Mark Twain’s Ethic Reflection In Pudd’nhead Wilson And The Prince And The Pauper

Mark Twain is an outstanding humorist, orator as well as writer in America. He isthe first writer who creates the character of American style and is praised by WilliamFaulkner as the father of American literatureμ and commented by contemporaryrealistic writer William Dean Howells as the Lincoln in our literature.μIn Twain·s Pudd’nhead Wilson (1894) and The Prince and the Pauper (1881),there is a common phenomenon that is cross-identity caused by exchange of clothes.What Twain wants to express, behind the special planning of the plot, is his tactfulexpression of ethic reflection on race and class.By applying the method of Ethical Literary Criticism, this thesis intends to digout Twain·s ethic reflection expressed in Pudd’nhead Wilson and The Prince and thePauper. It starts from the analysis of race ethic and class ethic in Twain·s time. Thenthis thesis focuses on the analysis of Twain·s expressions of race ethic in Pudd’nheadWilson and class ethic in The Prince and the Pauper. By making textual analysis ofthe two novels, this thesis tries to not only find out Twain·s attitude towards the racialethic and class ethic in his time but also his own view of them.Based on above analysis, this thesis reaches the conclusion that Twain shows hisquestion about racial ethic and objection to class ethic in his time. Instead of agreeingwith the ethic notion that in terms of nature, the whites are born superior to the blacksand the upper class are superior to the lower class, Twain holds the view that there isno difference between whites and blacks, upper class and lower class in terms ofnature. What·s more, Twain even conveys his own ethic reflection that it is educationone receives and environment one situates in that influence one·s character. Twain·sexpression of ethic reflection on race and class possesses certain progressive significance notonly in eliminating racial and class discrimination but also in advocating equality ofeveryone, which has positive inspiration for the building of an equal human society.