Mark Twain Essay

Mark Twain's Influence On American Literature
"Truth is stranger than fiction, but it is because Fiction is obliged to stick to possibilities; Truth
isn't." This is one of many of quotes from the well–known 1900 century American writer Mark
Twain. He was a down–to–earth person in his writing and in his persona. That is why he is one of
Americans greatest literature writers and/or heroes ever. Mark Twain's history and the background he
has is unique, his accomplishments are very important to literature, and the legacy he left behind in
Americans literature continues to live on to this day.
First off, Mark Twain started writing at a very young age. His life's history and background have
shaped the way his career was going to go, even if he didn't know it at the time. When he was a
young...show more content...
Mark Twain's work has left a lasting impression on American literature. He has changed the way
Americans writing and storytelling. "Who translated his frank and fearless experiences into fiction
that would shape the American literary scene (Bennett–Bealer)." With Mark Twain writing and
different realistic style, he shaped Americans literature writing for the better. His books are still
being read and taught in schools. "[Huckleberry Finn] has become one of the most widely read and
taught novels in American literature (Erskine 2330)." He has a lasting impact that teachers still
teach his meaning in schools today. Mark Twain didn't sugar coat anything in his writing. "In fact,
the majority of his short fiction takes it cue from the situations and relationships found in the home
or tightly knit community or small town (Werlock)." He took real life situations and added them into
his stories, he didn't sugar coat anything. That might be another reason why his writing had a lasting
impact on American Literature. Mark Twain has shaped American literature. That's why he is very
important to
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Mark Twain Conclusion
Mark Twain
"Let us endeavour so to live so that when we come to die even the undertaker will be sorry."
вЂ• Mark Twain
Mark Twain was an influential writer, who not only wrote books with a sense of humour, but also
with an intellect like no one else. He wrote many books, of which "The Adventure of Tom Sawyer"
and its sequel, "Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" have become timeless classics. This essay will give
a description of Mark Twain's life, his written literature and what his work has done for the literary
world.
When Mark Twain was born in 1835, he got the name Samuel Langhorne Clemens. Around 1863 he
later legally changed his name to Mark Twain, when he worked as a riverboat pilot. In his
childhood, Mark Twain grew up in Hannibal, along...show more content...
Mark Twain always came up with quotes from his books, and because of an intense curiosity I
started reading his two classics. These books made me feel a variation of emotions, such as
happiness and acute desire to learn history and many more. He had an abrupt way of telling
things as they were, and a lot of people, including me, were and are drawn to his stories because
they do not refine people or society. His tranquil literary style has given these books a sense of
rawness to the emotions his characters feel in his books, and the fact that Mark Twain is able to
transmit these emotions that goes to the roots of human nature, through only pieces of paper is one
of the many reasons why he is an author that almost everybody knows of. He has not only opened
many people's eyes, but also motivated great authors, such as Ernest Hemingway and William
Falkner. Mark Twain is able to create characters that can see their environment from several
perspectives, a great talent to have and it teaches everybody who reads "The Adventures of
Huckleberry Finn", and "The Adventure of Tom Sawyer" the basic intuition of seeing things from
other people's perspective.
To conclude, Mark Twain is still relevant today and he teaches people the importance of empathy,
but also gives an insight to how unjust the society was before. He has written many great things, a
lot of them based on humour, such as "The Adventures of

