论文总字数：27796字

摘 要

《百万英镑》是一篇世界著名的短篇小说，由美国著名作家马克·吐温所写，他是人类历史上的巨星之一。同时也是美国有名的幽默家。写过杰出的传记作品，旅行日记及小说。

《百万英镑》写于1893年。讲述了一个故事，一个身无分文的年轻人，亨利。从两个怪异的老绅士那里得到了一张百万英镑。人们处处尊敬他，为他提供住处以及给他其他方便。最后，亨利不仅得到了20万英镑，而且娶了一位年轻又漂亮的女士。美国当时正处于工业革命时期。享乐主义席卷全国。人们十分重视物质，也想挣更多更多钱。此外，社会也以财富划分等级。

首先，这篇论文对作者以及小说作了简要介绍。然后分析了拜金主义的详细含义。拜金主义指人们十分爱钱，就像他们爱自己的偶像那样。并且，他们把钱作为第一要义以及最重要的东西。

然后，本篇论文结合小说分析了拜金主义的具体含义。有三点，首先，金钱可以决定人的命运：因为有了百万英镑,亨利的命运就被彻底的改变了。第二点，金钱可以影响人的地位，因为有钱，亨利的社会地位越来越高。第三点，金钱可以带来好姻缘：亨利在晚宴上与朗汉姆小姐一见钟情，而这个晚宴是上等人才能参加的。

关键词： 百万英镑 拜金 亨利

1. Introduction

1.1 About the Author

Mark Twain was born in 1835 in Florida. Twain’s real name was Samuel Clemens, “Mark Twain”, which means “two fathoms deep and safe water”. This is a call used by sailors on the Mississippi to warn shipmates that they were coming into shallow water.

There are many tragic events in his later life: the failure of his investments, his fatiguing travels and lectures in order to pay off his debts, and added to this, the death of his wife and two daughters which left him absolutely inconsolable. Some critics link these tragic events with the change of style in his later works, from an optimist and humorist to an almost despairing determinist

Twain's views became more radical as he grew older. He acknowledged that his views changed and developed over his life. He was Anti-Imperialism. Besides, He was critical of imperialism .He supported the labor movement, especially one of the most important unions, the Knights of Labor. Twain was opposed to vivisection practices of his day. Although Twain was a Presbyterian, he was sometimes critical of organized religion and certain elements of Christianity through his later life.

Mark Twain died of illness on April 21, 1910. When he passed away, newspapers around the country declared: “The whole world is mourning.” By then, Sam Clemens was no longer a private citizen. He had become Mark Twain, a proud possession of the American nation.

Mark twain was one of superstars in human history whose works often reveal many truth in many political essays and therefore his works are a mirror of America. He was also one of the greatest artists of all time. He was an authentic giant of our national literature. Twain’s humor is as popular today as at any time in American history.

He was America’s most famous humorist and the author of popular and outstanding autobiographical works, travel books and novels.

Twain began his career writing light, humorous verse, but evolved into a chronicler of the vanities, hypocrisies and murderous acts of mankind. At mid-career, with Huckleberry Finn, he combined rich humor, sturdy narrative with social criticism in his works. Twain was a master at rendering colloquial speech and helped to create and popularize a distinctive American literature built on American themes and language. Many of Twain's works have been suppressed at times for various reasons.

He wrote works of various types, such as novels, non-fictions, stories. For example, some novels, such as The Gilded Age, The Adventures of Tom sawyer, and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. There are some non-fictions, such as The Innocents Abroad. His stories include the Million pound bank note.

Among those works, he laughed at, satirized and refuted people’s attitude to money. He also felt sick of the social frightfulness .He described this story in a special humorous way. Besides humor, we can also enjoy a relaxation, optimism, and humorous style.

1.2 About the Novel

This novel was written in 1893. The story tells about a poor but honest American Adam Henry. One day, he ventured too far, and was carried out to sea. However, he was lucky enough to be picked up by a small brig which was bound for London.

He was so hungry and seedy walking along the Portland place. And he even wanted to pick up a pear thrown by a little child. At this point, two men noticed him. The two men, making a bet about the results after he got a million-pound bank note at once. One of them thought the note would count for nothing to the poor man because he could not prove the money was his own while the other considered just as the opposite.

Dramatically, the plot was just out of our expectations. Henry went to a restaurant to have dinner first. The manager paid no attention to him at first but his attitude changed quickly when Henry gave the note to the manager and asked for a change. Upon looking the million pound bank note, he was too astonished and apologized again and again and told Henry that he did not need to give the money to him at present. So Henry got a free dinner at last.

The same thing happened again when Henry went to a clothing shop. At first, the clerk saw henrys’ clothing was very shabby, so the clerk did not introduce any clothing to him. Henry was paid no attention to. Later, Henry said that he did not take any changes with him. The clerk even laughed at him, saying he did not expect gentleman like him to carry large change. Henry was very angry about the words. He took the note. Instantly, the boss changed his expression, and he received the note with a smile. The clerks and the boss gave smart, modern suits to Henry. At the same time, they measured Henry, expecting to do more deals with Henry. Henry got a new suit free of charge for the second time.

Like the plot above, people were very curious about the rich man, and they tried every means to pander to him. They provided him with free food, free cloths, and free accommodation. At the same time, his social status was becoming higher and higher. Almost every person in the city showed respect for him. Besides, Henry knew a beautiful young lady in a party and fell in love with him. I could imagine that a bright future was waiting for him.

The Million Pound Bank Note is a novella. The novel is a satire on the idea that money can do everything, exposing the ugly face and the black rule. This novel, reflecting people’s worship to money in the late 19^th century, showed us the darkness of the society. Mark Twain gave us a description of a typical and evil capital society under the money worship. Furthermore, he used specific artistic methods, depicting the main theme---strong money worship was caused by evil and ugly capitalism.

2 Literature Review

Mark Twain said all men worshipped rank, some worshipped heroes, some worshipped power, and some worshipped God. They disputed these ideals, but they all worshipped money.

Kates Smith Anne said the following words in the article everyone has a money hand-up.

Money worshipers are convinced that the key to happiness and the solution to all of their problems are to have more money. At the same time, they believe that one can never have enough. Money worshipers are more likely to have lower income, lower net worth and credit card debt. They are more likely to spend compulsively, hoard possessions and put work ahead of family. They may give money to others even though they can't afford it or be financially dependent on others. (Anne 5)

Besides, we’re all motivated by money beliefs, many of which we form in childhood. In the same way that a script informs an actor in a play, these money scripts inform our financial life...” (Anne 3) That is to say, money worship may form in our childhood. Of course, there are also other reasons contributing to the formation of money worship.

At that time, the 19^th century, a great number of goods were produced in the period of Industrial Revolution. There is no denying that the consuming society time was coming. The hedonism was gradually spreading in the whole country. People could not stop pursing the material on enjoyment. The material is not just the prime need of life, but also the symbol of status. People were divided into the high and the low according to the money that they owned. They were eager to have more and more money. And our story is just happening against the background of this situation.

The whole story is about the fate of the man and the million pound bank note. One penniless man got high status and other’s respect because of owning the million pound bank note. Cheng Hui, a Chinese girl, said “with the extraordinary usage of dramatic exaggeration and ironic humor, Mark Twain brings us into a magic capital world and in that society. Human minds have been distorted mentally by this crazy money worship and cruel capital system.”(Cheng Hui 87)

3. Money Worship

3.1 Definition of Money Worship

The money worship can be called mammonism. It means that people like money very much, just like they love their heroes. Besides, they see money as their priorities and the primary things. Money worship was originally and then developed when the Europe become a place of original capital accumulation. In order to get money, in order to complete Primitive Accumulation of Capital, they plundered and exploited the people of the colonial countries. They sold the black slaves and opium. Marx has pointed that when the capitalist came to the world, from the head to the feet, every pore has blood and dirty things.

Secondly, money worshipers tend to earn lots of things (usually illegal) with abundant money. For example, capitalist exploit workers by the way of money. Besides, capitalist can gain rights easily if he got enough money. Moreover, money worship is famous for its bringing money into interpersonal relations and policies and makes it as the top priority of the ethics and values. Engels pointed out that capitalist divide people into the low and the high according to money that they owned .If we say the person is worth ten thousand pound, that is to say, he owns ten thousand pound money. The person who owns money should be respected and they belong to the upper class. From the perspective of the people, sorrows, happiness, awards and shame should be valued by money. Friedrich Von Engels said：in the eye of the capitalists, all the things ‘s presence is just because of money , including themselves, theirs presence is just for earning money . They do not know other things which can make them feel happy except for earning money; they do no know other things which can make them feel sad besides losing money.

For example, in China, before we have implemented reform and opening policies in our country. There are fewer money worshipers. However, after we have implemented reform and opening policies. The phenomenon of money worship also spread in our country.

3.2 Interpretation of Money Worship

Money can do everything .Besides, Money is the most valuable things in the world. It has the very value that is surpassing anything. With abundant money, we can buy anything, and we can make our dreams come true. Just like William Shakespeare said in the Timor of Athens “Money can make black into white. making ugly into beautiful, making wrong into right, making the inferior into superior, making the elderly into the youth，making the coward into the brave people.”

Money worshipers are eager to make money, by hook or crook. In order to make money, they can sacrifice their friendship. They can break up the law, regardless the national interests. If they can get the 50% benefits, they will take a risk. If they are longing for getting the 100% benefits, they will break up all the laws in the world. If there is a 300% benefit, they dare to commit any crimes and even at the risk of hanging. Even the osseous remains of the saints can be commercialized

Because Money is the only rule that can evaluate everything, money worshipers see money as the only standard that evaluates person’s values. They also regard money as the ultimate aims and whole contents. They think that: the people’s whole value is totally evaluated by the money. They want to make money in order to make themselves more valuable. On the other hand, they spend money like water, to show their “value”.

4. Money Worship in The Million Pound Bank Note

4.1. Money Determining People’s Fates

Different people’s fates are vividly reflected in this novel. Such as: Henry, Hastings. After long deliberation, I consider that it has something to do with money

At the beginning of the novel, we knew that Henry was a mining –broker’s clerk in San Francisco and an expert at stock market. Thus, we can conclude that Henry was not a rich man by nature. He was just an ordinary person that depended on himself.

And we can find other clues to verify it. In the eleventh chapter of the novel: we can find this words said by Hastings.

This is a surprise. Once or twice I've seen your own name coupled with the nickname, but it never occurred to me that you could be the Henry Adams referred to. Why, it isn't six months since you were clerking away for Blake Hopkins in Frisco on a salary, and sitting up nights on an extra allowance, helping me arrange and verify the Gould and Curry Extension papers and statistics. The idea of your being in London, and a vast millionaire, and a colossal celebrity! (Twain 7)

So, we find that Henry was not rich then, living a harsh life. However, some thing unexpected happened to him. One day he went sailing and was carried out to sea, picked up by a boat sailing for London. He was given a million-pound bank note by two odd men. And he experienced many things because of this note. In the restaurant, when Henry took out the note, not only was he was astonished by it, but also the boss. He was worshiping, with his body and soul. Moreover, the boss said that Henry could have anything he wanted, any time he chose. The same thing happened repeatedly in the clothing shop. Henry got new suits free of charge.

The things that the money brought to Henry were more than those we have referred to. “I drifted naturally into buying whatever I wanted, and asking for change. Within a week I was sumptuously equipped with all needful comforts and luxuries, and was housed in an expensive private hotel in Hanover Square.” We can see drastic change before Henry owning this note and after owning this note. All this will happen just because Henry owned a great number of money. So people adored him, they wanted to know him and made friends with him. They even expected to get some help or some return from him in some days.

However, if we look at the fate of Hastings, we can see the huge difference. He was an American who came to London to pursue money. However, compared with Henry, his fate was obviously not so smooth. “He had come to England with what he thought was a grand opportunity; he had an "option" to sell the Gould and Curry Extension for the "locators" of it, and kept all he could get over a million dollars. He had worked hard. And he had pulled every wire he knew of. However, he had no money left and spent nearly all the money he had in the world. However, he had not been able to get a solitary capitalist to listen to him,” Hastings had spent all the money he had in the world. He was not rich as before. So no people trusted him. However, this condition changed quickly when Hastings used Henry‘s name freely to sell out the mine. Then we see, in less than twenty-four hours, lots of people asked Henry questions about the mine, and lots of people bought the mine. These people, who did not trust Hastings, but trust Henry, just because Henry had abundant money.

4.2 Money Affecting People’s Status

After reading this novel, one thing that touches me is that money can greatly affect people’s status. The hero of this novel, Henry, is a good example.

Henry was a poor and young man, working as a clerk in a mining-broker in San Francisco. At that time, he had no origins of noble. His status was very low. However, after being given the million pound bank note. He was kindly treated by other people in different places, such as restaurant, clothing shop. He could buy anything that he wanted to buy without paying any money. Moreover, Henry’s status obviously accelerated

At first, in these mentions, I was at the bottom of the personal-gossip column; next, I was listed above the knights, next above the baronets, next above the barons, and so on, and so on, climbing steadily, as my notoriety augmented, until I reached the highest altitude possible, and there I remained, taking precedence of all dukes not royal, and of all ecclesiastics except the primate of all England. (Twain 19)

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