<h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" data-track="1" > Mark Twain</h1>
Mark Twain was a prominent representative of the 19th-century American critical realist writers. "Hard Years", "The Gilded Age", "The Man Who Corrupted Fort Hedley", "Million Pounds", "The Famous Leaping Frog That Emerged in Calafra", and "Thirty Thousand Dollars Legacy" are his masterpieces.
<h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" data-track="26" > Gilded Age</h1>
In the gilded age, Mark Twain's plot around the construction of the railroad, the opening of the waterway, and the opening of the university summarized the speculative fortune psychology that pervaded the United States at that time. The protagonist of the story is Colonel Cyrus, an energetic, generous, bombastic and adventurous man who, though poor, never gave up on his dream of getting rich.
In the tide of getting rich, he showed extreme enthusiasm for getting rich: "Get rich, you have to get rich no matter what, there is wealth everywhere in the air." He was led astray by the lie that "all men have equal opportunities" and "any shoe shine can be a millionaire", and he was forever intoxicated with adventure plans and illusory enterprises, thus depriving him of the minimum of humanity, and his family living in almost abject poverty for his illusory waiting.
<h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" data-track="28" > Million Pounds</h1>
"Million Pound Sterling" is one of Mark Twain's major works. The story takes place in Britain in the early 20th century, when a pair of wealthy brothers bet on a million pounds worth of cash to see if the bill will bring endless wealth or just a worthless "small piece of paper".
Henry Adams, a poor boy in the United States, came to London because he was out to sea and lost his way, and just when he was hungry and struggling to make a living, he met these two wealthy brothers, and incredibly: the brothers gave him a million pound bills, which was both a huge surprise for Henry, but also a huge "trap" - they used it to bet.
The rich brothers gave Adam million bills and agreed with him that for a month, Adam could use them at will. But after a month he had to return the money to the rich as it was, so that he could get whatever job the rich offered him. Adam accepted the agreement in a daze.
In the past, no matter how Adam went to eat or buy clothes, he would be blinded by people because of his ragged clothes. But when he took out the banknote, not only did the people give him a lot of courtesy, but even the associated fees could be reduced, because they saw Adam as a rich man, and no one could make change for a million-denomination banknote. After that, Henry's life underwent earth-shaking changes, his social status soared rapidly, countless people were flattered and co-opted, and his living environment was superior and luxurious. Finally, his position in society was constantly elevated, all the way up to the highest duke outside the royal family!
Not only that, but he also got a beautiful wife and thirty thousand pounds of bank interest, and got a good job from his two brothers and lived a happy life.
In this story, Mark Twain uses the irony and comedy he has always been good at to portray the ugliness of 19th-century American society that took money and put money first.
<h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" data-track="29" > The Man Who Corrupted Fort Hadley</h1>
"The Man Who Corrupted Fort Hadley" is a similar story, telling the story of a small town called Fort Hadley, seduced by a bag of fake gold, and gradually exposing the true face of greedy and gold worship by being known for its honesty and integrity.
From these works by Mark Twain, we can see the current state of American society from the 19th century to the early 20th century, a society that pursues fame and profit, advocates overnight wealth and rapid increase in wealth and poverty.
<h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" data-track="30" > The United States: a society in which capital is expanding rapidly and the gap between rich and poor is widening</h1>
In the second half of the 19th century, with the end of the American Civil War and the unfolding of industrialization, the United States ushered in an era of rapid development of the capitalist commodity economy. Industrialization unfolded on a large scale, cities continued to expand, and the population was concentrated. Industrialization, urbanization, and economic development became the most unique landscapes in the United States at that time.
After decades of development, the total industrial output value of the United States accounted for 15% of the world from 1860, ranking fourth to 1894, and the total industrial output value of the United States jumped to the first place in the world The United States became the world's largest industrialized country. In the early 20th century, the economy was the first in the world.
Of course, at the same time as economic development and social progress, various social problems gradually became prominent, the rapid expansion of the population and the process of urbanization gradually made it more and more difficult for people to gain a foothold, and those who were eager to abandon their agricultural life and devote themselves to the city quickly became the victims of all kinds of swindlers and despicable businessmen.
Due to the expansion of the urban population, many cities have gathered a large number of unemployed people who have no skills or ability to work, resulting in social problems such as poverty, vagrancy, and crime, while the people of the monopoly bourgeoisie enjoy a luxurious and comfortable life at this time.
All sorts of extravagant and bizarre ostentatious consumption: diamonds inlaid with diamonds; carriages and servants for beloved monkeys; ribbons for dogs to go for a walk in a four-wheeled carriage; $600,000 for a rich lady to buy a necklace, $65,000 for a dresser, and $75,000 for a telescope to watch a play.
In sharp contrast to the lavish lifestyle of the rich who find ways to squander their money is the tragic scene of lower-class workers struggling to survive, working long hours with meager wages, often facing harsh working conditions and the danger of death from work-related disabilities. Their living conditions are also worrying, dilapidated, dirty, dark and damp.
In short, in 19th-century America, everyone was fighting to the death with others in order to survive. In a brutal competition with others for status, honor, and wealth, traditional idealism was abandoned, and social customs, moral habits, and ideologies underwent earth-shaking changes.