英美短篇小-說Unit-6-Mr.Know-All-PPT課件

1、Unit 6 Mr. Know-AllW. Somerset MaughamW. Somerset MaughamBorn January 25, 1874, Paris, FranceDied December 16, 1965 (aged91), Nice, FranceOccupation Playwright, Novelist, Story WriterNotable works Of Human Bondage The Letter Rain The Razors Edge The Moon and Sixpence Childhood and education Maughams

2、 father was an English lawyer handling the legal affairs of the British embassy in Paris. Since French law declared that all children born on French soil could be conscripted for military service, arranged for William to be born at the embassy, technically on British soil, saving him from conscripti

3、on into any future French wars. His grandfather, another Robert, had also been a prominent lawyer and cofounder of the English Law Society, and it was taken for granted that William would follow in their footsteps. Maughams mother Edith Mary (ne Snell) was consumptive, a condition for which the doct

4、ors of the time prescribed childbirth. As a result Maugham had three older brothers, already enrolled in boarding school by the time he was three and Maugham was effectively raised as an only child. Childbirth proved no cure for tuberculosis, and Edith Mary Maugham died at the age of 41, six days af

5、ter the stillbirth of her final son.The death of his mother left Maugham traumatized for life, and he kept his mothers photograph by his bedside until his own death at the age of 91 in Nice, France. William was sent back to England to be cared for by his uncle, Henry MacDonald Maugham, the Vicar of

6、Whit stable, in Kent. The move was catastrophic. Maugham was miserable both at the vicarage and at school. As a result, he developed a talent for applying a wounding remark to those who displeased him. This ability is sometimes reflected in the characters that populate his writings. In 1947, Maugham

7、 instituted the Somerset Maugham Award, awarded to the best British writer or writers under the age of thirty-five of a work of fiction published in the past year. Notable winners include V. S. Naipaul, Kingsley Amis, Martin Amis and Thom Gunn. On his death, Maugham donated his copyrights to the Roy

8、al Literary Fund. Literary achievementsMaughams literary achievements also lie with his short stories. Many of them portray the conflict of Europeans in alien surroundings that provoke strong emotions, and Maughams skill in handling plot, in the manner of Guy de Maupassant, is distinguished by econo

9、my and suspense. Maughams philosophy of life is usually reflected in these works as a resigned atheism and a certain skepticism about the extent of mans innate goodness and intelligence; it is this that gives his work its astringent cynicism. THE STORYMr. Know- All is a story with a moral lesson. Th

10、e subject is simple. A rich British merchant of Oriental origin, called Mr. Kelada, meets a group of Westerners on a ship sailing across the Pacific Ocean. His cabin-mate, a British citizen who is the nameless narrator of the story, dislikes Mr. Kelada even before he sees him. However, at the end of

11、 the story Mr. Kelada, the Levantine jeweler, proves to be a real gentleman when he sacrifices his own pride and reputation to save an American ladys marriage. As a result, he earns the respect of the narrator.As one of Maughams most famous short stories , Mr. Know- All tries in a cynical way to cri

12、ticize the social and racial bias, as well as the hypocrisy of the Western social etiquette. Starting from a narrator with a Euro-centric mind, the writer sets out to present to the reader the ingenuousness and straightforwardness of the Levantine Mr. Kelada. One thing worth noticing is that the rea

13、der is always unconsciously being manipulated by the writer, who leads us to feel first against the main character, Mr. Kelada, and then discover his true and good characteristics. Details serve as the tools which assist us towards a better understanding of the human nature. Maugham touches here upo

14、n a few aspects of the Western characters, such as racism, the self-imposed importance , the affectedness of social manners, and in a less direct but more powerful way, money and its relationship with sex.Mrs. Ramsays suspected adultery is treated almost permissively, and in line with her prettiness

15、 and seemingly modest demeanour, as well as the pomposity and stupidity of her husband indicates Maughams deep disappointment with the human conditions.THE SETTINGTime- a short time after World War I. It is mentioned for two reasons. First, itjustifies the accidental meeting in the same cabin of the

16、 narrator and Mr. Kelada. Thepassenger traffic on the ocean-liners was heavy, so the narrator had to agree to share a cabin with a person he disliked. Second, it may give us a possible reason for the narrators unjustified antagonism towards Mr. Kelada. Usually, during periods of war, feelings of pre

17、judice and dislike for foreigners grow stronger.Place it takes place on a ship in INTERNATIONAL WATERS a neutral place. The journey for the USA to Japan takes 14 days. The ship becomes the symbol of the world with people who are prejudiced and even racists.THE CHARACTERSThe characters may be divided

18、 into different groups:The major characters: Mr. Kelada and the narratorThe minor characters: Mr. And Mrs. Ramsay, and the doctor.The prejudiced: the narrator and Mr. Ramsay.The non-prejudiced: Mr. Kelada, the doctor and Mrs.Ramsay.The Oriental: Mr. KeladaThe Westerners: Mr. And Mrs. Ramsay and the