Mark Twain Research Paper
Life and Works of Mark Twain
Introduction
Mark Twain is considered as one of the most renowned authors of his time. He attained worldwide
success, very early in his professional career. Twain was mostly known for writing realistic novels,
in which the language and the mindset of the people reflected the traditions and values of their
environment. As he spent ample time near the Mississippi River, the symbolism of the river and its
significance is reflected in his books. Overall, Mark Twain was a celebrated author, who relied on
realistic reflections of his own observations, with an added mixture of humor.
Discussion
Mark Twain was mostly known for his accurate account of his surroundings. After spending his
childhood near the...show more content...
Twain was open in his works. He was bold and was not bound by environmental limitations. He
openly mocked the things, which he considered to be damaging to the society. This is also reflected
in "A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court", where he mocks the Church of justifying social
inequality. The Yank is portrayed as a realist or an idealist, who encourages human progress and
technology. This also reflects the mindset of Twain, who always opposed the things, which he did
not believe in. Background
The Greatest American Humorist Mark Twain's birth took place in Florida, 1985, on the 30th of
November. He was named Samuel Langhorne Clemens by his parents, Jane Lampton and John
Marshall Clemens. After few years of his birth, the whole family shifted to Hannibal, a small
town of Mississippi. After his father's demise, Twain started working as an apprentice to the
printer, in order to earn money, which intended for his family. He was initially appointed in his
brother's company, named Orion and managed to attain considerably success. Later, he went to
St. Louis to serve as a printer in a firm but instead became a river pilot's apprentice and later a
licensed river pilot in 1858. Mark Twain started his journey of fame and recognition when the
publishing of "The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County" was done in 1865. The
Innocents Abroad was the first book by him. After the huge success and brilliant sale of these books,
he wrote about 28

Essay on A Brief Biography of Mark Twain
Samuel Langhorne Clemens was born on November 30, 1835. Clemons grew up in a town called
Hannibal, Missouri. Here Sam Clemens saw an array of different type of people pass through his
town. People such as: gamblers, entertainers, thieves, and even slave traders that influenced his
childhood memories. We see traces of his rugged hometown deeply embedded with southern
tradition. Clemens was known as a mischievous boy that smoked, led of crew of pranksters, and
often played hooky from school. At the age of twelve Clemens dropped out of school after the death
of his father. He later took a job as a printer where he was introduced to writing. Clemens constructed
poems, reports, and humored sketches. Although young Samuel did not possess...show more content...
This was his first fiction work which propelled him into the literary world. Even though much of his
success was due to his previous works most Americans know Mark Twain by his two closely related
novels, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. Ernest
Hemmingway stated, "All modern American literature comes from one book by Mark Twain
called Huckleberry Finn ... it's the best book we've had. All American writing comes from that.
There was nothing before. There has been nothing as good since" (Hemmingway and Shenton
22). The two stories are filled with raw humor, mature material, and they both draw from Samuel
Clemens child hood memories. Both stories were written based on places and people found in
Clemmons childhood hometown Hannibal. In both stories Mark Twain renamed the story's
town St. Petersburg. This could be symbolic of Twain's view of Hannibal Missouri being like
heaven. In Tom Sawyer, the story takes place mostly in St. Petersburg, and many places in the story
mirror places found in Hannibal. Cardiff Hill is a place for children's games such as Robin Hood,
much like Hannibal's Holliday's Hill. Jackson's Island is a place where the boys play pirates which
mirrors Hannibal's Glasscock's Island. McDougal's Cave, the center of Tom Sawyer's climatic
ending, is closely related to Hannibal's McDowell's cave. Physical

Mark Twain Essays
Mark Twain, a Racist?Mark Twain was a man that was way ahead of his time. In a time when
people were judged on color,Mark Twain grew up in Florida, Missouri (Mandelbrot, Twain). In
Missouri and Louisiana combined there were less than one half a million white persons (Chang,
Twain p. 21). Which meant the black population was abundant. While growing upTwain had no
telegraph, no railroads, no stage lines of any consequence (Twain, www.marktwain.com). Also maps
were scarcely ever found. So Twain didn't really get to communicate with different people that were
outside his little town. Twain was a sixth child so he had manysiblings to look up too.When Twain
was young he was kept indoors mostly because of his poor health. He stayed mostly in...show more
content...
These were things all calculated to impress a sensitive child. This was commonplace enough for that
time and locality.When Twain was 12 years old his father died. Then at agethirteen Twain dropped
out of school. Because he grew up in a port city he had more job opportunities. His jobs consisted
of numerous printing jobs and a river pilots apprentice, and then later on he became a licensed river
pilot in 1858. Clemens' pseudonym, Mark Twain comes from his river pilot days.All the games and
the daily talk concerned fanciful semi–African conditions and strange primal possibilities. The
children of that time believed in spells and charms and bad luck signs, all learned of their Negro
guardians. But if the Negroes were the chief companions and protectors of the children, they were
likewise one of their discomforts. The greatest real dread children knew was the fear of meeting
runaway slaves."The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" is considered to be one of Twain's
masterpieces. The book is about a boy named Huck, who flees from his father by rafting down the
Mississippi River with a runaway slave, named Jim. The pair's adventures show how Huck the
cruelty of which men and woman are capable. Another theme for the book is the conflict between
Hucks feeling of friendship with Jim, who was one of the few people he could trust, and his
knowledge that by helping Jim

The Importance of Mark Twain in American Literature
Mark Twain is important to American literature because of his novels and how they portray the
American experience. Some of his best selling novels were Innocents Abroad, Life on the
Mississippi, Huckleberry Finn, and The Adventures of Tom Sawyer. In these books,Mark Twain
recalls his own adventures of steamboating on the Mississippi River. Samuel Langhorne Clemens
was born on November 30, 1835 in a small village of Florida, Missouri. His parent's names were
John Marshall Clemens and Jan Lampton Clemens, descendants of slaves in Virginia. They had been
married in Kentucky and move to Tennessee and then Missouri. When Sam was four, his father, who
was full of the...show more content...
During those ten years Sam also engaged in another skill. He was piloting steamboats on the
Mississippi River. He might have remained a pilot had not the Civil War intruded (Encyclopedia
Americana 192A).
"When the war closed the river and after two hectic weeks in the Confederate Army, he went to
Nevada with his brother, an abolitionist whom President Lincoln had appointed secretary to the
territorial governor. And so, while the Civil War raged in the East, Samuel Clemens found
himself searching the Wet for silver, and, soon his father, dreaming of a fortune (American
Writers 193). Since Samuel's career as a prospector and a minor was a failure, he went back solely
on journalism as a profession. In 1862, he got a secured job with the Virginia City Territorial
Enterprise. This demonstrated his ability as a reporter and a humorist. "A year later, in February
1863, he adopted the pseudonym "Mark Twain" a river phrase meaning "two fathoms deep"
(Encyclopedia Americana 291A).
He started to use the pen name Mark Twain while he was on the Enterprise. Changing names during
this time was common for writers. "When readers saw that name they looked for a unique
perspective upon people and events, and usually a comic one. It signified an invented personality, a
mask." He mostly signed humorous journalism and other personal writings by Mark Twain. For his
political reporting, he signed himself Samuel L. Clemens. Samuel

Mark Twain Essay
Mark Twain was a pilot, a comic lecturer, a humorist, a
short story writer, and a novelist, to name a few of his
many accomplishments. On November 30, 1835, Samuel
Langhorne Clemens, otherwise known as Mark Twain,
became the first man of any importance ever to be born
west of the Mississippi River. He has become an icon as
the American writer. This is because his way of writing
cannot be simulated by Europeans or anyone else, due to
the fact that the western setting of America creates a whole
new atmosphere and style of writing. Mark Twain is a
classic American writer that acquired fame by using satire,
writing with single–minded use of words, and by writing the
way that most people think and speak. Twain writes with...show more content...
The vernacular portrays the word in the
purest sense of its original meaning. The vernacular
symbolizes American writing because nobody else on earth
would talk in that way besides the early American settlers.
An example from Huckleberry Finn is : " I reck'n I could
eat a hoss. I think I could. How long you ben on de islan'
?" (Twain 46). This style is done by writing without
worrying about spelling or context, and rather just writing

the way that the speech sounds. This style of writing is
uniquely American, because the famous European authors
did not write that way since the people of Europe didn't
speak that way. Another example from this book is: " Say,
who is you? Whar is you? Dog my cats ef I didn't hear
sumf'n." (Twain 5). Europeans had never spoken like this
or heard of it before Mark Twain. The vernacular enhances
American writing solely because it is uniquely early
American. It also gives a face to American writing,
distinguishing it from writing in other parts of the world. The
vernacular also shows the rural, uneducated portion of
America. These are two examples from Tom Sawyer : "
Can't, Mars Tom. Ole missis, she tole me I got to go an'
git dis water an' not stop foolin' roun' wid anybody. She
say she spec' Mars Tom gwine to ax me to whitewash, an'
so she tole me to go 'long an' 'tend to my own business –
she 'lowed she'd tend to de whitewashin'"

Essay On Mark Twain
Mark Twain once stated, "Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry and narrow–mindedness." This quote
should let us all know how much travel actually meant to him. In his life, he did a lot of traveling
and exploring. From a newspaper apprentice to a pilot Mark Twain lived a rather adventurous life .
First, most people think that your childhood can have a pleasant or unpleasant effect on your
adulthood. Mark Twain was born Samuel Clemens on November 30, 1835 in the frontier village of
Florida, Missouri ("Mark Twain Biography.com"). He spent his boyhood in nearby Hannibal, on
the bank of the Mississippi River, observing its busy life, fascinated by its romance, but chilled by
the violence and bloodshed it bred.(28 Cox) During his childhood he became exposed to slavery,
at one point he actually discovered a body of a drowned slave. At 12, Twain would actually have
to drop out of school due to the sudden death of his father John Clemens; he would become a
young apprentice ("MarkTwainBiograpgy.com"). Twain wasn't even a teen and basically had to
become the man of the house not by choice but basically by force, this more than likely made Twain
the hard worker that he was.
Next, one could say you should treat every job as if it is actually your career, as if you would be
doing it for the rest of your life. Mark Twain had several different jobs. He began work as an
apprentice then a compositor with local printers, contributing occasional squibs.(125 MacArthur) At
17 his comic sketch "The Dandy...show more content...
The most interesting thing about my author is how he traveled the U.S. and a little bit of the world
and found jobs mostly every time he moved this stuck with me because apparently, Mark was a
workaholic and that is one thing that I can respect, and relate to. The tragedies that he experience
such as his brother and father's death make him memorable because he overcame them and that's all
that matters at him in my

Critical Evaluation: Mark Twains' "The Damned Human Race"
At the turn of the 20th century, Mark Twain took on a mission to disprove Darwin's theory that,
through evolution; man has "ascended from the lower animals." Mr. Twain believed that man
actually de–evolved and are the lesser species – "descending from the higher animals" and spent
many grueling months studying the subject. Whether this is a valid argument, seems to be one of
opinion, as it is rumored that the author was struggling with financial ruin and the loss of his family.
When studying the essay, the reader can't help but notice that Mr. Twain's personal feelings run
rampant throughout the paper.
The author begins his "study" by reiterating that, even though all are...show more content...
He also asserts that man is the only animal that can be considered obscene, vulgar and indecent. He
offers examples of men keeping harems, such as roosters, yet the female human is enslaved whereas
the chicken relishes in the position. He states that man is the only animal that has feelings and
actions that include revenge, cruelty, war and slavery.
In studying and evaluating this essay, one can't help but be reminded that the author was publically
grieving for the loss of his wife and the previous deaths of three of his children. The only child to
survive the author was his youngest, Clara. Having this knowledge, the reader can't help but
question the devastating loss of his family and his apparent financial ruin, as setting the tone of this
paper. Twain biographerVan Wyck Brooks, and most other biographer's, agreed that the "pessimistic
cynicism" was attributed to his finanical and family woes. Brooks believed though, that Twain's life
was no more difficult than others; even leading an "enviable" life. (Brooks) He gives the explanation
that his pessimism stems from Twains' "frustrated" artist mentality. He asserts that Twain longed to
write "timeless, serious works of literature but ended up as a mere humorist, storyteller, businessman,
and celebrity."
Could this be true – that Mark Twain regretted his participation in "modern" literature? Numerous
biographers, scholars and students have

A Comparison Of Mark Twain And Mark Twain
Nelson Mandela once said, " Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change
the world." As the world grew, Mark Twain and Langston Hughes became writers, poets, and so on.
With the knowledge that Hughes and Twain had, they made impacts on the world. However, the
ability that these two men had allowed them to be motivational historical figures. Still today, their
works and ideas for writing are still helpful to other writers. As writers, these two had fluent and
intellectual minds, they did not give up. So therefore, with Twain and Hughes being such prominent
figures with immaculate writing capabilities, their masterpieces can be compared.
Twain said, "...it is good to begin life poor; it is good to begin life rich–these are wholesome; but to
begin it prospectively rich! The man who has not experienced it [poverty] cannot imagine the curse
of it" ("Mark Twain Fun Facts" 2). As life started for Twain, he went through many obstacles. In
addition, Mark Twain started writing short stories that evolved over time. Not all people in the
world have the most wealthiest lifestyle, Twain, on the other hand, was born 2 months premature
and also had to deal with poor health for ten years of his life. Mark Twain had no one to turn to for
inspiration or motivation. Twain left school to become a printer's apprentice("Mark Twain
Biography"2). Not to mention, Mark Twain wrote in a manner that society could relate. For most of
his life up until he was an adult

Essay about Mark Twain
Mark Twain
Mark Twain is believed to be the father of all American literature. Twain was known for writing
about issues of his time such as slavery, due to his style of honesty and truth he was known as one
of the very first modernist writers. Mark Twain had many inspirations that motivated him to write his
novels. The inspirations varied from events that he witnessed and experienced, people he met in his
lifetime, other stories he read or heard about, and his environment. The writer known as, Mark Twain
, was actually born with the name Samuel Langhorne Clemens in Florida, Missouri, to John Marshall
Clemens and Jane Lampton Clemens on November 30, 1835. While Samuel Clemens was very
young the Clemens family moved to Hannibal,...show more content...
He deserted two weeks after enlisting.
Later that same year, Clemens headed West with his older brother, Orion, in search of great
wealth, mining silver in the deserts of Nevada. Samuel Langhorne Clemens was a completely
unsuccessful miner; however he still managed to make a living, largely due to his skills in
journalism. He was employed by the Virginia City Territorial Enterprise. In the years that he was
employed by the Territorial Enterprise, Clemens developed his abilities as a reporter and
humorist. In 1863, while still employed by the Territorial Enterprise, Clemens adopted the
pseudonym Mark Twain which is a riverboat term meant two fathoms deep. Clemens made a
gradual change to using Mark Twain as his official pen name. The name Mark Twain gave
Clemens the confidence and freedom to make his writing more humoristic. Due to his new
confidence and humorist style Twain began a rivalry with another local journalist. The rivalry
eventually caused Twain to flee Virginia City or lose his life in a pistol duel to the rival journalist.
Twain relocated in San Francisco, where he continually attacked the metropolis' government,
which caused him to flee to a nearby settlement from the city's police force. Twain heard some
local folklore about a leaping frog which prompted him to write a humorous piece titled, "The
Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County" which was circulated by the New York Saturday
Press. The piece enabled Twain to gain the respect of

How Did Mark Twain's Life Influence His Writing
Mark Twain was and still is a big part of our world. He wrote over 30 books that people still enjoy
till today. Most people know him by the books The adventures of Tom Sawyer and The adventures
of Huckleberry Finn Mark Twain, who writes short stories and novels, uses life to influence his
writing by using regionalism, vernacular, and his experiences.
Mark Twain's real name is Samuel Clemens. He got his name by one of his favorite jobs, which
was the tugboat job. He went to school till he was 11, but continued to educate himself . He grew up
with 6 sibling, most of them died during his childhood and he grew up without a dad. He moved a
few times during his childhood and began his writing career after his dad died. When he was born he
was a...show more content...
Vernacular is like how they talk and sound. They sound very funny and ridiculous. They do not
talk as good as we do today and sound funny when speaking. In this time of period, people did not
have the great education that most of us get now. He got taken out of school when he was eleven,
because his dad died and it was time for him to step up and take that roll. He decided to try the
army, but it was not the roll for him.
Sawyer had a few jobs. His favorites, besides writing, was when he drove tug boats. The life on
the Mississippi, influences big time on his writing, because he grew up right next to it and had
many experiences. A lot of his experiences went into his book, and one of them was that he stole
gold from someone and got lots of money from that. He traveled to about seven different places. He
started a diary when he first moved to Hannibal, Mississippi
Mark Twain, even though he does not sound as good as we do, he continues to make an
appearance in life and continues to be noticed. In schools, you usually learn about him in fourth
grade. If he was still alive, individuals would still encourage him to write more. His english might
have been a little different. If you are interested in him, check out his books The Adventure of
Huckleberry Finn and The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, they are a back to back

Mark Twain : The Father Of American Literature
What makes an author great? How does an Author achieve legendary status amongst peers? One
hundred years after his death on April 21, 1910, "Mark Twain remains as central as ever not only in
American literature but American life," writes James M. Cox, a leading Twain scholar (Greenblatt).
As an example in 1996, a set of twenty–nine books containing his work was published with
introductions by famous authors at the beginning of each volume. Each of the introductions
references how Mark Twain directly influenced the authors of each story, poem, essay or letter.
William Faulkner once said Mark Twain is "the father ofAmerican literature ... the first truly
American writer, and all of us since are his heirs. (Huso) Twain was renowned for his work with
humor and sarcasm, but he was a great deal more as a public moralist, famous entertainer, political
philosopher, travel writer, and novelist. Twain created an American point of view in literature,
bringing in aspects of real and current topics in the world; writing about the civil war, the war in the
Philippines against Spain through an anti–imperialist view and breaching topics such as slavery and
posing moral dilemmas between characters.
Mark Twain was one of the best–known storytellers of his time even though he had only received an
education until the fifth grade due to the untimely death of his father forcing him into the working
world. The icon has penned over 35 published pieces of work between 1864 and his

Mark Twain Character Traits
Mark Twain, a well–known American writer, had many character traits. He was Funny,
self–deprecating, forgiving, honest, and skillful. Of course, he had others too, and it would be
impossible to fully and completely describe a person in one essay. He was a very important writer
in American history, and has brought many good stories to people all over the country.
A sense of humor, a very useful thing in life, is something that Mark Twain definitely had. In the
chapters form his autobiography, it says that the publishing house had told Mark Twain that his
book had lots of humor in it. It would be hard to write a book with humor in it if you didn't have a
sense of humor yourself. Also, when a publisher wouldn't publish one of his stories, Twain would
imagine killing him over and over in his head in very cruel ways. This was probably not funny at the
...show more content...
In his autobiography, Twain writes that the publisher who refused to publish his book later said
that it was the biggest mistake of his life. That implies that it must have been a really great book
to have made the publisher change his mind so drastically. Also in his auto biography, Twain says
that the publishing house who published his book was brought out of debt by the sales of his
fantastic book. That is very impressive considering that debts can get very big, especially for a big
company like that. Just the sales of his book alone to be the thing that brings them out of debt must
mean that it was the most superb of books.
Lastly, Mark Twain was Honest and forgiving. Mark Twain forgave the aforementioned publisher
who would not publish his book. This shows that Twain understands that people make mistakes and
that they need to be forgiven. He is also Honest. When he accidentally plagiarized that poem, he
wrote a letter as an apology to make up for it and said that the poet could plagiarize his work any
time he

Mark Twain : A Literary Icon
Mark Twain, A Literary Icon Mark Twain is one of the most prolific authors to grace the world of
literature. Twain lived a life full of adventure and imagination that helped to shape the writings
that were composed. Without the works of Mark Twain, hundreds of other American authors
would likely not be around to this day as Twain was the motivation for many of the authors from
the period. Twain's life began in 1835, in Florida, Missouri as Samuel L. Clemens. Twain, as he
will be addressed in this paper, had very humble beginnings and lived a life of several professions
before finding the true profession that Twain would soon one day manipulate into master works.
Living in Hannibal, Missouri developed an image in the mind of Twain, carnivals, the sound of
steamboats arriving at the port, and other events helped to shape the image in Twain's mind.
However, it wasn't until the age of twelve when Twain had to stop schooling due to his father's
death and find a profession that could support his family. Becoming an apprentice printer for the
local newspaper company helped Twain to discover his love of writing at an early age, however it
was the profession of becoming a steamboat captain that would help Twain to create the
atmosphere and imagination needed to compose two of the greatest works America would ever lay
witness to. As Twain's career as a steamboat captain steamed along, so did the onset of war. Living
on the Mississippi River, the war separated both sides, one

Contributions Of Mark Twain
Mark Twain revolutionized American literature with his works of the 19th century. He produced
some of the most famous works of his time, including the novels Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
and The Adventures of Tom Sawyer. Along with his writing, Twain was also a well
–known pilot,
lecturer, and entrepreneur. It was his written works that opened the eyes of many Americans,
however, as his pieces rose him to prominence early on in his life.
Born on November 30, 1835, in Florida, Missouri, Mark Twain was actually the pen name of
Samuel L. Clemens, the sixth child of John and Jane Clemens. His father was a hardworking man
who took on many jobs to provide for his economically unstable family. Twain's mother was
typical of other women of the time period, being their housekeeper. Throughout his youth, Twain
suffered from both financial and family loss. Twain would lose siblings Margaret and Benjamin
during his childhood to disease. His father would also die ill in 1847. This caused Twain to step
up, where his search of wealth would eventually be met through his writings. During his later years,
Twain would marry his wife, Olivia, where the two would go on to have two kids.
Though he was a wise and intelligent man, Mark Twain was limited in his educational
opportunities. He took part in formal education only until he was twelve, when his father's death
forced him to take up a job. However, as noted by novelist Ron Powers, "his formal education was
finished, but his more formative

Mark Twain Research Paper
Name ––
Professor Reber
English 1113
10 October 2012
Mark Twain Mark Twain was a world renowned novelist and a beloved American Writer. He wrote
things about what was happening in the world around him and is also a huge part of American
Literature. Although Mark Twain is a famous novelist his home life, background/achievements, and
greatest accomplishments are what made him who he is today. Mark Twain was more than the man
we all know. For one thing, he was born as Samuel Langhorn Clemens on November thirtieth
eighteen thirty–five and given the nickname "Little Sam." In addition, his birthplace was "a
two–room frame house in Florida...Missouri" (Cox, 7) to a John and Jane Clemens. After reaching
the age of eighteen he took on an...show more content...
Twain and Olivia, just like any happily married couple, also had children of their own. That is, little
Langdon was their first child, born prematurely and with brittle bones, only lived nineteen months
and second daughter Olivia Susan (Susy) even living up to age twenty–four had unfortunately "died
from spinal meningitis" (News, 1). Twain always had problems with his middle daughter Clara, who
overtime became distant to her family, and his youngest daughter, who he had the most struggles
with, suffered from epilepsy (nearly trying to kill the maid during her attacks) and died at the age of
twenty–nine from a heart attack. Some things that happened in Twain's home life marked as either
turning points or became the center for some of his works. Mark Twain, unlike any other famous
novelist/writer, has his very own accomplishments. The two of his greatest accomplishments is what
everyone knows him famous for. The Adventures ofTom Sawyer and The Adventures of
Huckleberry Finn as being his greatest and most popular works were also to quickly become his
greatest accomplishments. Likewise, both books corresponded with the other about adventures of
both low class, Huck Finn, and middle class, Tom Sawyer, had together and of their friendship.
Another believed greatest accomplishment was his hidden eulogy that hadn't

