Mark twain overview

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Mark Twain The Grandfather of American Literature

Transcript of Mark twain overview

Page 1: Mark twain overview

Mark Twain

The Grandfather of American Literature

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Mark Twain1835-1910

• Born on November 30, 1835 in Florida, MO

• Real name: Samuel Clemens

• Spent much of childhood in Hannibal, MO

• His father died when he was young, leaving him to care for his family

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Mark TwainInteresting Facts…

• Childhood hangout was Jesse James’ hideout

• Tom Sawyer is based on his childhood experiences.

• He once spent the night in Judge Clemens’office with the corpse of a stabbing victim.

“Mark Twain Cave”

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Mark TwainEarly Years

• At 17, Clemens left Hannibal for a printer’s job in St. Louis

• While in St. Louis, he became a licensed river pilot.

• Clemens began working as a newspaper reporter for newspapers around the U.S.

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Mark Twain

• Clemens’ pseudonym, Mark Twain, comes from his days as a river pilot.

• “Mark twain” means it is safe to navigate.

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Mark Twain• Twain began to get famous when his story, “The

Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calavaras County” appeared in the New York Saturday Press.

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Mark Twain• Twain’s first book, “The Innocents Abroad” was published in 1869.• 1870 – Marries Livy Langdon.• 1870-80s – Becomes a father of one boy and three girls. (Some

die at an early age.)• He wrote 28 books and numerous short stories, letters and

sketches.

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• Bankruptcy in his 50’s• Deaths: 1st Susy 2nd Olivia

Both of his daughters go insane

• 3rd Death: Jean• Because of his personal

tragedies, his later works are much more pessimistic...

• Works such as “To the Person Sitting in the Darkness”, “King Leopold‟s Soliloquy” and (what you read) “The War Prayer”

• The tone is much darker and has a sense of anger and hopelessness

• To cope, he began wearing white suits (he had 14) and scarlet socks and being much more public

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Mark TwainFamous Novels

• “The Adventures of Tom Sawyer”, 1876.

•   “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn”, 1885.• “A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court”,

1889.

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Mark Twain• Passed away April 21, 1910

• Childhood home in Hannibal, MO is open to the public as a museum

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TwainTwain’’s Use of s Use of SatireSatire• Satire:

– Criticize people and society through ridicule.

– Point out the hypocrisy of people and make them look ridiculous.

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Background KnowledgeBackground Knowledge– Speech Patterns– Speech Patterns

The characters in the book speak very differently from the way most Americans do today. They speak in a

different dialect.

“He’s a-going up there. Say-look! He’s a-going to shake hands with him—he is shaking hands with him! By jings, don’t you wish you was Jeff?” page 35

“Huck, he must mean us both—we’re right together.” “Oh, Tom, I reckon we’re goners. I reckon there ain’t no mistake ‘bout where I’ll go to. I been so wicked.” page 74

“Hucky, do you das’t to go if I lead?” “I don’t like to, much, Tom, s’pose it’s Injun Joe!” page 75