19、narrator.The characters are described by their appearance and characteristics, except for the narrator.THE NARRATION- point of viewThe story is told in the first person the narrator sees everything and is a part of theplot.In the first episode , where he meets with Mr. Kelada, the narrator is more a

20、ctive, and involved. He observes, comments and judges Mr. Kelada as he sees him through his own eyes. Since he is influenced by his prejudiced society, his judgments are subjective.In the second episode , involving the necklace examination, the narrator is less involved. He is like a cameraman who t

21、akes photos and writes down what he hears objectively After the chain examination is over, the narrator becomes subjective again.In the last episode, the narrator discovers Mr. Keladas true character. As a result, he undergoes a change he realizes that people should not be judged by their looks butb

22、y their actions and character. It is the narrator who closes the story.CRISIS and TURNING POINT OF THE STORYThe cultured pearls topic is the crisis of the story. The heated argument between Mr.Ramsay and Mr. Kelada reveals their true characters.Mr. Ramsay appears to be a prejudiced person who does h

23、is best “to have a fling at the Levantine”.Mrs. Ramsays character is also revealed as being insincere in her relationship with her husband, whom she had been deceiving. When she was alone in New York for a year, she probably had a lover who gave her the expensive pearls. Nevertheless, she has the de

24、cency to secretly return to Mr. Kelada his “l(fā)ost” money.Mr. Kelada , who has been considered a pushy, inconsiderate and vulgar person, turns out to be a real gentleman who saves Mrs. Ramsays marriage.The narrator also undergoes a change. When he realizes that Mr. Kelada behaves considerately with Mr

25、s. Ramsay, he says “At that moment, I did not entirely dislikeMr. Kelada.” Suddenly, he becomes aware that it is not the right way to judge people. This is the moral lesson of the story.REAL PEARLS and CULTURE PEARLSAt first glance, real pearls and cultured pearls look the same. But only a closerins

26、pection can reveal what is real and what is imitation.The same goes for people.People from the same nationality seem the same. But only when we get to know them, we see that each person is different. For example, the narrator in the story dislikes Mr.Kelada because of his name, luggage, appearance a

27、nd nationality. However, when he sees the true character of Mr. Kelada, he realizes that prejudice is not the right way tojudge people. Therefore, the saying DONT JUDGE A BOOK BY ITS COVER is relevant here.The characteristics of Mr KeladaFrom the narrators perspective in Mr Know-All, Mr Kelada is bo

28、isterous, nosy and thinks he knows everything. This is why the other passengers call him Mr Know-All, apparently intending to demean him, but he takes it as a compliment. The fact that he is everywhere and always is something of an irritation to the narrator who cant even find his own seat at dinner

29、 as Mr Kelada has arranged him a seat at his table. The narrators prejudice is based on several cultural differences between him and Mr. Kelada:a) A total stranger should address a gentleman with Mr. and be formal.b) A gentleman shouldnt be pushy.c) A gentleman should be modest.d) A gentleman should

30、 keep quiet during meals.e) A gentleman shouldnt be too chatty and argumentative.f) A gentleman shouldnt show off and boast about his super knowledge.g) A gentleman shouldnt be too dogmatic.Mr. Kelada was a person that seemed to know everything and was involved in everything, not sensing that he was

31、 disliked by everybody. He was very chatty and talked as if he had been superior to everybody else. The passengers mocked him and called him Mr. Know - All even to his face.He is happy to share his illegal liquor which, during Prohibition was an offence. Interestingly, the narrator, whilst consisten

32、tly stating his dislike of Mr Kelada, takes the drink willingly - a little hypocritically actually- as, for his own reasons, the narrator expects Mr Kelada to treat him with more respect, using mister before his name. Mr Kelada has no airs and graces and it is not disrespect, it is just his familiar

33、ity - which he has with all the passengers.Mr Kelada is not shy to share his knowledge but this makes him seem arrogant as he is the chap who knew never expecting to be wrong, nor admitting to it until he is faced with a dilemma when exchanging his expertize with the Ramseys. He is an expert on pear

34、ls as he is in the trade and rightly recognizes Mrs Ramseys expensive string of pearls around her neck. Mr Ramsey argues that they are fake and the two men wager a bet. Mr Kelada, uncharacteristically, backs down and admits his mistake on seeing Mrs Ramseys wide and terrified eyes. Keladas recogniti

35、on that she may have a secret from her husband, thereby allowing himself to be ridiculed, is a very honorable gesture and Mrs Ramsey is saved the embarrassment of exposure in front of all these people.For all his hearty, jovial, loquacious (very talkative) and argumentative behavior, being quite a n

36、uisance and source of irritation and liking to always be right, Mr Kelada proves his worth when he does not interfere in the Ramseys business. He would rather place himself at the centre of this fine joke revealing a side to his character that would otherwise have gone unnoticed. This story shows that first impressions are often misleading and that appearances are sometimes deceptive. Mr. Kelada w