Mark Twain's Writing
Mark Twain would write facing a wall so he would not get distracted by the stuff around him.
Mark Twain was a very social person who loved to be around people, and he used his personal
experiences when writing his books. Twain also allows his emotions at the time dictate his writing,
for example when his daughter died his writings became very negative and dark.
First and foremost Mark Twain was a very emotional writer. Twain arguably wrote his best pieces
during the earlier part of his career, because he enjoyed writing and he was in a good place. After
sometime he started to write for profit because most of his investments were failing during this time
he was losing a substantial amount of money. Things got worse when his wife and daughter

Samuel Langhorne Clemens, better known by the pseudonym Mark Twain, has been central to
American literature for over a century. His seemingly effortless diction accurately exemplified
America's southern culture. From his early experiences in journalism to his most famous fictional
works, Twain has remained relevant to American writing as well as pop culture. His iconic works
are timeless and have given inspiration the youth of America for decades. He distanced himself from
formal writing and became one of the most celebrated humorists. Mark Twain's use of the common
vernacular set him apart from authors of his era giving his readers a sense of familiarity and
emotional connection to his characters and himself.
Mark Twain is world...show more content...
He was one of the first to descriptively verbalize southern speech in writing. Not only was it
uncommon for people of Twain's era to write in vernacular, it was new–fangled for him to write
about the subject of vernacular itself. It is a difficult task to write about, much less in, a dialect to
which one is foreign without appearing foolish. Twain's ability to both with ease marked him as an
authority on the subject.
Thus, Twain's early experiences in life helped him to flesh out a well–rounded vocabulary and
sparked his interests in adventure and traveling. Twain spent his boyhood in the riverside town of
Hannibal, Missouri where he, "experienced the excitement of the colorful steamboats that docked
at the town wharf, bringing comedians, singers, gamblers, swindlers, slave dealers, and assorted
other river travelers" (Gribben). His exposure to much of the world at a young age opened his
eyes to people groups, travel, and differences in dialect that would all become subject matter of his
later writing. Twain wrote in Life on the Mississippi that he became acquainted with all the
"different types of human nature that are to be found in fiction, biography, or history" while he
worked as a steamboat apprentice (128). The diverse people and places he met during his time on the
river all became awe–inspiring to him and served as the foundation for his works to come. Countless

Mark Twain What Is Man
The essay written by Mark Twain called "What is Man?" is a dialogue between the old man and
the young man. The old man believes that "no man ever originates anything," a man will take an
action for himself, and a man do not have such thing as free will (Twain 7). The old man's beliefs
are very similar to Baron D' Holbach's philosophy of determinism. On the other hand, the young
man's beliefs are the opposite of both the old man and D'Holbach's beliefs. The young man tries to
deny the old man's beliefs by questioning. However, the more agreeable beliefs are the beliefs of
the old man and D'Holbach. In the first chapter, the old man believes that a human being is like a
machine, which cannot originates anything. He uses a metal machine and a...show more content...
First, the old man states that humans do not originate anything, which is true. Humans are
always influenced by external factors. For example, when writers write essays, musicians
compose music, and artists drew arts, their products are always influenced by their environment,
their surrounding people, and their many other factors. If those people were born in different
environment then they did, they probably produced something different. Secondly, it is true that
people always think about themselves first. Even if a person chooses to give up his life for someone
else, the decision is made for himself; because, he would feel like "if I do not help this person, I will
probably regret about it for my entire life." By loosing his life and helping a person, he is free from
the life long regret. Lastly, there is no such thing as free will. Humans live in the earth where there
is a something called gravity. Humans are forced to stay on the ground and cannot fly without
any kind of flying machine. The existence of the gravity already explains that humans do not have
free will. Also, humans will always die. They cannot choose to live forever, the limit of life also
proves humans do not have free will. In fact, the old man says the almost an exact same thing, but
with a different example. The man who gives a quarter to the woman decides to give a quarter, but
he does not make his decision, it is made for him by forces, which he could not control (Twain 90).
Humans have uncontrollable forces such as gravity and death. Overall, the old man explains his
thoughts very well and answers to the young man's arguments completely. At the end, the young man
does not talk back at the old man. Toward the end of the conversation, it seems like the young man
decides to agree with the old man. As a result, the old man's belief is more

Mark Twain Essay

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