISCUSSION
1. Divide the class into 4 groups, to assigned
parts of the reading and the questions
related:
- Group 1: Chamois
- Group 2: Alpenstocks and Americans
- Group 3: The conversation with the woman
- Group 4: The conversation with Harris

5. III. CLASS DISCUSSION
2. WHAT-WHY-HOW STRATEGY
- WHAT: What is the story that
the narrator tells? (What is the
explicit construction and content
of the story)
- WHY: Why does the author tell
this story? (What does the
narrator implicitly criticize?)
- HOW: How does the author tell
his story? (What are the styles
and techniques that he
employs, in what details?)

6. II. GROUP DISCUSSION
2. WHAT-WHY-HOW STRATEGY
- WHAT: What is the story that
the narrator tells? (What is the
explicit construction and content
of the story)
- WHY: Why does the author tell
this story? (What does the
narrator implicitly criticize?)
- HOW: How does the author tell
his story? (What are the styles
and techniques that he
employs, in what details?)

7. III. CLASS DISCUSSION – WHAT
Group 3: The conversation with the woman Group 4: The conversation with Harris

8. III. CLASS DISCUSSION – WHAT
Group 1: Chamois Group 2: Alpenstocks and Americans

9. III. CLASS DISCUSSION – WHY
WHAT-WHY-HOW STRATEGY
- WHAT: What is the story that
the narrator tells? (What is the
explicit construction and content
of the story)
- WHY: Why does the author tell
this story? (What does the
narrator implicitly criticize?)
- HOW: How does the author tell
his story? (What are the styles
and techniques that he
employs, in what details?)

10. III. CLASS DISCUSSION - WHY
1. UNDERSTAND THE “WHY”
- What is the purpose of each part?
- Are the first and second parts necessary?
- How do they contribute the overall implicit
message of the author?
- What does the author criticize in
general?

11. III. CLASS DISCUSSION - WHY
2. UNDERSTAND MARK TWAIN
a. Mark Twain – the adventurist
- Observation
- Behavior
b. Mark Twain – the thinker
- Video: Mark Twain’s famous quotes
- Discussion
+ Mark Twain’s perspective shown in
the story
+ Do you agree or disagree with this
perspective?

12. III. CLASS DISCUSSION – HOW
WHAT-WHY-HOW STRATEGY
- WHAT: What is the story that
the narrator tells? (What is the
explicit construction and content
of the story)
- WHY: Why does the author tell
this story? (What does the
narrator implicitly criticize?)
- HOW: How does the author tell
his story? (What are the styles
and techniques that he
employs, in what details?)

13. III. CLASS DISCUSSION – HOW
1. UNDERSTAND THE “HOW”
- What is the tone of the story?
- What techniques does the author
employ in telling the story?
+ Satire?
+ Pun?
- Activity: Watch video: Compliments
for Mark Twain

14. III. CLASS DISCUSSION - HOW
“Aristophanes, Shakespeare, and Chaucer are the true humorists of our world. They
did not jest out
of season. Their humor is precious on account of its parsimony. […] Of the irreverence
that turns whatever is beautiful or noble into a stupid jest they knew nothing. They
kept their humor in its proper place; they used it for a wise purpose; they did not
degrade it to catch an easy round of applause; and, fortunately for them, they are
today refused the august title of humorist, which sits so aptly upon the shoulders of
Mark Twain.
The essence of humor is that it should be unexpected. The modern humorist is never
unexpected. He beats the drum from the moment at which he appears upon the stage. Mark
Twain brings whatever time has honored down to the level of a Yankee drummer. He finds
every custom ridiculous that does not conform with the standard of the United States.
He holds his sides when he thinks of the old masters. Nor does he understand that there
are certain manifestations of genius which should be sacred even for the jester. In
other words, Mark Twain the humorist is a bull in the china shop of ideas. When, as in
A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court, he gave full rein to his fancy, he
achieved such a masterpiece of vulgarity as the world has never seen. His book gives
you the same sort of impression which you might receive from a beautiful picture over
which a poisonous slug had crawled. The hint of magnificence is there, pitilessly
deformed and defaced. And it is the more pitiful because he has a talent which stands

15. 2. UNDERSTAND MARK TWAIN’S HUMOR
III. CLASS DISCUSSION – HOW
FOR (VIDEO) AGAINST (PASSAGE)
- The greatest American humorist of
his age
- The father of American literature
- Pun is the lowest kind of wit.
- Mark Twain’s style is
blasphemous and vulgar
- How humor assists the author in conveying his message in the story?

16. 2. UNDERSTAND MARK TWAIN’S HUMOR
III. CLASS DISCUSSION – HOW
- The amusing tone of the whole story VS the
seriousness of Harris
- The discussion about the chamois VS the
conversation between the man & the
woman
- …
Mark Twain never tells you the whole story.

17. IV. REVIEW
2. WHAT-WHY-HOW STRATEGY
- WHAT: What is the story that
the narrator tells? (What is the
explicit construction and content
of the story)
- WHY: Why does the author tell
this story? (What does the
narrator implicitly criticize?)
- HOW: How does the author tell
his story? (What are the styles
and techniques that he
employs, in what details?)

18. IV. REVIEW
An unexpected
acquaintance
Mark Twain
WHAT
? ?
WHY
? ?
HOW
? ?

19. IV. REVIEW
An unexpected
acquaintance
Mark Twain
WHAT 4 parts:
- Chamois
- Alpenstocks and Americans
- The first conversation
- The second conversation
Adventurist
- Observation
- Behavior
WHY Criticize aspects of human
nature
- Superficiality
- Excessive attention to
appearance and etiquette
Critical perspective
- Controversial quotes
HOW Humor
- Satire and pun
- Amusing tone
A critique of Mark Twain’s style
- The depth of humor
- Humor as a weapon

20. REFERENCE PAGE
1. All the information about Mark Twain and his book comes from Wikipedia:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mark_Twain
2. All the photos about Mark Twain comes from the official site of Mark Twain:
http://www.cmgww.com/historic/twain/
3. The photos about the conversations come from the movie Anna Karenina (2012)
http://www.showtimes.com/movies/anna-karenina-31078/
4. The photo about the chamois and the alpenstocks come from Wikipedia:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alpenstock
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chamois

21. THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION !