conflicts and reconciliation in “the man that corrupted hadleyburg”

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1、ConflictsandReconciliationin“TheManThatCorruptedHadleyburg”　　【Abstract】Tosaythat“TheManThatCorruptedHadleyburg”isoneofTwain’sfinestandmostsignificantworkswouldprobablyprovokelittleargument.However，therearefewindependentstudiesofthisstory，andwhereitisconsideredingeneralstudiesofTwain’sart，itisun

2、usuallygivenlittlemorethanpassingattentionasacynicalandpessimisticstoryonhumannaturereflectingthedeepeningdespairofhislateryears.However，thispaperintendstoexploreconflictsbetweenabstractmoralvaluesandempiricalmoralvalues，conscienceandheart，alsothemethodtoreconciliatetheseconflicts.　　【Keywords】h

3、onesty；conscience；experience　　I.HonestyinTrainingVS.HonestyinPractice　　SomecriticshaveexaminedTwain’sschemeofbiblicaltypologyinthestoryandhaveidentifiedthemysteriousstrangerasSatanwhoenterstheironicEdenofHadleyburgtotemptEdwardandMaryRichards，the“patheticmiddle-agedAdamandEve”tosin.Thestrangers

4、eemstobeaviciousman，aSatanwhowantstomakethedownfallofHadleyburg.Humannaturehasthepotentialtobepettyandselfishaswellasnobleandkind.Thusthetownbecomesobsessedwithvanityoveritsemptyandnowunearnedreputation，itspreoccupationwithpreservingthatreputationbyexcludingthetemptationstodishonestynotonlyfail

5、sbutalsoleavesothervicesfreetodevelopunchecked.　　II.onscienceVS.IndividualHeart　　AsTwainpointsoutinthecontemporaneous“WhatIsMan？”，“Corn-PoneOpinions”and“TheUnitedStatesofLyncherdom”：‘theSoleImpulsewhichdictatesandcompelsaman’severyact：theimperiousnecessityofsecuringhisownapproval，ineveryemergen

6、cyandatallcosts’usuallyinvolvesnotonlythedispositiontodowhateverwillgainpublicapprovalbutalso“man’scommonestweakness，hisaversiontobeingunpleasantlyconspicuous，pointedat，shunned，asbeingontheunpopularside.”ThetownmeetingrevealsthedishonestyoftherestoftheNineteen，butfortheRichardsesitmeansonlymore

7、temptationandfurtherconflictbetweenthevaluesoftheirconsciencesandtheirpassionforpublicfavor.ThereisnotanindividualEdwardorMary，sincetheyalwaysliveunderthevainandreputationofthehonestHadleyburg.　　III.Experience―TheStranger’sMachina