However, different voices begin to appear between 1910 to 1935 which is concluded as the controversy period。 The argumentation of this debate is focused on whether Mark Twain is an excellent American writer exactly as he is honored。  Van Wyck Brooks, the most influential person among those who are object to Mark Twain’s achievements, points out a new prospect in The Ordeal of Mark Twain that Twain’  writings is the product which gives in to the Puritan discipline, tradition of politeness and commercial ideal。 But Bernard Devoto, standing in the supportive side of Mark Twain refutes him with three reasons in his Mark Twain’s America。  First, Mark Twain’s western literature with ironic humor is essentially the humor of American style；second, a deep understanding of humanity can be found in Mark Twain’s humor and satire; third, Twain’s writings have covered a broad range of American life and contain Twain’s  pioneering spirit, which no other contemporary writers’ could compares with。 One of Mark Twain’s best friends Howells has published My Mark Twain (1910) and highly praised Mark Twain’s literary achievement。

After the fierce debate, scholars try to make more comprehensive and detailed studies of Mark Twain’s humor and satire。 So from 1930s until now, more mature and comprehensive does scholars’ study of his writings become。 Besides, cross-subject study leads scholars to a creative and new direction of the study of Mark Twain’s humor。 Mark Twain’s literary art in humor and satire of plotting, characterization and figures of speech are tightly integrated into the novel The Gilded Age。 How the charm of Mark Twain’s humor and satire is embodied in The Gilded Age and how he establishes his own set of writing methods in regard to humor and satire will be discussed in this paper。 

Chapter 1 The Background of Mark Twain and The Gilded Age

A。 The experience of Mark Twain and the background of American society in 19th century

Mark Twain, whose real name is Samuel Langhorne Clemens, is born in a poor rural family in Florida, Missouri。 He spends his happy and free childhood in this small town and his uncle’s farm village where he also spends a nice period of time with the children of slaves。 As his father died young, Twain’s mother supports their family hardly and her elegant behavior, optimistic attitude toward life and, most significantly, excellent skill of speech impact deeply on Mark Twain’s writing style as a humorous writer。 

Although Mark Twain does not have further education after his primary school for poorness, he has made great achievement in literature with which those professional scholars’ attainments cannot be compared。 After stop schooling, he becomes an apprentice in printing house。 In the meantime, he learns to write short essays himself and has chances to get in touch with all aspects of the United State, which turn into very important writing materials for his literary life latter。 After that Twain has changed many different jobs and has many different experiences。 During twain’s early life, he, before becoming a writer, has served as newspaper delivery boy, printer’s apprentice, pilot, solider, gold miner and lecturer。 And what is interesting is that it is just when he serves a pilot in Mississippi River that he gets the idea of his pen name “Mark Twain ”, a term signifying  “safe water” or “two fathoms deep”。 The inspiration stemming from his complicated and colorful working experiences last the length of his literary career。论文网

At his age of 27, Mark Twain starts his literary life as a professional journalist and a columnist of Territorial Enterprise。 In 1865 his famous work jumping frog Calaveras County, published in Saturday Evening Post, brings him his first success in literary circle and Twain begins to win his reputation as a humorous writer。  The success of this book and Mark Twain’s growing fame as a comic lecturer established him as American’s leading humorist。 Since then he publish some popular and salable books including：Running for Governor (1870), The Gilded Age (1872), The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (1876), The Prince and Pauper (1881), Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (1885)。