As an American writer, elocutionist, Mark Twain influences the literary circle and thewhole world with his extraordinary work. His original name is Samuel Langhorne Clemens.Mark Twainis his pseudonym, which was the term used by the sailors in Mississippi to express the depth of the water measured on the channel. When he was 12 years old, his father passed away, leaving him alone to drop out from school. He worked as an unskilled laborer. Later he changed many professionals such as a navigator in Mississippi, a miner, and a correspondent. Gradually he began to record some interesting short act thus started his writing career. Through all his life,Mark Twaincreated massive of works, concerning novel, play, prose and poetry. His representative works areThe Million Pound Bank Note,Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, andThe adventures of Tom Sawyer.Mark Twainis the founder of Realistic Criticism Literary.
Why did he write this novel? We can see some reflection in his own experience. Born poor and severe, he worked with perseverance and commitment. So the protagonist himself is striving for life before meeting that“good luck”. Connected with all the horizon of the writer himself, the novel is composed on the background of the author’s era, the gold fever.
Narrated through first person perspective, the story tells us a sarcastic personal experience. Let me put it into the third person perspective. Two wealthy brothers living in the Britain society, they always find something interesting to argue about and make a bet. As we all know about the old saying:“Nothing can’t be settled by a bet”. There exists a million bank note not being canceled by the authority together with the other, the same one made for some special purpose such as public transaction with a foreign country. The two brothers want to see how this unconverted bank note work in he hand of an honest and poor man. Quickly they find their target and they make a bet and make their plan work perfectly without any interruption. The man, holding this bank note, borrows, consumes and obtains many things, food, clothes, accommodation and fame. He becomes a heat in the city and on the press. One day he goes to the American minister to fulfill his duty. Amazingly he meets his beloved girl. And also his old friend. He tells his story to his girl and promises that he will earn enough salary to give her a good life. Knowing his experience, the girl snickers for some certain reason. His friend is admirable of his good fortune and plead to lend him some money and let Henry to do some business in his company. Finally Henry makes a deposit of 200,000 pound. When the day comes to visit the wealthy brothers and return back the bank note, Henry bring his beloved girl with him. He knows eventually one of the man is the girl’s step-father. That’s why the girl laughs when hearing his story. Henry will marry this girl. That’s the end of this story.
The brothers :Wealthy people are always finding some recreation from his life. They squander their fortune and at all kinds of ways they quest fulfillment in life. The bothers are people of this kind. They can’t get their satisfaction from the boring life. So they search for new tricks. How can I understand their mental stage? But actually I find this plan worth trying. They are interesting men. Ordinary people in this world are miraculous and unpredictable. These two brothers, through trial and error, they test how Henry will react toward this unexpected fortune. They creates this great temptation for little Henry. But actually this cheque can’t be converted. That’s what really matters. A big fortune that can not be used means the daydream of thousands of Americans. They want to get money in a distant graciously but absolutely they get nothing at all. This is a dilemma for Henry and thousands of Americans. The bothers are people who can decide the fate of ordinary people.. More importantly, they are the rule makers. They make this trap and entertain themselves. But through this they see how competent the people are faced with abnormal conditions. So the brother are the winner for their discovery---men are capable in all miserable conditions.
Herry :With courage and perseverance, Henry emboldens himself and makes himself competent in many aspects. That’s the hidden cue why Henry can make it in the difficulty situations. The little Henry, a combination of luck and adversity, a practice of the brothers’plan, works out the somewhat a trick perfectly. This bank note gives him courage and strength. He knows he must survive from hungry and cold to prove that the trick is absolutely a fake that is destined to fail. He borrows food, everything he needs using this unreal cheque. I can’t understand what kind of mental stage drives him to be so confident that he believes he can pay back what he owes after a month. He is not afraid of being seized on the spot at all. But here’s the first reason, he’s helpless and he has no choice. He must take his chance to get some food to stuff his hole-like stomach. He shouldn’t die of starvation. Second, he hold the will to prove the brothers’trick. Third, Henry, himself, accumulates enough skills to support himself. His is not scared om front of misfortune. He trusts himself. He know he can make it when his friend proposes to do a business. So he really make it and make it successfully, which wins the admiration from the brothers and his beloved girl. So opportunities are everywhere, be prepared at any condition for fear that it may slip away without your noticing.
The Friend :Don’t regret about your choice. Everyone has his own fate and his own fortune. You won’t be the second Henry. There also won’t be some wealthy people who want to play the same trick on you.
A good story reveals the common life and arouses our common feeling. This a marvelous middle page novel, reveling some social phenomenon---people’s lust for wealth under the Gold Fever. The author himself is a member of these common people, searching for bills and good fortune. But fortunately he can write with his pen, which similarly makes him good reputation and big wealth.
So, in a word, there’s no such a thing as a free lunch, you should either have the talent or the endeavor for good life. Good luck for you all !
